This two-day ganja festival in Jamaica is the first and longest-running of its kind in the Caribbean.

In 2019, the theme was ‘Be Free”. A fitting theme indeed, as after over a decade underground with only word-of-mouth bringing in those interested in the farming and marketing of products derived from the marijuana plant, its status has now changed.

With the medicinal marijuana industry growing larger each day and legislation changing regarding personal use, fabrics made of hemp, and wider acceptance of the plant, this festival is finding its place in the region.

Celebrating Rastafarian culture, fashion, music, and more associated with the industry, this festival is an amazing experience that takes place in Negril.

 

Pioneers of Negril tourism

The festival was started by the Connells, pioneers in the development of tourism in the early days of the town of Negril.

Daniel Connell was the first person to build traditional lodging in Negril for the ‘Flower Children’ or ‘Hippies’ when that was the main crowd visiting Negril.

He was also the first person in Westmoreland parish to be imprisoned for the possession of ganja.

It was his grandson, Lyndon Connell, who would formalize Stepping High as a festival open to all.

The family once hosted a send-off party for some visiting friends who were seeking an authentic, cultural experience.

This marked the suggested beginnings of what we now know as the Stepping High Festival when those visiting friends returned with their friends and family and the number of returning participants grew and grew.

Since then, Stepping High has maintained its authenticity and holds strongly to the foundations upon which it was built: family, community, friendship, and love.
 

Experience the best-in-the-world ganja strains

Stepping High showcases the finest strains of marijuana along with a musical extravaganza that boasts a line-up of local and international acts.

It fully embraces the Rastafarian culture which is an invaluable part of the Jamaican culture.

The event also includes exhibitions, where farmers from the community can exchange knowledge on the best farming techniques and by-products of ganja.

Also on display are traditional herbs used for curative purposes—guinea hen root, meringue, Jamaican sarsaparilla, and blood wisp-and the therapeutic uses of marijuana are also demonstrated.

Supporting the idea of community, arts and crafts from the local areas of Westmoreland and across the island are also on display.
 

Music and crafts exhibition

Stepping High features two full days of live musical entertainment from renowned and upcoming artists, traditional food, arts and crafts, forums, discussions, and an exhibition of some of the island's finest ganja strains and by-products as well as other traditional healing herbs.

One of the main attractions at Stepping High is the ganja exhibition in Stepping High's Space Station.

The Space Station is where the local farmers display their best Ital-grown ganja and vie for the title of  "Nation's Best" Ital-grown ganja. The winner walks away with the coveted Stepping High trophy.

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Four ways to enjoy the Stepping High festival

Activities at the festival fall under four categories; the four E's include Education, Entertainment, Exhibition, and Experiential. 

Day -1 Stepping High Underground - a recreation of the underground experience. and

Day -2 -Stepping High into the light- on the shores of beautiful Cayenne Beach.

Stepping High creates a one-of-a-kind, authentic, unforgettable Jamaican experience promoting the Rastafarian belief of ‘Livity”. Livity is the Rastafarian concept of righteous living.

Its essence is the realization that an energy or life force, conferred by Almighty Jah (God), exists within, and flows through, all people and all living things.

NB. The festival was indefinitely postponed in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 virus spread in Jamaica. Visit the website for regular updates on the next staging.

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