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Stage set for biggest Bartica Regatta festivities ever
For more than 50 years Barticians have been holding the annual Easter Regatta. And since then Guyanese from across the country have been traveling to the former mining community to associate with the annual Easter Regatta.
This year has been no different.
The out-of-town itinerant vendors along First Avenue
The Avenues of Bartica (the community is divided into nine streets and seven avenues) can give anyone a clear picture of what can be expected over the next few days.
Although this is traditionally the season for kites, up in Bartica it is a different scenery. Occasionally one can hear the buzzing of a kite but very few have dotted the skies. Instead the sound of racing boats engines is more dominant.
For diehard Regatta fans this season in the ‘Gate way to the interior’ is about power boat racing.
With the racing activities slated for some time later today, the dare devil champion racers are already out in the river testing out their engines as they gear up for their races.
Also, jet skis which have swiftly become a new feature of regatta happenings over the years can also be seen lining the river.
Adding to the attraction are the few yachts that have been sitting in the calm Essequibo River over the past few days in anticipation of the events to come.
For those who will be using the events as business opportunity they could not have chosen a better time to bring their services to Bartica. The opportunity comes with a little sacrifice which according to some vendors, they don’t mind making.
Most dominant along the Avenues of Bartica are clothes vendors mainly from Georgetown and some even some from as far as East Coast Demerara.
While accommodation is limited in the community most vendors have been utilising their makeshift stalls as their guest houses for their rest at nights.
This they will continue to do until Tuesday. The Regatta over the recent years has been extended to Easter Monday.
In the past the regatta was an Easter Sunday event preceded by a few football matches the day before.
“Once I realise people stop shopping late in the evening I plan to go out and have a li’l fun too. I can’t come all the way up here and ain’t enjoy myself,” one clothes vendor said.
The situation is no different for those in the hotel industry as all hotels have been fully booked since last year. This is a tradition.
While there have been some additional hotels built those too, from all indications, have not been sufficient to accommodate the influx of persons to Bartica for the weekend.
This publication was told that an additional 30 rooms were made available for this year’s regatta but all were booked even before they were completed.
Meanwhile the events for this year’s Bartica Easter Regatta began yesterday with the road race. The two days of power boat racing got underway later today to be followed by the Miss Bartica Regatta Pageant tonight at the Community Centre Ground.
The races, which will include, canoe racing, jet ski and power boat racing will continue tomorrow to be followed by the Regatta Washdown featuring the Karma band out of Trinidad.
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