Caribbean festival coming to southern Illinois – WSIL TV

CARTERVILLE, ILLINOIS (WSIL) -- You can slow down and enjoy the island life without leaving southern Illinois.

A Caribbean Festival will be taking place at Walker's Bluff. The event will include traditional dancing, LIVE music with steel drums, and food trucks including Da Caribbean Hut.

Freeman Johnson, who owns Da Caribbean Hut, is from Nassau island and will be cooking up authentic cuisine like jerk chicken, crack pork, and juicy shrimp.

"The jerk chicken has the Caribbean jerk spice on it," he explains. "The crack pork is made in the way we do our crack conch. It's tenderized and deep fried in a special batter. It just melts in your mouth."

Freeman wants locals in the region to experience his home and its vibrant culture.

"You have the beautiful southern Illinois with the four seasons, and the leaves and the greenery," he says. "Growing up on the islands, you miss that sound. The sound of the junkanoo drum. That sound that goes with the smell, with the food that brings back that life of living on the island."

Another person excited to bring this event to southern Illinois is Sabine Henry with Walker's Bluff. She says the festival is family-friendly with bounce houses, face painting, and balloon twisting for the kids.

"Itis definitely a cultural experience for us to have it here in southern Illinois," she adds. "Something definitely new to experience for people who might even have had it on their bucket list to see, myself included."

Both Johnson and Henry hope to continue this festival and have it grow each year going forward.

The Caribbean Festival is taking place on Saturday, July 30th from 5-10 p.m.

Tickets cost $15 and can be found here.

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Caribbean festival coming to southern Illinois - WSIL TV