JerkFest: 20 Year’s of Great VIBES
jerkfest 2002
This marked the inaugural staging of a jerk food festival in Canada and the only one outside of Jamaica. The headliner: the energetic Jamaican Reggae Dancehall artist Admiral Bailey, who had the small but lively crowd dancing to his hit songs: Jump up, One Scotch - One Bourbon, One Beer, Big Belly Man and Soca Butterfly among his big ‘chunes’ from yesteryear.
jerkfest 2003
This was the year of SARS, the great power outage, and a major lesson in festival protocol. There was uncertainty as to whether JerkFest would be held due to SARS. Brampton’s Parks and Recreation along with Peel Regional Police reached an agreement with organizers to go ahead with the festival – only if there was no alcohol present because police would not be able to be on-site. A rising star at the time, Canadian reggae artist Blessed headlined. After he completed his vibrant set, the festival’s show producers committed a mistake that could have been the end of JerkFest. An unknown group from out of town was given five minutes to perform on the main stage. Their set was too raunchy for a family friendly event, and so, the plug was pulled on their performance. A scuffle ensued on stage and the police, whose station was less than five minutes away, had to be called to resolve the conflict. This was a harsh lesson for the festival’s show producers – never allow anyone on the stage without proper vetting of their music or performance; and more importantly, never hold a festival without police on-site.
jerkfest 2004
This was the year the Toronto Argonauts won the 92nd Grey Cup, prompting wild celebrations across Ontario. JerkFest was celebrating its third year of existence, while still trying to establish its roots on the festival circuit. 2004 marked the return of Glendon Admiral Bailey as headliner. Much was anticipated of his high energy humorous performance, especially since his Soca Butterfly and Soca Tatie songs were regular party anthems.
jerkfest 2005
The fourth staging of JerkFest was marked by paying homage to the King of Reggae, Bob Marley – he would have been 60 years old. Musical tributes were given by a host of local Canadian artists amidst the backdrop of the sweet aroma of Caribbean food. The vibes were great as sponsors, vendors and patrons had a great time in the park. Despite the limited number of cash sponsors and relatively small crowd, JerkFest 2005 was yet again a success and on its way to becoming the little festival that could.
jerkfest 2006
This was a game changer year! It was the year Air Jamaica Day came to Brampton, Ontario. The organizers of JerkFest, having realized how popular it was, decided to employ a guerilla marketing strategy at Air Jamaica Day. Suffice to say, the thousands of patrons who attended Air Jamaica Day carried over the next weekend at Chinguacousy Park in Brampton! JerkFest 2006 was the biggest of all the festivals to date. This year also signaled JerkFest becoming one of Ontario’s top tourist attractions. The festival was fast outgrowing all of the available spaces in Chinguacousy Park. And back for a third time was Admiral Bailey to headline an afterparty. However, it became apparently clear that the patrons of JerkFest were not interested in an afterparty. They preferred the park during the day where they could celebrate the food, music, arts and culture. The afterparty was not a success and was permanently scrapped – never to return as a part of the festival’s events.
jerkfest 2007
Six years old and it would be the final year the festival was held in Chinguacousy Park in Brampton. JerkFest moved to a new location inside Chinguacousy Park – the baseball diamond and surrounding fields. The attendance grew exponentially in comparison to the previous year. We welcomed to the stage, international reggae performing artist Anthony Malvo. It was 7:50pm when Anthony Malvo hit the stage and started to perform some of his favourite hit songs from yesteryear. At 8:00pm the festival came to an abrupt end as the park officials and police pulled the plug because the special event permit dictated that the event end at 8:00pm. This was a disappointment to both the organizers and patrons as it was still daylight and Caribbean people from near and far had just started to descend on the park to enjoy the performance of Mr. Malvo. Long after the festival was over, patrons milled about inside Chinguacousy Park, throwing their own parties with music blaring from the speakers of their cars; some even resorted to jerking their own version of jerk chicken, while having a good time. At approximately midnight, tragedy struck. Two youths got into an argument and one stabbed the other - almost killing him. The police and park officials at the City of Brampton blamed JerkFest for this, despite the time it occurred. They made it financially and economically impossible to continue. The organizers of JerkFest agreed to disagree with the police and park officials. And with that, JerkFest said their goodbyes to Chinguacousy Park.
