Esssex CDC hosts Afro-Caribbean festival

As part of its “Festival in the Park” series, the Essex Community Development Corporation host a well-attended event over the weekend that highlighted Essex’s vibrancy and diversity.

The Essex Afro-Caribbean Festival, held on Sept. 21 on the grounds of Sandalwood Elementary School, attracted more than 300 attendees according to event organizers.

The three-hour event featured vendors, area resource groups, food trucks and music from two Baltimore-area bands: Clarence Ward III & Dat Feel Good Jazz Band, and the Trinidad and Tobago Baltimore Steel Orchestra.

Bully Boss Burger, an eatery based in Essex, and Reid’s Jerk Shack, an Essex establishment specializing in authentic Jamaican cuisine, were on-hand to provide samples to festival guests and participants.

Shannon Ament, community schools facilitator at Sandalwood, sought to bring the event to the community near the school “given its high density and lack of resources,” Essex CDC officials said. Last year, the event was held at Renaissance Park on Stemmers Run Road in Essex.

Life Builders Church, along with nonprofit organizations AfriThrive and Community Assistance Network, were in attendance to offer resources and distribute fresh produce to attendees. CAN has an Essex office on Ashbridge Drive.

The free event was partly made possible by funding provided through a 2024 Baltimore County Community Revitalization Action Grant, event organizers said.

Essex CDC often hosts community-oriented events that engage local residents and business leaders. Its next festival will celebrate Hispanic culture, and is scheduled for Oct. 19 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Renaissance Park.