The Third Annual Kallaloo Festival Will Be Back at the Emancipation Garden

At the end of September, kallaloo lovers will be able to eat their fill at the third annual “Kallaloo Festival” on St. Thomas, where some of the best kallaloo can be found.

The event, created by Nekisha Isaac, is a competition to decide who can make the best kallaloo, also spelled callaloo. Held right in the heart of downtown, at the Emancipation Garden, locals, tourists, and participants can indulge in the cuisine. Originally slated to be held this past Sunday, Isaac postponed the event to Saturday, Sept. 27, from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. The event will feature food and clothing sales, music, and more activities that both adults and children can enjoy.

When asked what inspired her to start the festival, Isaac said, “This one day I was sleeping and I just woke up with the idea of doing the festival. I was looking at different islands and how they prepare their callaloo and realized that everyone has a different way of making it, as far as the different ingredients and what they use to make their kallalloo.” Isaac added that, “They’re not just St. Thomians that live in St. Thomas. Since we have a different diversity of people living in St. Thomas, people can come out and taste different kinds of callaloo from different origins.”

Additionally, Isaac said the Kallaloo Festival is a way to prevent the territory from “losing our culture,” and noted that the dish was introduced during the enslavement of people in the African diaspora. Isaac has been hosting the event once a year since 2023.