A new springtime festival is coming to Iowa City as the Move Ya Body Reggae Fest makes its debut on the first Saturday in May. The five-hour festival, which is free and open to the public, was the idea of Richiard Rodney, who was born and raised in Jamaica and is better known in Iowa City as Rodney of Rodney’s Jamaican Jerk & BBQ.
“He’s had this idea for a long time,” LaTasha DeLoach, the reggae fest’s coordinator, told Little Village.
As anyone who’s eaten one of the dishes Rodney serves from his food truck, usually found at 1104 S Gilbert St, already knows, he likes to keep things authentic. So, the music and food at the fest will be tightly tied to Jamaica.
Indika, an award-winning reggae band based in Chicago, will be performing, and there will be additional music from a local deejay with Jamaican roots, DJ Dellannie. Rodney is bringing his food truck, and Iowa City’s other Jamaican food truck, Island Vybz, will also be there.
There will also be a Family Information Fair as part of the fest “to give information about Reggae and help connect to local resources,” according to the Move Ya Body Facebook page. Any nonprofit or community organization that would like to have a table or booth at the fest, alongside the others that have already signed up, should contact LaTasha DeLoach at theelaladelo@gmail.com before the end of day on April 30.
Local artists and businesses will also have tables at the fest, and DeLoach said there are still a few spaces available.
One thing at the fest that is definitely not Jamaican will be the Star Wars-themed challenge course for kids. That was added for the reggae fest’s first year because of it’s being held on May 4. The date’s dear to pun-loving Star Wars fans because May the 4th sounds like “may the Force,” as in “May the Force be with you.”
“We realized it was on May 4th, so we threw a little Star Wars in there for our Star Wars folks,” DeLoach said. “Although for us, it’s ‘May the flavor be with you.’”
The Move Ya Body Reggae Fest will start at 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 4 at Fairmeadows Park (2451 Miami Dr), and lasts until 8 p.m.
“At first we were trying to do it downtown, but then we decided to hold it somewhere it will be easier for families to get to, and there won’t be as many parking issues,” DeLoach explained. “It’s a way to invest in the southeast side of the city, and let people know about this great park that a lot of folks haven’t been to.”
The weather forecast for May 4 looks good — a few clouds and a high near 70 — but the festival is ready to go on rain or shine.
“We’re partnering with Grant Wood Elementary School, which is next to the park,” DeLoach said. “So if it rains, we’ll be in the community side of Grant Wood.”
“We’re really excited about this,” she added. “As far as I know — and I’ve lived in Iowa City for almost 30 years — this is our first-ever reggae fest.”
