The Carriacou Maroon and Stringband Festival is a celebration of thanksgiving and culture. This 2nd annual festival started in Mount Pleasant on the windward side of Carriacou with a traditional maroon and big dum dance. The community of Mount Pleasant prepared and shared food and drink with all comers for free.
Dancing and Druming at Belaire Park
The afternoon was overcast and we were hit with a few rainstorms that drove everyone under the food and drink tents, but didn’t dampen the spirits as everyone, young & old, ex-pats & Kyaks, kept eating and drinking but mostly visiting with friends and relations.
The next evening the festival moved up to Belaire, where I was staying at the time, and the grounds of the Provincial Secretaries house at Belaire Park. While the house itself is just a shell of its earlier grandeur now hoping for restoration. Belaire Park also has a rather nice stage and outdoor amphitheater for live music festivals just like the Carriacou Maroon and Stringband Festival, along with several permanent booths for food and crafts, a regular festival village.
That evening too, the festivities were interrupted by rain that caused the audience to gather under tents erected for just this possibility, the dancers and musicians went undercover backstage, stage power was shut off, the monitor speakers were turned over and the monitor mix tent closed. About 15 minutes later the rain passed and the stage was swept & mopped of water, the audience seats were wiped and folks returned to the show.
After a few different sets of dancers finished, the rain came again, with a repeat of the previous interlude. Live goes on very well in Carriacou come what may…
Sunday afternoon, the festival moved to Paradise Beach just a bit south of Hillsborough on the leeward side of C’cou. The road along the beach was blocked off and a stage was set up with ample room for dancing. Booths for drinks, food and crafts surrounded the area along with a large crowd that had already gathered under wonderfully sunny skies. A wonderful beach setting for a music festival with the sea at hand to cool out in if ya got too hot dancing.
