Patron of the National Festival Queen Competition, the Most Hon. Juliet Holness, says she is confident that the 13 finalists in this year’s Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) contest will be among the country’s future leaders. Addressing the contestants during Tuesday’s (July 31) Festival Queen Breakfast at the Jamaica House Banquet Hall, Mrs. Holness noted that the finalists are “bright,...

Jamaicans residing in Washington DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Atlanta will be celebrating the country’s 56th anniversary of Independence with a number of activities from August 4 to 26. The Embassy of Jamaica in Washington DC, under the leadership of Ambassador Audrey Marks, will be engaged in several events, in collaboration with various Jamaican organisations. In Baltimore, Ambassador Marks will deliver...

Jamaica’s rich culture and heritage will be celebrated during the 21st staging of the Emancipation Jubilee at the Seville Heritage Park in St. Ann. The annual event, under the theme ‘Emancipation Jubilee: The Genesis’, will be held from July 31 into Emancipation Day on August 1. It is being organised by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT) under the distinguished...

The best of Jamaican cuisine will be on display at the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) Culinary Arts Expo, to be held on August 2 at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston. This event is being organised by the JCDC to commemorate the Commission’s 55th anniversary. It also forms part of the Jamaica 56 Emancipation and Independence celebrations under...

Jamaicans are being encouraged to wear the colours of this year’s Festival fashion theme, ‘Bandana Be Bold, with Black, Green and Gold’ to celebrate Emancipation and Independence. The country is celebrating 56 years of Independence under the theme, “Jamaica 56 – One Love, One Family’. Emancipation Day will be observed on August 1, while Independence Day will be celebrated on...

State Minister in the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Alando Terrelonge, says Jamaica has the capacity to develop a medical cannabis industry that rivals the other sectors. Noting that the health benefits of cannabis are “enormous”, Mr. Terrelonge said Jamaica’s tertiary institutions, particularly the University of Technology (UTech) and the University of the West Indies (UWI), are...

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, says the entertainment sector was robust in 2017, with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) reporting that 19,158 events were staged across the island. “These events provided more than 30,000 temporary jobs. The Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) is very aware of the value of entertainment, since it collected...