The 20th Annual Jamaica Arts & Music Summer Festival – JAMS Festival
JAMAICA ARTS & MUSIC SUMMER (JAMS) FESTIVAL CELEBRATES ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY
Jamaica, NY – July 5, 2016 – Jamaica Avenue’s commercial strip from Parsons Blvd to 170th Street will come alive once again as Cultural Collaborative Jamaica celebrates the 20th Annual Jamaica Arts & Music Summer Festival – JAMS Festival. “We are excited and truly thrilled to be celebrating this milestone with the Jamaica Queens Community,” said Tyra Emerson, CCJ Executive Director. “We invite all to come celebrate all Jamaica has to offer.”
The two-day event, hosted by the JAMS Festival Committee, kicks off with JAMS Under the Stars, 6:00 PM Friday, August 5, 2016 at Rufus King Park. Performances for this moonlit event will include a variety of talent paying homage to legends of jazz, rhythm & blues, rock and funk music. The day will also include a 4:00 PM preshow concert featuring performances by local emerging artist. The park is located north of Jamaica Avenue between 150th and 153rd streets.
On Saturday, August 6, JAMS Festival 20th Anniversary Celebration will begin. The outdoor extravaganza, taking place along Jamaica Avenue’s main commercial strip, starts at 11:00 AM and will run to 7:00 PM. Activities will include live entertainment; a children’s zone featuring fun activities, face painting and more; health and wellness pavilion; mouthwatering treats from various food vendors; exquisite arts and crafts from local artisans and more. In honor of this historic occasion, JAMS is bringing back its Classic Car Showcase featuring vintage, restored and new autos. The daylong affair is sponsored by various community, city and national businesses and organizations, including Community Board 12, Jamaica Center Improvement Association, the 103rd Precinct, Jamaica YMCA, National Amusements, United States Army, Money Gram, Empire Blue and others.
In honor of the JAMS 20th Anniversary, CCJ has been celebrating throughout the year providing a well of opportunities for local residents to join in. Activities have included JAMS Jamaica Fit Challenge where local residents have been exercising, dieting and adopting healthier lifestyles leading up to JAMS. Its JAMS Taste brought together an international bounty of chefs, restaurants and foodies for a day of exotic treats and cuisine.
Stretching across Jamaica Avenue’s prime retail thoroughfare between Parsons Boulevard and 170th Street, JAMS Festival transforms this mosaic landscape into a holistic environment of community, cultural and economic enhancement. For over two decades JAMS iconic cultural festivities has served as a major international destination where over 200K patrons from all over the world converge for a family friendly day of fun and exploration.
Cultural Collaborative Jamaica is a non-profit organization whose mission is to unite arts organizations, artists, local businesses, educational leaders and the community in efforts to strengthen community and economic development in Jamaica, Queens. Since its inception, the organization has successfully created and managed a wide range of collaborative programs that support its members and greatly impact community knowledge of and access to local cultural offerings, services and tourism opportunities.
