Charleston Carifest

The Charleston Carifest is a four-day festival held every year in June in South Carolina,[1] organized by Lorna Shelton-Beck.[2] Inaugurated in 2006, it is a celebration that takes place during the Caribbean American Heritage Month,[3] marking a co-joining of European and African customs which has been developing over the last 350 years.[4]

Some events that have been held over the years include: the Jouvert, All White Fete, Street Parade, Reggae, culture, food, and the international Soca.[5] The parade goes through the streets of Charleston to Brittlebank Park.[6] Different Caribbean regions are the focal point each year. For example, in 2018 the focus was Cuba[7] and in 2019 it was Barbados[8] and the Virgin Islands.[9] In 2020 the event went online[10] due to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic,[11] with the featured country being Jamaica.[12] That year – following the recent increase in racial tensions – the festival was also used as part of the diversity education and inclusion training for faculty and staff at the College of Charleston.[13]