MAY
Labour Day/ May Day (1st)
A public holiday in Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Barbados and St Lucia
Fisherman’s Day (1st)
The festival celebrates the vitality of the fishing communities in Grenada. Church services are held and fishermen’s boats and nets are blessed, followed by boat races and late afternoon street parties. Also popular in Carriacou and St Vincent and the Grenadines. Gouyave, in Grenada, has one of the best-known events
Cricket
West Indies “A” vs Pakistan, Barbados (5th–8th)
West Indies vs Pakistan, 2nd Test, Antigua (11th-15th)
West Indies vs Pakistan, 3rd Test, Antigua (19th-23rd)
St Lucia Jazz Festival (5th-14th)
Ten days of music and St Lucian hospitality at one of the Caribbean’s biggest music festivals (see Highlights)
Greneda Yacht Club Races, Grand Anse Bay (7th)
Canouan Regatta, St Vincent and the Grenadines (8th-12th)
Curtain Bluff Pro Am Tennis Tournament, Antigua (7th-14th)
Set on a private peninsula overlooking the Caribbean Sea on Antigua’s south shore, Curtain Bluff Resort is the venue for the 26th Annual International Tennis tournament (see Highlights)
Angostura Yachtinq World Regatta 2000, Tobago (14th- 19th)
This is Trinidad and Tobago’s premier Regatta, a week of fine racing and fun in the ideal sailing waters around Tobago
Japex 2000, Jamaica (18th-22nd)
Jamaica’s largest product expo. Major participants in the regional travel trade showcase the best of their products
Sugar and Energy Festival and Central Games, Trinidad (18th and 21st)
A unique carnival in central Trinidad that celebrates the important industries of sugar and energy (see Highlights)
Gospelfest, Barbados (21st-28th)
A major event on the international Gospel calendar, the week-long festival attracts Christians from around the globe (see Highlights)
Pan Ramajay Steelband Competition, Trinidad (26th-27th)
The Queen’s Park Savannah will resound with the sweet sounds of steel during this exciting competition. Pannists are encouraged to showcase the diversity and virtuosity of steelpan in a variety of musical genres from jazz to rock and reggae
Indian Arrival Day, Trinidad and Tobago (30th)
A public holiday to mark the arrival of the first group of indentured labourers from India in 1845
JUNE
Aqua Splash, Barbados (1st-30th)
A popular water festival highlighting the famous Barbadian assets of sea and sand. Includes activities at an aquatic centre and festivities in some of the fishing towns and villages
Mount Gay International Boatyard Reqatta and Carlisle Bay Water Festival, Barbados (2nd-4th)
If your heart is in racing, cruising or sailing, then Carlisle Bay, near the capital, Bridgetown, is the place to be for this popular yachting regatta
First Bank Grenada Spice Jazz Festival 2000, Grenada (8th-11th)
The third annual Spice Jazz festival promises exceptional performances in delightful settings (see Highlights)
Green Expo 2000, Sounding the Alarm for Jamaica’s Environment, Jamaica (9th-11th)
The Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust hosts the Caribbean Environmental Exposition – the Green Expo – at the National Arena. The main aim is to preserve and enhance Jamaica’s natural resources. Nature trail, bazaar, children’s corner and a “virtual reality environment experience”, featuring interactive multimedia displays and a technology trade show
Whitsuntide Games, Grenada (10th-11th)
Two days of sporting activities featuring some of the best athletes in the region
Carriacou Maroon Jazz Festival, Grenada (11th-12th)
Two days of indigenous music and cuisine, including string bands, drums and quadrille dancing, along with contemporary Caribbean music and some international jazz
Ocho Rios Jazz Festival, Jamaica (10th-18th)
In its tenth year, this festival promises to be better than ever, with popular international jazz, blues and ska bands playing in different parts of the island
Whit Monday (12th)
A public holiday in most islands
Grenada Yacht Club Races, Grand Anse Bay (14th)
Labour Day, Trinidad and Tobago (19th)
A public holiday in honour of the islands’ workers, celebrated on the birthday of the great trade union leader, Tubal Uriah “Buzz” Butler
