Photos by Aidan Gallo
On August 25, 1991, the Caribbean Festival Committee (CFC) presented the 5th Annual Caribbean Festival at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia. That year, more than 50,000 people came together to celebrate the music, food, and culture of the islands, making it one of Penn’s Landing’s most successful events of the year. Since its inception, the festival has been more than a cultural showcase; it has become a platform for preserving Caribbean heritage, strengthening community ties, and investing in the next generation.
Janelle paints with her son, Shane, at the arts and crafts table during the 39th Annual Caribbean Festival on August 17, 2025.
Fleming Brathwaite dances while holding a Grenadian flag at the 39th Annual Caribbean Festival on August 17, 2025.
The committee’s mission has always been clear: to expose the greater Delaware Valley to the beauty of the Caribbean and highlight the significant contributions Caribbean people continue to make locally and globally. According to Barbara Wilson, President of the CFC, that mission extends far beyond music and food. Since 1992, the organization has awarded over 400 scholarships to local students. “We give scholarships away, and I like to see the look on the student’s face when they receive it,” Wilson said, noting that recipients have gone on to schools such as the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, and Temple University. Kai Campbell and Katie Parris are the newest recipients of the festival’s scholarship fund this year. Campbell will attend Temple University this fall as a Computer Science major, while Parris will return to American University in Washington, D.C., as a junior majoring in Political Science and African American Studies.
Kai Campbell (left) and Katie Parris (right) pose for a portrait at the 39th Annual Caribbean Festival on August 17, 2025. Campbell and Parris are the newest recipients of the festival’s scholarship fund. Campbell will attend Temple University this fall as a Computer Science major, while Parris will return to American University in Washington, D.C., as a junior majoring in Political Science and African American Studies.
A server hands an attendee a table number at the 39th Annual Caribbean Festival on August 17, 2025.
Scholarship recipient Katie Parris helps a young boy tie a beaded necklace at the 39th Annual Caribbean Festival on August 17, 2025. As part of the scholarship program, recipients volunteer at the festival each year.
For many, the festival is also about maintaining cultural ties. “A lot of people come to see other friends because they have not seen them for maybe a whole year,” said Cecelia Straker, the committee’s entertainment booker. Carey Dennis of the Jamaica Travel Board echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the pride of representing Jamaica within a broader Caribbean unity: “Anything that’s happening with the Caribbean, Jamaica has to be a part of it; I say I’m proud to be here.”
Partnerships have played a vital role in sustaining the event. Dr. Kamisha Simpson, founder of Ignite Jamaica, has not only attended the festival since childhood but also collaborated with the committee to provide scholarships. “Since we were established, they’ve been our biggest partner, our biggest supporter,” Simpson shared. For her, the festival embodies philanthropy and family: “It’s a family reunion at this point.”
Micheal Luvsmith performs with the Tabernacle Band at the 39th Annual Caribbean Festival on August 17, 2025.
Orena Rogers cheers while waving a Jamaican flag at the 39th Annual Caribbean Festival on August 17, 2025.
Today, the event continues at Cherry Street Pier due to construction at Penn’s Landing. While the space is more condensed, the spirit remains the same. Treasurer Rossaine Ricketts reflected on the festival’s authenticity: from the seasoning of curry chicken to the rhythms of reggae, everything celebrates Caribbean pride. Even when beloved steel bands cannot attend, she insists that what makes the festival special is not the setting or the stage,it is the people.
The Philly Caribbean Festival stands as both a celebration of culture and legacy, ensuring that future generations never forget their roots. As Michelle Tulloch-Neil of the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council put it: “This has been going on for 39 years. So it’s not going anywhere.”
