TPDCO to Host Craft with a Difference in Montego Bay on December 1

The Harmony Beach Park in Montego Bay, St. James, will come alive on Sunday (Dec. 1) for the staging of the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) craft extravaganza.

Dubbed ‘Craft with a Difference: A Black Friday Weekend Extravaganza,’ the event, scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m., will celebrate Jamaican artisanry, craft and skills.

“We celebrate those who have gone before by honouring them, as there is an honouring component of the event,” Director of Product Quality and Training at TPDCo, Deanne Keating, told JIS News.

“We celebrate those who are in arts and craft and artisanry right now and then we also try to influence those who are up and coming,” she added.

Ms. Keating said the staging of ‘Craft with a Difference’ in Montego Bay provides an opportunity for growth and for increased engagement with locals and tourists.

Patrons will have access to a diverse selection of authentic, Jamaican-made products available for purchase, she noted.

She said that Harmony Beach Park will be uniquely designed to showcase the more than 65 exhibitors that will participate in the event.

“So, what we’re going to be doing is we are dividing our artisan city into streets and lanes. For example, we’re going to be having Beauty Boulevard,” said Ms. Keating, adding that Beauty

Boulevard will feature products such as Jamaican-made body butter and scrubs.

She noted that there will also be Wellness Way offering teas, oils and natural remedies; Apparel Avenue showcasing locally made clothing, hats, sandals and handbags; Painters Park highlighting the work of visual artists, Horticulture Close and a Bikkle Village with Jamaican food items.

“It is not by chance that we have chosen the Black Friday weekend. It is because it is a time when people are shopping. It is also pre-Christmas and so we have asked the vendors to have bargain items on sale,” she said, adding that there will be lots of prizes and surprises for persons in attendance.

She informed that the event will also showcase other elements of Jamaican culture through a live entertainment package featuring Jonkanoo, a mento band, Children of the Drums, Kevin Downswell, Shuga, the 2024 Festival Song and Rising Star winners, among others.

“It is free of cost. It is a family event and we are inviting all to come out and have a wonderful day celebrating arts and crafts – celebrating brand Jamaica,” said Ms. Keating.