Off 30th Anniversary Awrads

Visitors

DAN CARTER wants to see "real good patronage" and renewed interest in the 2007 Oistins Fish Festival, which officially began with a Professor Karl Watson lecture at the Christ Church Parish Centre on February-28.
"At the end of the day I would like to know that people are satisfied and feel happy that this is a festival that has its own special features ... that it is a festival unlike other festivals and that the people would continue to support it," the Festival Committee Chairman declared shortly after his committee had finalised its programme for this year's Easter Weekend open-air event that has been attracting several thousands each year since it started 30 years ago.
Carter had unveiled ambitious proposals last year for the 30th anniversary celebrations, which coincide with activities related to the 2007 Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean. .

But several of those proposals were ditched very early in the planning for this year's festival, partly because of unaffordable costs and limited manpower resources

Rather than catering to visitors expected in for World Cup cricket, Carter said his committee had concentrated on rolling out the basic festival programme first.
"We may put on an impromptu programme with steel pan (for the World Cup Finals in Barbados) but we are focusing on getting the (festival) programme really kicking," he revealed.
Therefore the festival's main spotlight is now expected to fall on the revived Oistins beauty pageant, a Cynthia Hercules-led Dream World production which was staged at the Sherbourne Conference Centre last Sunday, and the Digicelsponsored cultural extravaganza that is expected to follow the opening ceremony on Saturday.
It is the first time the opening cultural event is being sponsored and the Fish Festival Committee is putting its best efforts into this opening event to make up for the cancellation of the Police Floodlit Tattoo, originally scheduled for the Foundation School Pasture this evening and the mini-carnival from Heritage Park at Silver Sands to Welches, on the western fringe of Oistins, which was planned for Saturday morning.
These events have had to be cancelled because of the unavailability of police units, already stretched for Cricket World Cup duties.
The Digicel Barbados Limited Show, starting at 7 p.m. on Saturday, is expected to parade some of the best of Barbados' local talent on the festival main stage. Included in the line-up are calypsonians Grynner, Contone and Peter Ram, as well as Kimberley Inniss, first runner-up in Digicel's 2005 Stars competition.
Prime Minister Owen Arthur is expected to deliver the feature address and open the 30th edition of the Oistins Festival, the first time he will be performing such duties since taking office as head of Government in 1994. .
A number of Christ Church schools, an Oistins group that performs outside Barbados and several fisherfolk have also been invited to participate in the opening ceremony.
Outstanding fisherfolk, entertainers and corporate sponsors who have supported the Oistins Fish Festival over the past 30 years, will be among those honoured and rewarded with plaques during Saturday afternoon's opening ceremony.

Outstanding fisherfolk, entertainers and corporate sponsors who have supported the Oistins Fish Festival over the past 30 years, will be among those honoured and rewarded with plaques during Saturday afternoon's opening ceremony.

In response to public demands, the greasy pole competition is scheduled for the opening, as well as the closing afternoons of this' year's festival.
Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is again sponsoring the Gospel Festival, scheduled for the Bay Garden on Sunday, Easter night.
Federal Bookmakers is sponsoring the boat race, scheduled for 11 a.m. on Monday, Easter Bank Holiday, and Super Centre Limited will fund the second cook-off (a fish fry) of its kind on the beach front opposite the supermarket at Southern Plaza.
But the big events of the afternoon will be the First Caribbean International Bank-sponsored Dolphin-skinning Competition and the blue ribbon event of the festival since its inception in 1977, the Chefette Fish-Boning Competition, which will be held an hour apart –the first at 3 p.m. and the other at 4 p.m.
The Road Tennis finals for men and women will be played at Granny's Car Park from 11 a.m. on Saturday.
A display of art, produced by students of Christ Church schools, which participated in an art competition, will be displayed throughout the three days of the festival. This will be complemented by performances by tuk bands, 'Troubadors International and the group from Rose Hill.