History of Ostins & Oistins Fish Festival

Visitors

OFF Programmes

Road Race Results

Road Tennis

Cook-Off

Fish Boning

Dolphin Skinning

Fly Fish Boner & Dolphin Skinner Profile

Oistins Fish Festival 2007

Review

The Oistins Fish Festival will be celebrating its thirtieth anniversary on the 7th, 8th and 9th of April 2007. This will be a major milestone in the development of the Oistins Festival.

The festival started in 1977, one year after the Holetown Festival. The founder of the Oistins Festival was Stella, Lady St. John, in collaboration with communities groups, the most prominent, of which was Hill Tops.

The Oistins Fish Festival goals were to improve the economic fortunes of the fisherfolk at Oistins, enhance their social status in the community, raise the entrepreneurial skills of the fisherfolk, and highlight Oistins as a major fishing community.

The Oistins Fish Festival has sought to achieve the above by putting on an annual Easter street fair called the Oistins Fish Festival. It starts on the Saturday before Easter and continues throughout the weekend, ending on the Monday bank holiday.

The Festival has attracted thousands of patrons over the years, both locally and regionally. The real Queen of the Festival has been the winner of the major event of the festival - the Fish Boning Competition. This competition is fiercely competitive and keeps alive one of the major art forms associated with the fishing industry – the boning of fish.

The Committee of the Fish Festival is grateful to the financial support it has received from the Barbados National Terminal Company Limited over the last three years. The funds covering the period 2005 – 2007 has assisted the Committee in improving its organizational capacity and to enhanced the delivery of new events.

Other events that create heightened spectator interest are the Dolphin Skinning Competition, the climbing of the Greasy Pole and the Boat Race. Patrons also look forward to the Gospel Festival on the Easter Sunday.

Fish Festival 2007

The occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the Festival will also coincide with Cricket World Cup 2007. It is hoped that the programme of the Festival 2007 will complement the other activities, besides cricket, that tourists to our shores will enjoy.

New Events

Oistins Fish Festival Pageant

This year the Committee is staging the Oistins Fish Festival Pageant which is being managed by Cynthia Hercules of Dream World Productions on behalf of the festival. This is an event that the public has been asking for and it is anticipated that it will be a success. It is being held at Sherbourne on April 1, 2007 at 8.00 p.m. There will be six contestants.

Super Centre Fish Cook-Off

This event will be sponsored by Super Centre. The Cook-off is open to the public and competitors will have a choice as to whether to fry or to steam their fish. Eight competitors will be drawn from pool of entries. The idea behind this event is to demonstrate, through competition, the life of the fish from the time it is caught until it is prepared for eating. There is first the “Catch of the Season” where prizes are given to the fishing boats that catch the largest poundage of fish during the fishing season. Secondly they are the Dolphin Skinning and Fish Boning Competitions, and thirdly there is the Cook-of competition. The organizers try to link most of the activities to the fish and the sea. The Fish Cook-off will take place on Monday 9, 2007 at 1.00 p.m.

Other Activities

Oistins Fish Festival Art Competition

This is a competition for all schools in Christ Church. Prizes are given to children between the ages: 7-9, 9-11, 11-13, 13-14, and over 15. The pieces in the finals will be displayed in Oistins during the Festival.

The Fish Boning Competition

The Fish Boning Competition has been sponsored by Chefette Limited for the past fifteen years. It is the premier event of the Festival and attracts thousands of on-lookers. All the contestants this year will be outfitted in Chefette shirts and for the first time the company will also be offering prizes to those fishermen who catch the greatest poundage of fish. This competition will take place on the Monday April 9 at 4.00 p.m.

Saturday, March 24, 2007

The National Council on Substance Abuse will be staging a cultural programme in the Bay Garden from 7 p. m. to 9 p. m. The programme will include Bumba and scenes from Bajan Bus Stop.

Week of Activities – April 1 – 5, 2007

Church Service

A week of activities will commence with a Church service at the Church of Christ, Oistins on April 1, 2007 at 8. 30 a.m.
Monday April 2 – a two-hour cultural from 7.00 p.m.– 9.00 p.m. featuring: the M G K Band, Ch. Ch. Parish Church Ballroom and Line Dancers, Dancing Africa, Ballroom couple, Randy and Alicia Payne, Leroy Franklyn (Harmonica), Seaman
Tuesday April 3– Banks Steel Orchestra will be performing from 7.00 p.m. – 9.00 p.m.
Wednesday April 4 – a two-hour cultural programme featuring: the Defence Force Drum Corps, the St. Bartholomew’s Steel Orchestra, Christ Church Foundation Pop Band among others.
Thursday April 5 – a two-hour cultural programme featuring: Oistins Fish Festival Pageant Contestants in a Design and fashion show.

