Barbados Crop Over Festival

Festivals are celebrated all over the world for variousmusic. These parties last for a long time, sometimes, till
reasons. There are festivals celebrating fertility;dawn.
festivals honoring gods and goddesses; and the mostKadooment for Kids. The children enjoy putting on
common, festivals of thanksgiving for good harvest.costumes as elaborate as the adults and they join
Barbados' main product is sugar. Sugarcane plantationscontests and parades.
can be found all over the island dating back as earlyConcerts and Exhibitions. Bajan culture is on the
as 1700s. The origins of the festival can be tracedspotlight as locals participate in folk concerts and photo
back as far as 1780 when the island became theexhibits. There are also workshops for the guests
largest producer of sugar in the world. The festival isinterested in Barbadian art.
celebrated at the end of the harvest season to giveCalypso. The main attraction of the festival is the
thanks for the successful harvest.music of Calypso. There are tents set up and
During the heyday of the sugar production, thesponsored by local businesses where Calypsonians
colonizers used African slaves for cheap labor. Theshowcase their talents. There is a competition among
descendants of the slaves became the modernthe musicians and the titles they're vying for are: Road
people of Barbados; the remnants of African traditionMarch Monarch, Party Monarch, and the
were incorporated during the festivals. The festivalPic-O-De-Crop Monarch.
season will last from May to August, 2010. It isGrand Kadoomet. The Grand Kadoomet is the climax
recommended that guests stay in apartment hotel,and finale of the Crop Over Festival. There will be a
Barbados can be an expensive place if you plan tocarnival-like parade where participants dress up in
stay awhile.costumes depending on their theme. Like the other
The old traditional rituals of the event were slowlyactivities, there is a competition, this time for designers.
replaced by more modern activities throughout theThe designers all covet the Designer of the Year
years. There's a fusion of western and African cultureaward to recognize their excellence and creativity
showcased during the festival. Guests with differentmanifested in the costumes and floats that are
interests are sure to find something to do during theshowcased in the parade. From the National Stadium
festival because of the various activities lined up.up to the Spring Garden, revelers dance their way
Delivery of Last Canes Ceremony. This ceremonywhile accompanied by rhythmically contagious calypso
awards the most productive cutters of sugarcane inmusic. The participants gather in the Spring Garden
the island. They will be crowned the king and queen ofand an all out party ensues, complete with food and
the whole festival for that year.drinks.
Bridgetown Market. Local arts and crafts are displayedBarbados is one party island for locals and tourists
all over the market and tourists can buy these worksalike. If it's a party you're looking for then you came to
of art for a lower price is you know how to negotiatethe right Caribbean island. A guest doesn't need to
or bargain.worry about accommodations. Staying in an apartment
Cohobblopot. Kadooment bands dance and displayhotel Barbados can make your stay quite comfortable
their elaborate costumes while Calypsonians play thewithout breaking the bank.