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Barbados' Crop
Over Festival Activities and Events are many and varied
with plenty of things to do for everyone's taste.
The Fun Barbados Crop Over Guide has compiled all the
information on Crop Over Activities & Events, you will
need to have the best Carnival in Barbados.
Crop Over in Barbados spreads over a period of
approximately 12 weeks from the month of May through to
August. Although not the official start of the festival,
the popular Fantastic Four Cavalcades, a cultural talent
showcase, were designed to create hype for the festival
in each of the parishes of Barbados. Date.. (previously
called "Super Six Cavalcades" & "Community Crop Over
Cavalcades", & locally called calvacades),
Kadooment Band Fetes, Crop Over Fetes and After-work
Limes during the Crop Over season, also play a
significant role in creating hype for Kadooment in
Barbados. These parties are many and are very popular
with a variety of themes, sometimes lasting from dust 'til
dawn.
The Thanksgiving Service followed by the "Crop Over
Opening Gala & the Ceremonial Delivery of the last Canes"
(previously known as the Heritage Gala) which is
preceded by a Parade, is usually in July is the official
start of the Barbados Crop Over Festival Season and the
end of the Sugar Cane Crop harvesting Season. The main
feature of this cultural event is the Ceremonial
Delivery of the Last Canes, and is used to crown the
King and Queen of the Sugar Cane Crop Industry. It is
also known for the Decorated Cart Parade which is a
parade of colourfully costumed persons, and decorated
vehicles such as donkey carts, cars, trucks and bicycles.
This event also pays tribute to the many ethnic
groupings existing in Barbados and the unique features
of Barbadian culture, through food, music and art &
craft.
The Crop Over "Visual Arts Festival" & its exhibitions
play an important part in the Photography and Arts &
Craft community, by annually exhibiting the skills of
talented bajans both young and old, as well as
professionals and amateurs. The annual "Read In" and the
workshops surrounding it have assisted the Literary Arts
and helps to improve literacy in Barbados. Date...
For those who want learn more about Barbados' Heritage,
there are a number of events educating and showcasing
just that. Some of these events are the Heritage Lecture
& Parliament West Wing Tour, the Crop Over Heritage Tour
and the Bridgetown Alive Dooflicky, as well as a Folk
Choir Concert and a Folk Heritage Concert. Date...
Thanks to the NCF, the Steel Pan community in recent
years has become more involved in the festival through
Steel Pan competitions and Pan Concerts such as "Pan
Fusion", "Bridgetown Alive Pantabulous", "Pan In De
City", and "Pan Pun De Sand", just to name some of them.
Date...
Calypso music and calypso competitions are a huge part
of the Crop Over Festival. Calypsonians, comedians and
local entertainment can be seen in action in a variety
of adult and junior Calypso Tents scattered all over the
island. The airwaves are filled with lots of quality
calypso music from artists in every part of Barbados.
Every performer is judged on their social commentary or
party songs for the Pic-O-De-Crop and Party Monarch
competitions in Barbados.
The first competition which features social commentary
is the Pic-O-De-Crop Semi-Finals. The finalists will
then meet on the last Friday night before the end of the
festival at the Pic-O-De-Crop Finals where the Calypso
Monarch is crowned. Date...
Children also play a part in the Crop over celebrations
in Barbados. The Junior Kadooment sees the young
revellers on the streets parading in costume to the
National Stadium as well as the Junior Calypso Monarch,
a competition celebrating the young talent our island
has to offer and the voices of tomorrow's calypsonians.
Among the most popular events of the season is the Soca
Royale, which is not to be missed. This is where the
most popular party songs from the tents and airwaves are
judged in competition for the title of Party Monarch and
Sweet Soca Monarch. Date...
The last lap weekend is the climax of the festival and
every minute is accounted for. Friday night sees the
start of the finals of the Pic-O-De-Crop Competition;
here you will hear mainly social commentary. Eight
finalists compete at a tension filled Kensington Stadium
for the title of Calypso Monarch.
The Foreday Morning Jump Up in the early hours of
Saturday morning is a much cooler option to the heat of
Kadooment Day. Mud & paint covered revellers party
through the streets from Bridgetown to the beach-front
Spring Garden Highway. After the Foreday Morning Jam you
can hit the beach and create your own sunrise beach
party.
If you still have energy left after that, you may want
to stay on for Bridgetown Market, the biggest street
fair of the festival featuring Steel Pan concerts, local
bajan food, a variety of cultural entertainment and art
and craft as well as lots of drinks. This is an entire
weekend of fun & frolic, which promises a slice of
Barbados you won't want to miss. It is a wonderful
opportunity to pick up unique, handmade souvenirs, and
art work and sample local delicacies, or visit the
nearby beach.
Sunday night is the Barbados Cohobblopot, (a potpourri
of cultural talent) a spectacular event of the Kings and
Queens of the costumed bands, who parade before a panel
of judges. This event is one of the biggest and most
exciting of the season including performances by some of
the hottest musical bands and calypsonians. (The word
"Cohobblopot" was used by slaves on plantations to
describe a stew with a variety of ingredients) Date...
Monday is the Barbados Grand Kadooment Day, the
culmination of the Crop Over Festival. Grand Kadooment
is a spectacular daytime street carnival & parade with a
procession of thousands of Crop over costumed band
revellers, partying through the streets while parading
before judges. In Barbados Kadooment Bands or costume
bands or crop over bands as they are called by locals,
comprise of groups of masqueraders, in distinctive and
elaborate costumes. They then take to the streets where
it becomes a huge all day street party / jump up to the
beach-front Spring Garden Highway usually ending with a
breathtaking fireworks display at one of the island's
few windows-to-the-sea. This is also where the
Tune-Of-The-Crop or Road March Song is judged. |