Saturday April 7, 2007 Activities

Road Tennis Finals

The first event of the day will be the Road Tennis Finals for Men and
Women at the Car Park opposite Granny’s. Games begin at 11:00 a.m.

Greasy Pole Competition

This activity will take place at 1.30 p.m. in the Oistins Boat Yard.

Opening Ceremony

This year, Thirtieth Anniversary Awards will be given to individuals and institutions that have given continuous support to the Festival over the years. On this occasion the Rt. Hon. Owen Arthur, Prime Minister of Barbados, will give the feature address.

Thirtieth Anniversary Awards

-         Lady St. John (Special Award)
-         Members of the Committee
Dan C Carter          -         Chairman
Junior Waldron      -         Deputy Chairman
Charles Harding
Pat Sargeant
Hallam Clarke
Ocsar Lovell
Osbert McClean
Dr. Trevor Talma
Marcia Clarke
Stacia Walthurst
Anthony Garner
Donna Nurse
Cecil Pinhero

First Fish Fryers

(i) Margaret Cox
(ii) Yvonne Drayton

Stall Owners

(i) Fredrica Osbourne
(ii) Myrna Blackman

Corporate Sponsors

Cheffette
Banks
Ocean Fisheries
Southern Investments

Entertainers

Eleazer Clarke
Gerald Hunte
Egbert Sayers
Barbados Landship
Sister Marshall

Stakeholders

Environmental Department at Oistins

(ii) Oistins Police Station

Most Outstanding Fishboners

Janet Squires
Gracelyn Moseley
Dorothy Harewood

Most Outstanding Group Performance
(1) Excellence Dance Group

Cultural Programme

From 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. there will be the Oistins Fish Festival-Digicel Explosion featuring some of Barbados’ best entertainers – Kimberley Inniss, Gryner, Contone, Pong, Peter Ram, Billy Kin Caid among others with Alf as M.C. The band full Force will accompany the entertainers. This entertainment will take place on the main stage.

Sunday April 8, 2007

Kentucky Fried Chicken Gospel Festival

This enormously popular Festival will take place on Easter Sunday, April 8, 2007 at 7.00 p.m. on the main stage in the Oistins Boat Yard. Popular Gospel artists include Sister Marshall ----

Monday April 9, 20007 Activities

6.00 a.m.

10K Run and Walk Races

These races will commence at the southern gate of Queen’s Park, left at Treasury Building, left at Bethel Church, along Bay Street, Garrison Hill, Hastings, Worthings and through to Oistins. Competitors will be able to register on-line at www.oistins.org There is a registration fee of five dollars. The races will take place on April 9, 2007 at 6:00 a.m.
Water Stations will be at the Garrison, Worthing, Top Rock, and Oistins.

11.00 a.m.

Federal Bookmakers Oistins Boat Race

The Oistins Boat R ace will take place on Monday, 9 April 2007 commencing at 11.00 am. The race will again be sponsored by Federal Bookmakers Limited. This is a favourite event among the fishermen at Oistins and on this occasion there must be a maximum of six boats competing. Competitors will be able to register on-line.The event takes place on Monday 9, 2007 at 11.00 a.m.

1.00 p.m.
Super Centre Fish Cook-off

3.00 p.m.
The Barbados Landship

4.00 p.m.
The First Caribbean International Bank Dolphin Skinning Competition

4.30 p.m.
The Chefette Restaurant Ltd. National Fish Boning Competition

5.30 p.m.
Banks Greasy Pole Competition in the Oistins Boat Yard

6.00 p.m. – 9.00 p.m.
Cultural programme featuring Comedian Trevor Eastmond, Dance Tropical, Calypsonian Mr. Wendell and Anna Beckles among others.

Additional Events

Fish Festival Art Competition

This is a competition for all schools in Christ Church. Prizes are given to children between the ages: 7-9, 9-11, 11-13, 13-14, and over 15. The best exhibits are displayed at the Festival.

Fiesta Magazine

This magazine captures social and economic life of the people in Oistins. It also reflects on the progress of the fishing village and highlights the main events of this year’s Festival.
Throughout the duration of the Festival the crowds will be entertained Tuk bands.

Tuk Band Music

On Saturday, April 7 at 10.00 a.m. there will be a combined display of tuk band music by Troubadors International and the Rose Hill Tuk Band.