Corpus Christi (22nd)
A public holiday in Grenada, St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago
Caribbean Carnival, Washington DC (24th-25th)
The DC Carnival is becoming one of the most eagerly-awaited celebrations of Caribbean culture in North America . Supporters and masqueraders come from Toronto, Miami and New York to participate in the weekend activities and jump-up
Carnival, St Vincent and the Grenadines (23rd-4th July)
Vincy Carnival is hot with entertainment and energy, climaxing two days of fun as revellers and spectators take to the streets. Steelband competitions, a Miss Carnival Beauty Show, Junior Carnival, Calypso Monarch and King and Queen of the Bands competitions, street partying
SEASONAL HIGHLIGHTS
CURTAIN BLUFF PRO AM TENNIS TOURNAMENT
Participants enjoy world class tennis, instructional clinics, match plays with and against the pros – a chance to improve their game and meet new friends, at one of the Caribbean’s finest resorts. The 2000 programme is as follows:
Sunday May 7: arrival day and professional doubles demonstration
Monday May 8: stroke and strategy clinic. Start of professional and amateur tournaments
Tuesday May 9: clinics and tournaments. Team Golf Putting Tournament begins. Professional doubles demonstration
Wednesday May 10: tournaments and clinics. Sightseeing tour
Thursday May 11: tournaments and clinics continue. Sightseeing tour
Friday May 12: photo session with guests and pros. Tournament finals. Hole in one contest
Saturday May 13: tournament concludes. Awards presentation and pro doubles tournament
Sunday May 15: departure day.
ST LUCIA JAZZ FESTIVAL
This year’s jazz festival will be even bigger than before, with at least 12 locations for performances throughout the island. There will be world-class entertainment at the National Cultural Centre and Pigeon Island from international stars like Ronald “Boo” Hinkson, Monty Alexander, Gladys Knight, Keith Sweat and Randy Crawford. The Hyatt Regency hosts Lou Rawles and the Great House presents Ottmar Liebert. Look out for Andre Tanker (Trinidad and Tobago) and Jovan Jackson (USA) at Derek Walcott Square. This year, the Festival’s Fringe (the free shows) will rival the official event in size, talent and diversity. For more information and a full list of dates and events, visit the St Lucia Jazz Festival website at: http:// www.stluciajazz.com
May 5-14
SUGAR AND ENERGY FESTIVAL AND CENTRAL GAMES
This festival has grown tremendously since it began five years ago. This year’s four-day festival will feature street parades of animal-drawn carts, music and sports events and a Miss Sugar & Energy Festival competition, a natural progression from last year, when the festival hosted the Miss Universe 1999 pageant delegates, who took part in the cart parade. May 18-21
GOSPELFEST
Lovers of gospel music can look forward to an exceptional week of activities. Here are the planned events:
Sunday May 21: official launch of Gospelfest 2000 with a church service at the Carrington Wesleyan
Holiness Church
Wednesday May 24: sunset concert at the General Post Office Amphitheatre in downtown Bridgetown Friday May 26: two-hour session of praise and worship, featuring local and overseas choirs at the new Heroes Square
Friday May 26: international and local gospel stars are expected to perform at Farley Hill National Park Sunday May 28: International Gospelfest featuring a three-hour presentation of high praise with USA’s Alvin Slaughter at Sir Garfield Sobers Sports Complex
GRENADA SPICE JAZZ FESTIVAL 2000
Picture an open-air concert on a moonlit night with nothing between you and the sea except the soulful strains of a jazz band. That’s the atmosphere at the annual Spice Jazz Festival on the “Spice Isle” of Grenada from June 9 to 11. Here is the programme:
Friday June 9: Grenada’s own celebrated organist, Kingsley “King” Etienne, and Roy Ayers, Rex Grenadian Hotel
Saturday June 10: Ronald “Boo” Hinkson, Lorraine Klaasen, Rex Grenadian Hotel lawn
Sunday June 11: Liam Teague, Dean Frazer and Ed Calle, Quarantine Peninsula Station. Walk with your coolers, blankets and cushions
