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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