FAIRS & FESTIVALS

SAINT LUCIA JAZZ & ARTS FEST

Tickets for the biggest music event in the Caribbean, the Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival are on sale now. The festival returns from May 5-14, 2023 after a three-year hiatus.

The 2023 Festival will include headline performances from 17-time Grammy Award winner Sting and dancehall/reggae icon Shaggy, as well as many globally recognized performers. Tickets at www.stlucia.org/jazz, with prices starting at USD$75. An early bird discount is available for tickets purchased before March 31. The website also includes hotel packages for visitors. Renowned for three decades, the 2023 Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival spans classic jazz to world beats, and will again attract visitors from around the world. The lineup includes international, local, and Caribbean music. Genres include Afro beats, jazz, gospel, Soca, reggae, Zouk, pop and an array of cultural beats and exciting rhythms.

Camp Punksylvania Music Festival

Camp Punksylvania Music & Camping Festival announced their first European artist set to perform at the 3rd annual event. The Bar Stool Preachers will take the Main Stage at Pennsylvania’s first DIY music & camping festival. Camp Punksylvania takes place September 1-3 at the legendary Circle DriveIn Theater in Scranton, Pa. The festival features three stages and one-of-akind events.

This is one of several announcements of Artists spanning 3 days. Focusing largely on an eclectic & inclusive selection, talents are curated by Riot Squad Media’s executive team in collaboration with booking agencies, management and PR firms, record labels, media outlets & lifestyle brands.

Camp Punksylvania is organized & operated by Riot Squad Media. Founded in 2019, Riot Squad Media is a female owned and operated DIY media agency specializing in event booking, operations and talent management. For more information, please visit camppunksylvania.com.

BEACH IT! MUSIC FESTIVAL

The inaugural BEACH IT! Music Festival announced that headliners Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert and Thomas Rhett are set to take over the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, VA, on Friday, June 23 through Sunday, June 25.The three-day, two-stage festival’s main stage will also host performances by Riley Green, Jo Dee Messina, Kip Moore, Megan Moroney, Brothers Osborne, Jameson Rodgers, Nate Smith, Alana Springsteen, Cole Swindell, Lily Rose and Hailey Whitters. Three-day GA and VIP passes for the new summer event are on sale at BEACHITFestival.com.

BEACH IT! is bringing trending newcomers on a stacked second-stage lineup, “Next From Nashville.” Fans will get a glimpse of country music’s exciting new acts including Chayce Beckham, George Birge, Tyler Braden, Ben Burgess, Mackenzie Carpenter, Ashland Craft, Madeline Edwards, Erin Kinsey, Pillbox Patti, Peytan Porter and Aaron Raitiere.

For more information on BEACH IT!, visitBEACHITFestival.com, Twitter @ BEACHITFestival, Instagram @beachitfestival and join the conversation on Twitter, #BEACHITFestival.

One of the last pieces of unfinished business for the Mets before spring training got underway was signing second baseman Jeff McNeil to a contract extension. McNeil was not due to become a free agent until after the 2024 season, but after winning the 2022 National League batting title, he realized his value was at its zenith. He also wanted to avoid the travails Mets outfielder Michael Conforto incurred in 2021 when he had a horrible season. That was followed by an injury which forced him to miss the 2022 season.

during the season. The travel will be brutal this season with every MLB team slated to play each other at least one series. Baseball fans should expect to hear a lot of unfamiliar voices calling games this year.

major surgery, and the urology staff at Mount Sinai Hospital told him he could do whatever he wanted to without limits. Rose did miss some road trips last summer but that was merely to reduce his travel load as a concession to age. The youthful-looking Rose turned 69 last month.

Mets fans were also anxious about reports SNY and Keith Hernandez were far apart on a new contract. The two sides came to an agreement on a three-year deal just before pitchers and catchers were to report to the Mets winter home of Port St. Lucie, Florida. My guess is the hardest part of the negotiation was not salary, but rather time off

WFAN has hired Valley Stream native Keith Raad to be Howie Rose’s partner on Mets broadcasts. Raad called Brooklyn Cyclones games last season, so he is really living the dream. Patrick McCarthy, the son of Phillies TV voice Tom McCarthy, will take over the pre and postgame show duties from Brad Heller.

Speaking of the aforementioned Howie Rose, he admitted at the Baseball Writers Association of America dinner in January that he was forced to miss the final month of the 2021 season because of a bladder cancer diagnosis. He had successful

Former SNY Mets in-game air personality, Kevin Burkhardt, did a fantastic job calling Super Bowl LVII where the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 38-35. Burkhardt, and his analyst partner, former NFL All-Pro tight end Greg Olsen, showed no signs of nervousness, and were not hesitant to share their opinions about several questionable referee calls.

Tom Brady was supposed to be joining FOX Sports as soon as he retired to be the network’s #1 analyst. He has decided to defer joining FOX