In an effort to showcase Guyana’s rich cultural diversity, the Tourism Ministry on Friday launched the inaugural Guyana Festival, which will see a mixture of the country’s traditional music, dance, food, arts and craft being exhibited at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence on August 8 to 10.
This three-day event, which will be marketed in North America and the Caribbean, is aimed at bringing awareness of Guyana’s diverse cultural heritage, and generally the nature of its tourism product locally, regionally and internationally.
During a feature address at the launch which was held at the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC), Liliendaal, President Donald Ramotar said that he was delighted to be a part of the launch and promotion of this cultural festival.
Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister, Irfaan Ali, who give an overview of the festival and what persons can expect, said that the intention is to create a long lasting impression. Minister Ali said the festival will be a very important aspect of the tourism drive where persons will have the opportunity to experience every aspect of Guyana’s culture.
“We want the Guyana Festival to be the single subject that would bother your mind and contemplate your brain…. we want to bring thousands of Guyanese and non-Guyanese all across the globe to celebrate with us this wonderful and rich history and culture… ,” Minister Ali said.
This family-oriented event will take the format of an exhibition during opening hours showcasing craft, art, culinary delights, celebrity and demonstration tents, and concerts in the evenings. There will also be a children’s playground.
On Friday, August 8, there will be the opening ceremony which will see a fusion of Guyanese culture comprising various dramatic performances highlighting drama groups, and craft, poetry, dance and painting.
On Saturday, August 9, there will be a night for local legends which will see renowned celebrities such as Dave Martins, Sammy Baksh, Eddy Grant, and Terry Gajraj performing. There will also be a day set aside for games and will see various communities coming out to compete in cricket, football and other sports with the aim of winning trophies and other prizes.
The event will culminate with a culinary cook-off competition of traditional Guyanese cuisine, such as duck curry, pepper pot, cook-up, metemgee and black cake, followed by a grand concert aimed at promoting the next generation of Guyana’s music industry and helping to develop new/young talent. Performing will be Jumo “Rubber Waist” Primo, Adrian Dutchin, Melissa “Vanilla” Roberts and others.
There will also be the minting of a “Festival Coin” to commemorate this inaugural festival. This coin will be available at King’s Jewellery World. A Guyana Festival passport costing US$15 or $3000 will be made available which will allow persons to enter the event all three nights, among other benefits.
The opening saw performances in the form of dance, song, and poetry from the National Dance School, and Dave Martins, among others. Persons also had the opportunity to sample some of Guyana’s traditional food.