jerkfest 2008
The 7th anniversary of JerkFest was the celebration of a new beginning as it was the first time it was being staged inside the picturesque Centennial Park – the festival’s new home. The move did not go down well with many patrons who lived in Brampton and had gotten used to having JerkFest in their neighbourhood. And to add insult to injury, the first year inside Centennial Park was marred by rain. From ‘pillow to post’ it rained! The organizers and vendors could not catch a break as soon as the rain let up and a ray of hope was on the horizon, another band of rain came. It was like this throughout the day. We had big plans for our rebirth with Canada’s very own reggae singers and artists: Humble, Tanya Mullings and the dance group Back to Basic.
jerkfest 2009
The 8th anniversary of JerkFest ushered in a new era. It was the start of the Jerk and Jazz Sunday series. The headliners: the late Frankie Paul; songstress Georgia; Canadian Reggae legend Jay Douglas; and multi-talented pianist Eddie Bullen. JerkFest 2009 also celebrated the life and work of the late Byron Lee. However, this year was also marred by inclement weather throughout the weekend. Our loyal patrons still braved the elements to come out and celebrate the food, music, and culture.
jerkfest 2010
The Jerk & Jazz concert series was now in full swing amidst the backdrop of the sweet aroma of Caribbean cuisine in the air. The headliners: Canadian Reggae legend Jay Douglas; Singing sensation Comfort; Canadian Jazz smooth operators Chris Smith, and The Cates Fomin Project. We finally got a break from Mother Nature! Our attendance hit record numbers on what was an overcast, but dry weekend.
jerkfest 2011
This was a special year for JerkFest, we celebrated our 10 th anniversary milestone edition. However, it was the first time that a headliner was a no-show – Jamaican Reggae singer George Nooks was missing in action. Lucky for us, Canadian Reggae singer Mr. Cooper stepped in at the last minute and provided an outstanding performance, which included an encore performance. The large crowd was also entertained by the sweet melodic jazz instrumental of Eddie Bullen and the soothing sounds of Canadian Jazz singer Chris Smith. And the other thing that made this year extra-special - 2011 marked the first time that JerkFest was recognized as one of Ontario’s top 100 festivals by Festivals and Events Ontario (FEO).
Jerkfest 2012
Year 11 saw a change in the festival’s programming, which culminated with the launch of Canada’s second Black-owned radio station, G98.7 FM. The Jerk & Jazz Sunday showcase was shelved and Sunday’s programming was revamped to duplicate the programming of Saturday. This change was to ensure that patrons that worked on Saturday or were Seven Day Adventist (whose Sabbath is on Saturday), would still get the same great presentation on Sunday. This format was also selected for economic reasons. It just made more sense to bring international artists for two days of performing, instead of one. And with the festival’s growing popularity, we also became a source of poaching. We would pay for the airfare, accommodations, immigration documents, etc. and then other promoters would book the artist for appearances while in Toronto on our dime. In 2012, we welcomed back to the main stage: “Mr. Big Belly Man” Admiral Bailey (this was his fourth time at JerkFest) and as expected he gave a very energic performance. Everyone loved it! The other headliner was the versatile Reggae singer Lukie-D. He covered several eras of music during his stint; his set saw the patrons rocking to his every note as he belted out songs from yesteryear like Sammy Plant Peas & Corn, Dung a Gully as well as Toots and the Maytals’ hit song, Sweet and Dandy.
jerkfest 2013
He was so nice, we brought him back again - Lukie-D headlined alongside a stellar Canadian roster featuring the energetic Steele and the captivating Destiny Soca band. The picturesque Centennial Park was once again the place to be with the sweet sound of Reggae, Soca, RnB and Gospel music fused with the scrumptious smell of Jerk Chicken in the air.
