Memorable Return for Lauriston/Thompson Pen 4-H Club’s Stew Festival

Patrons attending the Lauriston/Thompson Pen Community 4-H Club’s Stew Festival in St. Catherine were treated to an exciting and memorable return of the annual show, which had its 16th staging on Saturday (November 5).

The event, held at Brooklyn Park in Spanish Town, brought back many of its key features such as a slew of tents and booths, which kept attendees busy as they moved around throughout the mostly sunny day.

Among the exhibitors were several government entities, all displaying aspects of their operations and engaging with the public.

The patrons, who were out in large numbers from as early as 10:00 a.m., could be seen interacting with representatives hosting lively displays at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries’ Plant Quarantine Produce Inspection booth, or learning about different safety gadgets from the Road Safety Unit of the Ministry of Transport and Mining.

However, for many, the day’s highlight was the array of stewed culinary delights, which were relished by the patrons and saw them returning for additional servings.

From a menu of stewed duck, jackfruit, rabbit, egg, pineapple, June plum, whole roasted pig, jerked chicken back, among other treats, it was hard to determine a crowd favourite.

Other activities included a celebrity cook-off, sponsors’ giveaways, dance contests, exotic animal displays, health checks by the Ministry of Health and Wellness, a farmers’ market, and an exciting marching band performance.

Jamaica 4-H Clubs Public Relations and Marketing Manager, Karelle McCormack, who represented Executive Director, Dr. Ronald Blake, told JIS News that the festival is one of the organisation’s standard annual events.

“The Lauriston/Thompson Pen Community 4-H Club is one of the premier clubs among the 4-H network and, in particular, that of the community clubs, and they continue to put in the work here in the community,” she said.

Ms. McCormack praised the 25-year-old club for being “on top of their training” and carrying out the organisation’s mandate of training youth and building capacity.

Also singing praises was first-time patron, Camelia Carter, who said the event and, by extension, the work of the club superseded her expectations.

“It was an amazing day, and I really enjoyed it. It’s a great initiative. I didn’t think I would come and see so much community support, especially from the young people. So I [was] definitely impressed,” she told JIS News.

For seasoned patron, Kimone Lewis, who has been attending the event for many years, the 2022 staging did not pale in comparison to previous years.

“It [was] truly a fulfilling day. It [festival] has been improving each year, because I’m seeing more agencies coming out and more persons getting involved. I am anticipating next year’s staging,” she said.

Even as the unexpected evening rains began to settle in, such was Ms. Lewis’ dedication to the festival that she told JIS News, “rain or shine, I [wasn’t] going anywhere until everything [was] finished.”

One could accurately surmise that this deep support for the event would not have been possible without the bold efforts of Shian Christie, who has been at the helm of the Club since its inception.

The dedicated and do-it-all Founder/Leader expressed gratitude for the public and private sector entities, sponsors and patrons, who made year 16 of the festival a memorable one.