|
|
 |
Vivacious entertainment is provided year-round in the form of traditional festivals. Vividly hued costumes and energetic Caribbean rhythms are accompanied by swaying hips and stamping feet. Comprised of many different African, British, American and Amerindian elements, the festivals of Barbados are an exciting display of the living culture of the Bajan people.
JANUARY
The Barbados Jazz Festival
Growing in size and popularity, the seven-day annual event brings together top billed international performers with the best of Bajan artists. The festival is staged at various venues and has featured renowned jazz stars such as Patti LaBelle, Kenny G, Luther Vandross, Ray Charles, George Benson, Gladys Knight, Roberta Flack and Alicia Keys.
FEBRUARY
The Holetown Festival
A family attraction commemorating the first landing and settlement in Barbados on February 17, 1627, the Holetown Festival combines folk, gospel and medieval music with a street parade and fair and a torch-lit evening exhibition by the Royal and Mounted Police forces as they perform the floodlit Tattoo. Other activities included poetry, drama, sidewalk art shows, sports, games, local handicrafts markets and the popular Queen of the Festival Pageant.
MARCH
Holders Season
This most sophisticated festival offers an exciting season of opera, classical, jazz, Latin and Caribbean music and takes place at the historic Holders Plantation House, situated on a ridge overlooking what were once extensive sugar and tobacco fields. The event, which is internationally recognized and has attracted such musical luminaries as Luciano Pavarotti, is currently focused on the development and exhibition of local talent.
APRIL
Oistins Fish Festival
A two-day event, the Oistins Fish Festival celebrates the livelihood of the namesake fishing village, paying tribute to the skills of local fisherman and challenging them with competitions in fishing, crab racing, fish boning, and boat racing. Dance to steel bands or mingle on the beach, or in the marketplace and rum shops that line the roadside. Food stalls, arts and crafts and demonstrations by the Coast Guard are also part of the activities.
MAY
Gospelfest
Held on Whitsuntide weekend and the only festival of its kind in the Caribbean, Gospelfest is a Christian festival that seeks to propagate the Gospel through creative arts ministry. Top international gospel singers and choirs from the U.S.A., Canada, UK, the Caribbean and Barbados perform in a week of concerts and Christian events; the main concert features back-to-back performances by a variety of artists who bring original renditions of the Gospel in song.
JULY and AUGUST
Crop-Over
The biggest festival in Barbados and lasting for upwards of three weeks, Crop-Over historically celebrates the sugar cane harvest. The festival's opening gala traditionally features the delivery of the last harvested canes and culminates in a grand finale on the first Monday in August, the Kadooment, which highlights a parade of costumed bands and fireworks. Other major elements of this festival include the Pic-o-de-Crop calypso competition, the large Bridgetown Market street fair, and Cohobblopot, a blend of the festival's best entertainment.
NOVEMBER
National Independence Festival of Creative Arts (NIFCA)
This important festival is held annually to commemorate Barbados' Independence on November 30, 1966. It was introduced in 1973 to provide a forum for all Bajans to showcase their creative skills in areas ranging from dance and music to photography and art. The festival ends on Independence Day with an award ceremony.
For more activities and events please go to www.visitbarbados.org
|
|
|
|