jerkfest 2014
The 13th anniversary edition welcomed the legendary Jamaican Reggae band Fab 5 to the first of their two appearances at the festival. Also returning was Canada’s very own Destiny Soca band. Young and old had a blast as Fab 5 performed a string of legendary hit after hits – they had the crowd whipped up in a frenzy. The Destiny Soca band opened for them with an energetic performance. JerkFest also included a number of fun interactive activities such as ‘Don’t Jerk That Spoon’ challenge; The Hot & Spicy Jerk Chicken Eating Competition; as well as the Jerk Chicken Seasoning Workshop.
jerkfest 2015
JerkFest 2015 – This year marked the first time the festival was fully gated. It was a transition year, where the organizers got a first-hand lesson of the two distinct group of patrons that comes out annually. There are the foodies and then there are the concert/music lovers. The foodies were reluctant to pay to get into the event as they were used to just showing up, purchasing their food, milling about a bit and then leaving. Many did not like the idea of an admission charge and left at the gate. For those who decided to stay, they were treated to the memorable performances of Reggae Royalty, Morgan Heritage, which was preceded by the performances of Juno winner Exco Levi and, once again, the high energy of Destiny Soca Band.
jerkfest 2016
We welcomed the addition of the Friday night RnB showcase with RnB legend Joe and American Idol winner Ruben Studdard kicking-off the Men of Soul showcase. Holding down Saturday and Sunday were international recording artist Etana and legendary Reggae band Third World respectively. The weekend had its fair share of drama as it was discovered hours before the start of Friday night’s show that the power supply provided by the park was not sufficient to power the stage, audio and LED screens. A generator was hastily rented but broke down hours within the start of its use. The show was delayed as a replacement generator had to be procured, this saw the start of the RnB showcase being delayed by a few hours. Once things got going, the crowd enjoyed a decent set by Ruben Studdard, who set the pace for Joe - he had the crowd of screaming ladies spellbound from start to finish. On Saturday and Sunday nights, Third World and Etana turned in memorable performances, which were well received by the record crowd on hand. JerkFest 2016 was a huge success thanks in part to the government partners, corporate sponsors, and the patrons.
jerkfest 2017
Our sweet sixteen year saw RnB giants Brian McKnight and Freddie Jackson on the Friday Night Men of Soul stage. It was also the year Reggae greats Maxi Priest and Pinchers headlined the Saturday and Sunday night Caribbean Fever showcase. The Friday night showcase will go down in history as the year that people (mainly the ladies) stood in the rain to hear Brian McKnight belting out his many hits. They figuratively and literally soaked up their money’s worth from the sexy crooner. Freddy Jackson also held his own as he took everyone down memory lane with hit songs like Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake). All in all, JerkFest 2017 was a great year - despite the rain on night one.
jerkfest 2018
We welcomed a first this year – an all-woman headline cast featuring American Idol winner Fantasia and Canada’s very own RnB sensation Melanie Durrant. These ladies inked their names among the great artists to have graced the Main Stage of the festival, with their version of Women of Soul on the Friday night. Saturday and Sunday saw Reggae legends the Fab Five Band returning to JerkFest. Sharing the spotlight was the dynamic duo Reggae greats, Chaka Demus and Pliers. We had a spot of bad weather, but many hung in there to stroll down memory lane with Chaka Demus and Pliers.
jerkfest 2019
This was one of our hottest festival shows ever! Jeffery Osborne and Ginuwine brought grown folks music front and centre for the Main Stage at the park on Friday night. Their performances were on fire! Saturday and Sunday saw Reggae legend Freddie McGregor and dancehall sensation Dexta Daps delivering performances that are still being talked about today. 2019 was a monumental year; the weather was perfect thus creating the perfect vibes to enjoy good scrumptious Caribbean food and great Reggae/Dancehall music. It was the first time we had to turn back patrons as the headliners drew thousands from near and far. JerkFest 2019 was the most successful edition of the festival in our 18 years. It was special as it was the last one to be held inside Centennial Park, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic.
