BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – A downpour of rain could have put a damper on the spirits of the children involved in the Sugar Mas 44 Junior Carnival Parade held on Thursday (Dec 31) but it did not, as hundreds of school-aged children participated in the event from beginning to end.
The children, who had assembled just on the western end of Basseterre, jammed along the route which took them down Church Street into College Street, east along the Bay Road and up Fort Street.
The brilliant display of colours and costumes was reflective of this year’s Junior Carnival theme “We Rise Again – The Rebirth of Junior Carnival”.
The sections of the parade included the Secret of Wings, Ocean Beauty, We Grant You Life, We Soar and Dusk to Dawn.
The reds, yellows, blues, greens, and whites were a beautiful sight to behold and not to mention the masquerades and the majorettes.
When the first portion of the parade got to the foot of Fort Street, it progressed without a hitch and was followed by a noticeable 20-minute gap before the other part of the parade was visible in that area.
As the other part of the parade progressed into that area however, the darkened sky told a story of imminent rainfall. It began with a drizzle but within seconds, the torrential rain caused the reveling children to scamper about seeking shelter wherever it could be found. It also caused the bands to stand still and secure their equipment from its damaging effects.
Some of the children even sought shelter under the stationary trailers which carried the bands, their equipment and or hi-fi systems.
The 15-minute break however, seemed to be the just enough time for the children to rest and invigorate themselves before continuing along the parade route.
And if at the end of that experience they were not satisfied, the young children got another opportunity to revel yesterday as they formed part of the Grand Parade, appearing in the forefront of the queue.
