Mpls festival celebrates Caribbean culture

Organizers of an annual celebration of Caribbean culture called Carifest say this year's event will be the biggest yet.

The 18-year-old festival of music, food and culture is being held Saturday in Minneapolis along the Mississippi River bank between the Plymouth and Broadway Avenue bridges.

Carifest organizer James Byron was born in Trinidad and came to Minnesota more than 20 years ago. He says the celebration is a good way for people from Caribbean islands and nations to meet their fellow transplants and helps expose Minnesotans to Caribbean culture -- especially the food.

"You cannot escape the Caribbean dishes that you'll find from the food vendors along the river," Byron says. "It's the one place where you can travel the Caribbean without buying a plane ticket."

Carifest is also a nonprofit organization that raises money to support disaster relief funds for the Caribbean. However, admission to the festival is free.

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