Gospel artiste Kevin Downswell and dancehall acts Ding Dong and Busy Signal were the entertainment highlights of last Saturday’s staging of PAN 2016 Regional 1.

Held at Independence Park, Black River in St Elizabeth, the threat of rain did very little in keeping patrons away.

Downswell’s performance was felt across the venue. Patrons sang along while others took out their Bibles and held them high in reverence.

“Hearing the patrons singing every one of your songs, including the new ones, was a blessing. My heart on the stage was simply to send a message and obviously the message got there,” Downswell told the Jamaica Observer shortly after his performance.

His set included Stronger, All the Way, and One Day which assisted Downswell’s mission of spreading the gospel.

Ding Dong and his Ravers Clavers crew brought the dancehall vibes which the teenagers and young adults in the audience seemed to appreciate. They danced to hits such as Shampoo, Syvah, Gas, Holiday, Bad Man Forward, Bad Man Pull Up, Skip to Ma Lu and his current chart hit, Wul Up.

Busy Signal capped the day’s proceedings with a workman-like performance. He reeled off the hits Jail, These Are The Days, Born and Grow, Missing You and One More Night, which kept patrons on a musical high.

Prior to the main performers, emcees Dufton Shepherd and Badda Bling got the crowd going with giveaways and various competitions.

PAN 2016, formerly known as CB Pan Chicken Championship, is a culinary extravaganza which saw 30 competitors representing the parishes of Hanover, Clarendon, St James, St Elizabeth, Manchester and Westmoreland.

The respective parish winners were: Manchester, Dianca Spencer; Clarendon, Hodain Huie; St Elizabeth, Rickardo Eulette; St James, Oliver Madourie; Hanover, Vandyke Bernard; and Westmoreland, Annette Holt. Bernard was also the winner of the Miracle Tallawah Sauce competition.

Alicia Bogues, brand manager for CB Foods, said it was the first time the competition was being held in Black River. “It was a very welcoming vibe. Black River people are very warm and accommodating. We plan to come back next year because we are about bringing vitality and prosperity to the areas,” said Bogues.

The next event on PAN 2016’s calendar is Regional 2, which is slated for Folly Oval in Portland, on Saturday September 24.