Here are my picks for the top Caribbean events, festivals and concerts held in the month of July.
Portland Jerk Festival
© Jamaica Tourist Board
Jerk Lobster, Jerk Conch, Jerk Sausage, Jerk Pork and Jerk Chicken are some of the spicy variants on traditional Jamaican cooking that you can enjoy at the annual Portland Jerk Festival, served alongside traditional side dishes such as rice and peas, festival, breadfruit and yams. Held in the Port Antonio resort area, the festival includes a Kiddies Fun Village, live music (including a big concert at the Folly Mansion ruins), and dozens of stalls selling jerk food (seasoned meat spiced with pepper and smoked on pimento sticks).
Carnival in the Grenadines
Soca music, street parades, outrageous costumes, copious amounts of fiery spirits -- it's all part of Vincy Mas, the Carnival of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. If you missed the various Carnivals held during Easter season on the other Caribbean islands, here's your chance to experience a genuine island celebration in the otherwise sleepy summer months!Tobago Heritage Festival
This two-week festival celebrates all aspects of the cultural heritage of the smaller sister in the two-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. In addition to concerts and street festivals, visitors can enjoy dramatic reenactments of the Belmanna slave uprising, a beauty contest, and other productions sponsored by local villages.Reggae Sumfest
© Jamaica Tourist Board
The summer's hottest reggae festival is appropriately held each July in Jamaica's Montego Bay. The fun starts with a Friday night beach party and continues with three nights of high-energy performances.
Antigua Carnival
Antigua has been celebrating a summer Carnival for half a century, and the week-long party includes soca and calypso concerts, j'ouvert and mas parades, and parties galore.Montserrat Calabash Festival
© Montserrat Tourist Board
Montserrat's annual Calabash Festival celebrates the calabash fruit, traditionally used to produce eating utensils, musical instruments, and decorative items; the weeklong festival also aims to promote Montserrat's local craft industry. Highlights include an island bus tour, rum-shop tour, rainforest hike, cricket match, and concert.
Dominica Dive Fest
Dominica's annual Dive Fest, sponsored by the Dominica Watersports Association, includes introductory dive sessions for children, underwater treasure hunts, photography competitions, barbecues, wine tastings, whale watching and sunset cruises, and more. Dive Fest culminates with the colorful Carib Canoe Race.
