Caribbean Heritage Festival Celebrates Culture And Community

Colorful booths popped up on the New Haven Green as the city celebrated the Caribbean Heritage Festival this Saturday. Attendants ambled from vendor to vendor, snacking on jerk chicken and popsicles from the food trucks. Upbeat music filled the air and flags fluttered to the rhythm of the gentle breeze. Cultural pride suffused the scene.

Karaine Holness founded the Caribbean Heritage Festival nine years ago to bring out New Haven’s community of people of Caribbean descent. She believed that, given the opportunity, people would flock to celebrate their heritage. She saw her job as providing them with that space. 

“Build it and they will come,” Holness said.

They came in droves. Whether buying jewelry and clothing from one of the vendors, or learning about history and traditions at the educational booths, New Haven residents enjoyed a taste of the Caribbean. Marcia Whittinghal ran a booth for her son’s business, Launch Clothing, which featured merchandise from Jamaica and the Afro-Caribbean. ​“Coming from the Caribbean, I love to see the culture being celebrated,” she said. ​“Being all together in one area, people can see different aspects of the Caribbean and how each island has its own culture.”

Najah Josie participated in the Caribbean Heritage Festival for the third time, representing her fashion design company Najah Nailah. ​“My family is Caribbean, so I like to showcase my art and culture,” she said. Josie’s clothing uses styles and fabrics native to Saint Lucia, such as madras, a strong cotton fabric patterned with bright colors and designs.

Some vendors used their platforms to advocate for social change, such as Tanaya Henry and her program Traveler on a Mission. Traveler on a Mission is a nonprofit based in Ansonia that provides hygiene products throughout Dixwell and the Valley. It also serves two orphanages in the Caribbean, located in Saint Kitts and Antigua. 

“The event helps get more support from the Caribbean community, especially for the orphanages,” said Henry. She sold t‑shirts and merchandise, with all profits going to Traveler on a Mission. Henry also invited visitors to her booth to donate money, and offered them the opportunity to host their own hygiene drives.

The educational booths that lined the Green ensured that every island had representation. At the Trinidad and Tobago booth, Stacy Samuel made certain that people of her nationality felt seen and respected. ​“We’re able to share the culture of Trinidad and Tobago, what it has to offer,” she explained. ​“There are a lot of people from T. & T. here,” and ​“we want to show we’re around.” The booth displayed bright and feathery costumes from Trinidadian carnivals. 

Juancarlos Soto manned the Puerto Rican booth in the name of Puerto Rico United (P.R.U.). ​“Our mission is not only to share our community, but also to do community enrichment,” he said. ​“There’s something magical about sharing a community with other Caribbean people, and seeing how our cultures intersect.”

At the Jamaican booth, directors Keneshia Clark and Denise Morris displayed foods, cooking equipment patterned with Jamaican symbols, and traditional African toys.

“We’re very proud of our heritage. The flag is on everything,” said Morris, pointing to the green, black, and yellow that decked the booth. Clark and Morris appreciated the festival for offering an opportunity to educate others about their culture, bringing New Haven into their world. ​“The people and the cultures coming together, it feels like we’re back home,” said Morris.

Rev. Dr. Janice Hart brought her own collection of cultural memorabilia to the festival. Her booth featured everything from old fashioned children’s noisemakers, to ice grabbers as wide as a lion’s jaw, to a katta — a banana-leaf headdress that protects the hair when carrying heavy objects on the head. Hart, who prides herself on ​“keeping Caribbean culture alive for 40 years,” welcomed the opportunity to introduce young people to a range of culturally significant items they might not have encountered before. 

“If my generation doesn’t tell the next generation, no one will remember,” she said.

On the stage at the center of the Green, performers used art to represent their cultures and share them with the crowd. Dominican performer Gammy Moses shared how he uses Caribbean drums to educate children about the environment. 

“People sometimes ask me where I get my passion for the environment, and I say from my roots,” said Moses. He recalled his childhood in Dominica, walking barefoot through the forests and composting with his grandmother. These habits that formed his way of life growing up are now recognized by environmentalists as ways to protect the planet.

Joe Rodriguez, the president of the board of directions for Puerto Rico United, brought the winners of the New Haven Miss Puerto Rico competition onto the stage. Each contestant wore their traditional national dress, and Rodriguez walked the audience through an explanation of its significance and history.

The Caribbean Heritage Festival in New Haven provided a buffet for the senses. Attendees could learn about the different islands in the Caribbean, refresh their wardrobes, eat their fill from the food trucks, and lose themselves amidst the bright and welcoming energy of the event. As Juan Carlos put it, ​“Where there’s Caribbean people, it’s always a good time.”