BARBADOS DEFINES THE MEANING OF CELEBRATION WITH CROP OVER 2010The Annual Carnival Celebrating the Sugar Cane Harvest is filled with Colour, Culture and Calypso!
Toronto, ON (July 13, 2010) – The stunning island of Barbados is alive with the sights and sounds of its highly popular festival, Crop Over 2010. The event, which started in May and ramped up in a 5-week celebration, culminates on August 2nd, when the whole island transforms into a collective jubilation. Crop Over has deep historic and cultural roots celebrating the end of the sugar cane season with a vibrant extravaganza of music and masquerade, heritage and culture.
The festival 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 began with the Super Six Cavalcades and Soca Limes in May and continues with Steel Pan concerts, Heritage Fairs with artists and crafts, and the much loved Monarch competitions including, ‘Sweet Soca’, ‘Party Monarch’ and ‘Pic-o-de-Crop.’
The grand finale of Crop Over climaxes on August 2nd with the Grand Kadooment, a universally celebrated national holiday, seeing Barbadians and visitors take to the streets with a colorful and lively carnival of costumed dancers, Caribbean soca music and fireworks in the ultimate party parade. www.visitbarbados.org One of the highlights of Crop Over is the Pic-O-De-Crop Finals, occurring Friday, July 30, where ten finalists compete for the year’s Crown and top prizes in an exciting calypso competition.
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 ‘Bridgetown Market’ a bustling marketplace of arts and crafts, traditional foods, plus entertainment including steel bands, dance groups, folk performers, gospel singers and calypsonians.
Canadians can get to Crop Over on either Air Canada with seven direct flights weekly from Toronto and one from Montreal or WestJet which offers five direct flights weekly from Toronto.
For further information on the 2010 Crop Over Festival, go to www.visitbarbados.org or contact the Barbados Tourism Authority at 1(800) 268-9122 1(800) 268-9122 . To reserve your accommodation in Barbados during Crop Over visit: www.bhta.org