The Ocho Rios International Jazz Festival

The Ocho Rios International Jazz Festival is an eight day festival held annually to showcase local and international talents in the field of Jazz. The Ocho Rios International Jazz Festival 2008 will be held on June 8-15. This summer festival in Jamaica hosts free concerts everyday comes complete with photo exhibitions of famous Jazz artists on display. The creators of the Ocho Rios International Jazz Festival works with the Youth Programme in Jamaica to enrich the lives of young Jamaicans through their music program, mentorship and sponsorship

The Ocho Rios International Jazz Festival started in the summer of 1991 as an experimental one day event called The Ocho Rios “Mini” Jazz Festival. From there, it quickly gained much deserved recognition in Jamaica and across the globe. Many tourists come to Jamaica during the summer to hear the melodies and musical styling of local and international Jazz greats.

International Reggae Day

International Reggae Day is held on July 1 each year to celebrate the impact of Reggae music around the world. People across the world first celebrated International Reggae Day in July1994, when millions of persons went online to listen to the broadcast of Reggae music streaming live from Jamaica. People who followed the on air and online media festival on International Reggae Day are also greeted with messages from popular Jamaican artists such as Jimmy Cliff, urging people online to support Reggae music.

But International Reggae Day in Jamaica goes far beyond on air and online media displays. In Jamaica, there is an annual International Reggae Day Festival held in Kingston that features many local Reggae artists, Jamaican poets and dancers. Each year an International Reggae Day Award is presented to a Reggae artist whose creative work extols the virtues and spirit of Reggae music. In the rest of the island there are many local events in places such as Montego Bay, Negril, Ocho Rios; just ask your hotel for any event they have planned for International Reggae Day or local celebrations nearby.

Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest

Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest is not only the biggest and best attended summer festival in Jamaica, but it is also the biggest Reggae festival in the world. Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest is a week-long summer event held each year on July 13-19 in the Catherine Hall Entertainment Complex in Montego Bay, except for the Tropical Beach Party.

This summer festival has grown considerably in notoriety since its start in summer 1993 and many popular American, European and local acts grace the stage night after night to fuel the excitement of the events. Local artists such as Damien Marley, Beenie Man, Buju Banton, Shaggy, Beres Hammond and Sean Paul are popular among Reggae Sumfest fans from across the globe. The events at Reggae Sumfest are split into categories such as Reggae Night, Dancehall Night, International Artists Night etc. Visit Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest for ticket prices and other details to this summer festival.

The National Festival of Arts

The National Festival of Arts is a summer festival in Jamaica that starts at the beginning of summer and ends on August 6 each year. At the National Festival of Arts, many Jamaican artists sell their local arts and crafts, which are sure to add value to anyone's travel souvenir collection. Local competitions are held during The National Festival of Arts to showcase not only Jamaican artistry, but also to showcase other areas of Jamaican culture: the summer festival features competition in culinary arts, speech, drama, painting, sculpture and dance among many others.

Emancipation Day

Emancipation Day is a Jamaican national holiday held on August 1 to commemorate the day slaves in the British Empire were finally emancipated. Story has it that slaves traveled to the hilltops of Jamaica on the eve of Emancipation Day to meet the dawning of a new day in their history on Friday August 1, 1838. And today, Jamaicans still mark this day in history by reenacting the reading of the Declaration of Emancipation and paying homage to their ancestors.

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Each year the Jamaican Prime Minister gives a speech that is broadcast live on local television from Emancipation Park. Emancipation Park is a newly-built Jamaican landmark in Kingston, built for the purpose of remembering the past: Jamaica's historical figures, national heroes, as well as to commemorate the growth of Jamaica since August 1 1838. Emancipation Park is a well-manicured landscape filled with palm trees and beautiful flowers and on Emancipation Day, many Jamaicans fill the park listening to Reggae music, celebrating and awaiting the Prime Minister's speech. This Jamaican summer holiday should not be missed if you want to learn about the culture of Jamaica.

Independence Day

Jamaica celebrates its day of national independence on August 6, just five days after its Emancipation Day celebrations. For this reason, the beginning of August marks a month of national and cultural pride among Jamaicans. Jamaica gained its independence from Britain on August 6, 1962 and since then it has been celebrating the birth of a new, independent country with annual firework displays across the island.

On Independence Day in Jamaica, many Jamaicans flock to the beaches to enjoy music, jerk chicken, fish and festivals and an all round day of fun in the sun. Jamaica's National Marching Band also marches in the streets of Kingston on Independence Day and a Float Parade also happens in Kingston, Jamaica's capital city.

.At night, people across Jamaica have many street dances in their local communities, where they indeed sweat up a storm and celebrate all that it means to live in a free nation. There is no better time to celebrate independence than in the summer and Jamaicans are prime examples of this idea. No matter what part of the island you are on, you are sure to find local Independence Day events, displays and celebrations that you can attend.