The sun rained down on the 11th annual Caribbean Festival on the weekend, drawing thousands of festival-goers to Memorial Peace Park.
“We wanted to celebrate the beginning of summer and we did it in big fashion,” said Deddy Geese, entertainment organizer for the festival.
He estimates that more than 20,000 people attended the two-day festival, including 3,000 or more for the Beach Boys tribute concert Saturday evening.
“A lot of food vendors sold out,” Geese said. “That tells you something.”
The recipe for success is continuous entertainment, he added – musical acts revolving between the bandstand and the festival stage.
Geese is delighted with the number of accolades he received from the headline acts, including Steele of Toronto, and Mike Amaral’s California Beach Boys Tribute Band.
Geese booked the Beach Boys tribute band to bring out new festival-goers, and because doing so was so successful, he will considering bringing the group back next year.