Brazilian Air Force to thrill crowds for Carifesta

Jul 27, 2008 News

The Brazilian Air Force will be on display during Carifesta X, with a one-hour air display planned for August 24 at the Georgetown seawall.

On Friday, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony, told the media that the display will take place in the vicinity of the Guyana Defence Force compound.

During his weekly media briefing, Minister Anthony said that, with several weeks remaining before the grand opening of the mega event, plans are fitting into place smoothly. He added that the decor of the city has been delayed as a result of inclement weather.

The change in weather patterns has also affected rehabilitation works at some of the venues, the minister said.

According to Minister Anthony, the Carifesta Secretariat recently did a ‘test run’ of the parking and ticketing arrangements for the event at the ‘Grow More’ food festival.

The exercise, he added, has been evaluated, and measures are being put in place to strengthen those arrangements.

Getting down to the technicalities of the event, Minister Anthony said that ticketing arrangements will be announced next week.

The minister added that entrance to each of the events is free, but persons will, nonetheless, require a ticket to enter. This is necessary, he explained, to avoid congestion.

Speaking about the much anticipated super concerts, Dr. Anthony said that agreements with the companies sponsoring the events are that those corporations will use the tickets to market their products.

“So people will be able to get the tickets in that way. The secretariat will only have a limited number of tickets,” the minister informed.

He is urging persons not go to these venues without a ticket, because they will not be allowed entry.
Also present at Friday’s press briefing was Minister of Labour, Manzoor Nadir, who is a member of the ‘Muslim Night’ planning committee.

Like other major religious bodies, the Muslim community was given $5M to display various aspects of that religion.

The event that the Muslims are organizing will be hosted on August 24 at the National Park.
Nadir told the media that all of the main Muslim organizations are on the planning committee for this venture.

“The idea is to have one grand bazaar. There will be an exhibition, and booths where persons would have wholesome halaal foods, which will be on sale,” Nadir said.

There will also be an exhibition of Muslim products and an exhibition on the contributions of Muslim companies to the economy. A prayer area would be set up at the northeastern section of the National Park.

“We are putting up a mosque on site so as to facilitate persons who want to pray.” During the hosting of the event, two major prayer activities will fall within the stipulated time for the exhibition.

All the activities will be closed so as to facilitate prayers on site. There will also be a children’s fashion show, Nadir said. No alcohol will be allowed.

“Transportation is going to be organized for everyone who is desirous of attending the event.” This, he said, is applicable to persons living across the country. The Muslim community will be accommodating those persons who have to overnight in the city.

Meanwhile, the Carifesta Secretariat is advising that no personnel will be selling any Carifesta-related material around the city.

The Secretariat is in receipt of information that persons have been approaching doctors and selling them magazines purporting to come from the Carifesta Secretariat.

Hosted under the theme: ‘One Caribbean, One purpose, Our Culture, Our Life’, the tenth staging of CARIFESTA will boast an impressive lineup of activities, including the opening and closing ceremonies, culinary, visual, literary and performing arts, community festivals, grand cultural markets, child/youth fora, symposia and workshops, as well as signal events and super concerts.

The festival is returning to Guyana for the second time in 36 years, the first being in 1972, when CARIFESTA was born. (Tusika Martin)