BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, December 28, 2023 (MMS-SKN) -- With National Carnival’s Sugar Mas 52 activities competing for attention with the traditional Christmas activities, a leading clergyman is hailing the Department of the Creative Economy’s Midnight Circus Street Festival for having provided a common ground where all could participate.
Lead Pastor Lincoln Connor of the Antioch Baptist Church, Lime Kiln in West Basseterre, was among the hundreds of citizens, residents and returning nationals who on Saturday evening December 23, joined creatives, small business entrepreneurs and vendors who had set up shop on the section of Bay Road between College Street Ghaut and Fort Street in downtown Basseterre.
“I think it is a great initiative because what I like about it is that it brings everybody together,” said Pastor Connor. “There are some folks who do not like Carnival, and would not participate, but I think this is mutually enough that everyone can find common ground, and then you get to see all of the small business individuals, and a lot of them are your friends and stuff like that.”
The event, coming after the equally successful inaugural one which was held at the same time last year courtesy of the Department of the Creative Economy was attended by among others, Governor General Her Excellency Dame Marcella Liburd, GCMG, JP; the Governor General’s Deputy, His Excellency Walford Gumbs, and Cabinet Secretary Dr Marcus Natta.
“So I think it is a great opportunity for all ages to basically converge together,” said Pastor Connor, who was at that time buying food from a booth being run by staff of the Department of the Creative Economy. “Also there are lots of Kittitians from the Diaspora returning home who are here in the crowd, and you get to see folks and that sort of thing,”
After that booth, he moved to the next booth where he bought popcorn. He concluded: “I really like the idea, and I like the energy that it creates because it gives you another option - something else to do, and again, it is just before Christmas so you can get last minute stuff done. You can bring out the kids in a nice atmosphere and all that, so I really like it.”
Minister of Sports and the Creative Economy, the Hon Samal Duggins, spent a lot of time visiting all the booths in the event that went on until past midnight, to Sunday morning December 24. Also present was Permanent Secretary, Ms Valencia Syder, Assistant Secretary, Ms Leah Crag-Chaderton, Director of Creative Economy, Ms Robertine Webbe, and other Department staff.
Four Promotional Models were on hand to take pictures with persons attending the event at a specially created photo wall. According to the Director of Creative Economy, Ms Robertine Webbe, the models have been doing promotional activities for the Department.
The four models were Ms Maleah Erskine, and Ms Jaynique Liburd who are students at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC), and Ms Kadedra Lewis, and Ms Kadijah Mulley, who are models attached to SKN Unchained, which is a modelling agency.
“It is overwhelming - I see a lot of people that came and passed through during the day but from the time 6-7 o’clock a lot more people flooded the streets, right now after 10:00 p.m. there are many persons still buying their Christmas presents,” summed up Ms Webbe as she described what was going on.
“Vendors seem very pleased and very happy, and that is our intention at the Creative Economy - basically, how do we generate revenue for our creatives in all the different journals,” opined the Director of the Creative Economy. “Here tonight you would see a lot of visual arts, craft vendors, you see some culinary arts vendors, cosmetic arts vendors, and they are all doing very well - they are very busy.”
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