jerkfest 2020
It was the year that everyone learned a new word: pivot. We did what so many other festivals had no choice but to do - pivot to an online version of JerkFest with participating vendors offering curb-side pick-up or delivery services. A host of Canadian artists performed on the first ever virtual JerkFest, thus enabling them to continue to earn a living. The festival was compressed and delivered over two days, with headliners Reggae legends Jah Cure and Beenie Man; Reggae rising star Lila Ike; and the Queen of Soca, Alison Hinds. The feedback was great. Our longtime supporters were appreciative that we did not abandoned them during COVID-19. They showed us love in return with over 75,000 viewers tuning in online from across Canada, and around the world to be a part of history.
jerkfest 2021
2021 marked a milestone year for us – JerkFest celebrated its 20th anniversary staging, albeit it was virtual due to the on-going pandemic. To celebrate the festival’s 20th anniversary the following headliners were booked to serve up a musical treat – Mr. Singy Singy himself, Tarrus Riley, Reggae’s songbird Lukie-D and the self-proclaimed queen of Reggae music, the incomparable Marcia Griffiths. Chef Kareema and Chef Noel Cunningham brought the flavour with the scrumptious dishes that they served up on Saturday and Sunday during their food demonstration segments they conducted.
As a part of the 20th anniversary celebration, 80 local artists’ services were contracted and brought to viewers here in Canada and around the world. Over 80% of these Canadian artists were discovered by the inaugural JerkFest talent search contest, which was presented in association with G98.7FM (now known as Flow 98.7FM).
Over 45,000 viewers from across Canada and around the world watched the virtual show; despite lockdown restrictions being eased around the world!
jerkfest 2022
TD JerkFest 2022 marked a triumphant return after the COVID-19 shutdown, reinvigorating Toronto with a vibrant celebration of Caribbean culture and music. The festival began with Friday R&B Night headlined by Brian McKnight, whose soulful performance set the stage for an unforgettable weekend. Caribbean icons like Allison Hinds, Maxi Priest, and Konshens brought their infectious rhythms, keeping the crowd dancing and energized throughout. Attendees savoured jerk cuisine alongside the music, creating a sensory experience that embraced the essence of Caribbean life. TD JerkFest 2022 was not just a festival but a joyous reunion, uniting communities in a celebration of resilience and cultural richness.
jerkfest 2023
TD JerkFest 2023 electrified Toronto with a spectacular showcase of Caribbean culture and music. Kicking off with R&B Night headlined by Johnny Gill, the festival launched into a weekend filled with unforgettable performances. Reggae legend Luciano mesmerized the audience with his soulful melodies, while soca sensation Destra brought her high-energy performance that kept everyone dancing. Dancehall artist Baby Cham added his signature flair, rounding out the lineup with infectious beats and rhythms that resonated throughout the festival grounds.
Amidst the pulsating music, attendees indulged in the vibrant flavors of Jamaican jerk cuisine, from spicy jerk chicken to savory festival dumplings, enhancing the cultural experience. TD JerkFest 2022 was a testament to the richness of Caribbean heritage and the power of music to unite communities in celebration.
jerkfest 2023 Holiday Gala
The JerkFest Holiday Gala 2023 was a night of celebration and philanthropy, held in support of Helping Hands Jamaica. Attendees came together for an evening filled with Caribbean culture and generosity, making it a memorable occasion.
The gala honored outstanding individuals with awards that recognized their remarkable contributions. These recipients inspired everyone present with their achievements and dedication to community service.
Throughout the event, guests enjoyed the vibrant atmosphere and camaraderie, all while contributing to a meaningful cause. The gala underscored the spirit of unity and compassion within the community, emphasizing the importance of giving back.
The JerkFest Holiday Gala 2023 was a resounding success, demonstrating how collective efforts can create a positive impact and uplift others. It was a night to remember, celebrating both Caribbean heritage and the power of philanthropy to make a difference.