Jack’s event, the second annual Westside Reggae Festival, will take place on Saturday, Aug. 10, at Ives Concert Park in Danbury. The event will feature co-headliners Beres Hammond and Maxi Priest, with doors opening an hour before for the 5 p.m. concert.

“There aren’t many West Indies, Caribbean-leaning events in the area; there’s festivals out there but you’re usually driving toward Hartford, or toward New York to find something for the listeners of reggae,” said Jack, a Guyana native. “A few years ago I just decided to stop complaining about it, because I know how to go about doing these shows.”

Hammond, a native of Kingston, Jamaica, has been recording reggae music since the 1970s and achieved his greatest success in the ’90s, becoming internationally celebrated for his romantic and soulful ballads. His is an old-school style with a hint of modern reggae and hip-hop influences. He performed at last year’s inaugural Westside Reggae Festival and wanted to perform again this year.

“Beres loved the venue and he wanted to make sure that we were part of his tour this year,” Jack said. “At Ives you feel very comfortable. You can bring the kids and Beres loves the outdoor venues and the family feel of Ives, and he loves to perform in front of those types of audiences.”

Maxi Priest

Co-headliner Priest, meanwhile, is a British reggae artist of Jamaican descent known for his R&B-influenced style, charting such ’90s reggae hits as “Close to You,” “Set the Night to Music” (a duet with Roberta Flack) and “That Girl” (a duet with Shaggy). Priest also has performed and recorded with UB40.

“Maxi Priest and Beres Hammond are two of the top reggae artists in the world,” Jack said. “Maxi Priest is a Grammy-winning artist and Beres Hammond does a lot of lover’s-rock-roots reggae. They’re both crossover reggae artists and they appeal to all generations.”

The festival also will feature performances by two local reggae bands with powerful groove-making abilities: the Skanktones and the MSM Band.

“In the shows that I do, I like to showcase the local artists,” Jack said, noting that many bands contacted him about playing the festival, but the MSM Band and the Skanktones made the cut.

“There aren’t a whole lot of local bands that do mainly reggae, but these are two of a very few that do,” Jack said.

In addition to the festival, Jack is working with CityCenter Danbury to produce the second-annual Danbury Jerk Festival on Sunday, Sept. 1, on the Danbury Green. Jack said he hopes the reggae festival will become a summer tradition at Ives Concert Park.

“Feeding off of last year we feel we can grow a lot and we have a great lineup this year,” Jack said.

Ives Concert Park, 43 Lake Ave. Ext. Saturday, 4 p.m. $35-$25 advance, $45, $35 gate.www.ivesconcertpark.com, www.etix.com.