BARBADOS COMES ALIVE FOR ITS ‘SWEETEST’ FESTIVAL: CROP OVER

06-19-2009

 Annual Carnival Celebrating the Sugar Cane Harvest is Finally Here!

 

NEW YORK, NY (June 19, 2009) –  The beautiful island of Barbados has started the celebrations for its most popular festival, Crop Over 2009, taking place now until August 3^rd.  Spanning approximately fourteen weeks during May, June, July and August, Crop Over commemorates the end of the sugar cane season with an exciting and vibrant extravaganza of music & masquerade, heritage and culture. 

 

The grand finale, and a universally celebrated national holiday, known as Kadooment Day, occurs Monday, August 3rd with a colorful and lively parade of costumed dancers and fireworks.

 

Crop Over dates back to the 1780s when Barbados was one of the world’s foremost sugar producers and has evolved to become a series of entertainment and heritage events.  This year’s theme is “Celebrating we heritage” and aims to engage more people at the community level.  Crop Over begins with the Super Six Cavalcades in May continues into the summer with Heritage Fairs highlighting artists and their crafts and culminates in August with big stage shows boasting pyrotechnics, flashing lights and booming sound systems.

 

Visitors from all over the Caribbean, North America and Europe will flock to Barbados to experience a lively showcase of the multi-faceted Barbadian culture, in addition to its pristine beaches, breathtaking sunsets, Zagat-rated cuisine and vibrant nightlife.  During the final three days of Crop Over, Spring Garden Highway is the heart of the festival. The entire stretch of road is converted to a bustling marketplace of arts and crafts, traditional foods, plus entertainment including steel bands, dance groups, folk performers, gospel singers and calypsonians.

 

One of the highlights of Crop Over is the Pic-O-De-Crop Finals, occurring Friday, July 31st, where 10 finalists compete for the year’s Crown and top prizes in an exciting calypso competition, and the King and Queen of the year’s costume bands show off their elaborate and dazzling costumes to the sounds of the latest local calypso hits, while competing for the title of King and Queen of Crop Over for 2009.  The final day of the festival climaxes with Grand Kadooment, a summer street carnival, filled with people consumed by ‘festival fever’, dancing to Caribbean soca music and wearing spectacular, multicolored costumes and body paint.

 

Air Jamaica has also renewed their flight service to Barbados with twice weekly flights from JFK and a new Bajan Invasion package.  Air Jamaica, Barbados and STS Vacations have introduced the exclusive Bajan Invasion limited time offer starting at $500 per person (plus tax $82.70), inclusive of three nights accommodation at The Rostrevor Hotel, air, airport transfers, Barbados Gourmet Card and government taxes, available from July 2-August 30, 2009 – just in time for the island’s famed Crop Over celebration. 

 

For further information on the 2009 Crop Over Festival, go to www.visitbarbados.org or contact the Barbados Tourism Authority at 1(800) 221-9831.  To reserve your accommodation in Barbados during Crop Over visit:  www.bhta.org

 

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About Barbados

The island of Barbados offers the most authentic Caribbean experience with its exceptionally rich culture and history rooted in remarkable landscapes, including The Crane beach, St. Philips, voted one of the world’s sexiest beaches for 2008 by Concierge.com.  Barbados is the first and only Zagat-rated Caribbean island with numerous internationally renowned chefs who masterfully put signature spins on local delicacies and traditions. Barbados is also an ideal stage for world-class events and has hosted numerous athletic championships, including the ICC Cricket World Cup Final 2007 and the 2006 PGA World Golf Championship-The Barbados World Cup. Accommodations range from picturesque plantation houses and villas to quaint bed and breakfasts to award-winning five-star resorts. The newly renovated Grantley Adams International Airport offers non-stop and direct service from a growing number of U.S. cities via Air Jamaica, American Airlines, Delta and US Airways, making Barbados the true gateway to the Eastern Caribbean.  Barbados was voted #8 in the World by Trip Advisor’s ‘2008 Travelers Choice Destination Awards’ in its Top 100 Destinations category.  Follow the Barbados beat and catch up on the latest news via the Barbados Facebook page at www.tinyurl.com/barbadosbeat and Twitter at www.twitter.com/barbadostourism.  For more information on travel to Barbados, visit www.visitbarbados.org, or contact the Barbados Tourism Authority at 1.800.221.9831.

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