Opening hours, festivals and holidays
Jamaican business hours are normally 8.30am to 4.30/5pm Monday
to Saturday, although some shops and offices close at noon on
Saturdays. Sunday trading is rare. Museums normally close for one
day a week, either Sunday or Monday, while most other places you'll
want to visit are generally open daily.
Most of Jamaica's special events are timed to coincide with the
winter tourist season. The main exceptions are Montego Bay's
Reggae Sumfest in August and Spring Break , when
young Americans take over the big resorts for a fortnight of
raucous, beer-fuelled cavorting. April is Carnival time -
though not on the same scale as Trinidad's, Jamaica's Carnival is a
growing event. Emancipation Day and Independence Day
celebrations - concerts, dance and theatre performances, and
parades - are held in late July to early August; contact the
Jamaica Tourist Board for details. The JTB's annual calendar of
events is available from offices on the island and abroad, and is
posted on the JTB website, .
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