The Charleston Carifest is a four-day festival held every year in June in South Carolina, ^[1] organized by Lorna Shelton-Beck. ^[2] Inaugurated in 2006, it is a celebration that takes place during the Caribbean American Heritage Month, ^[3] marking a co-joining of European and African customs which has been developing over the last 350 years. ^[4]

Some events that have been held over the years include: the Jouvert, All White Fete, Street Parade, Reggae, culture, food, and the international Soca. ^[5] The parade goes through the streets of Charleston to Brittlebank Park. ^[6] Different Caribbean regions are the focal point each year. For example, in 2018 the focus was Cuba ^[7] and in 2019 it was Barbados ^[8] and the Virgin Islands. ^[9] In 2020 the event went online ^[10] due to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, ^[11] with the featured country being Jamaica. ^[12] That year – following the recent increase in racial tensions – the festival was also used as part of the diversity education and inclusion training for faculty and staff at the College of Charleston. ^[13]

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