BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – IN a matter of hours, the streets of the Federation’s capital will become abuzz with activity as they house the Sugar Mas’ 40/40 Grand Parade - the penultimate street activity for the 2011/2012 Festival.
Scheduled to commence at 11:00 a.m. today (Jan. 2), the parade will include parade troupes, participants of this year’s Children’s Carnival, winners of the Sugar Mas’ 40/40 events, folklore troupes and the Carnival Grand Marshall.
As dictated by the parade route outlined by the Chairperson of the Security and Public Safety Committee for the Carnival, Ivor Blake, the participants will converge at Wigley Avenue and from there, they will make a right turn on to Cayon Street, taking another right into West Independence Square Street, left at South Independence Square Street, up East Square Street, east along Pond Road, down Sandown Road, west along the Bay Road and turning right, into Fort Street.
The parade will culminate at The Circus.
The expectation is – as has been the case in past years – that the parade will feature a brilliant display of colourful costumes and creative designs.
One of the main aims of the parade is maximising merriment for the participants.
However, the participating troupes would be vying to cop one of the three Carnival Grand Parade Awards: Most Colourful Troupe, Largest Troupe and Troupe of the Year.
According to Chairperson of the Security and Public Safety Committee for the Carnival, Ivor Blake, the three registered troupes are Christine Walwyn’s ‘Phunn Makers’, Banker’s ‘Somewhere in Taiwan’ and Kyra Griffin’s ‘Fusion Fantasy’.
Each registered troupe can amass a total of 100 points which, according to the criteria, is broken down as follows:
Presentation/Interpretation of Theme 30
Creativity 20
Spirit of Carnival 15
Visual Impact 15
Completeness of Mas’ 10
Craftsmanship 10
Each troupe has the opportunity to receive an additional five points, providing that “at least 80 percent of the mas’ players are in position at least half an hour before the start of the parade, (an) identification banner is on display and providers of musical accompaniment are already in position and ready to move off.”
There are four judging points for the Grand Carnival Parade: Greenland’s Park, where eight-minute performances are to be done by the troupes at the front of the old education building on Cayon Street; the Governor General’s residence, Cayon Street; National Bank, West Independence Square Street and at in front of Kenneth’s Dive Centre, Bay Road.
Additionally, judging for the Road March title, which began at J’Ouvert, continues today and will culminate at tomorrow’s Las’ Lap Jam.
The final jam for the 2011/2012 season, Las’ Lap, takes place tomorrow. And the route for that session is identical to that of last week’s J’Ouvert Jam. Bands, troupes, jammers, will move up Fort Street, turning either right or left into Cayon Street, moving along either West Independence Square Street or Church Street, along the Bay Road and again, up Fort Street.
Blake, while wishing all a safe grand parade and Las’ Lap, advised motorists to “avoid driving or parking on these streets during the parades. Traffic signs will be placed to indicate restrictions.”
Cut off time for today’s and tomorrow’s jam sessions are 9:00 p.m.
