ST JOHN’S, Antigua – The curtains are finally coming down on Antigua’s carnival festivities today after the final day of the annual celebration was postponed by four days because of bad weather.
And the watch word for organisers of the parade of the bands, judging of the bands and Last Lap is “promptness”, according to information from sub-committee chairman Morville Benjamin.
Up to Thursday, he and other Carnival Development Committee members were meeting with representatives of the many troops and groups that will be on the road, stressing the importance of starting the parade at its scheduled kick-off time – 12 noon.
“What we actually did was to have several meetings with all participants for today’s proceedings, the Teen Splash winners, the queens, party monarch representatives, the calypsonians, the troupes … everyone that’s basically taking part,” Benjamin said.
“We’ve asked them to assemble at 11 so we can move off at 12.”
He noted the parade starts at the Multipurpose Cultural Centre, goes up Market Street, takes a left turn at the St John’s Police Station onto Newgate Street, a right onto Popeshead Street, right onto St John’s Street, right onto Cross Street by the Lion’s Den, left up High Street, left on Independence Drive where they will enter through the southwest entrance of Carnival City.
Two bands – Merrymakers and Colour Revolution – pulled out of the parade because of insufficient registrants and late arrival of some pieces of their costumes.
The sub-committee chairman estimated that Last Lap would begin by 7 since it has a cut off time of 12 midnight.
“We’re hoping that once we move off at 12 and we have no hiccups and the weather holds also, by 5 the latest, everyone should be in the grounds, the announcement of winners should be about a half an hour to an hour … so we’ll start the Last Lap celebration probably at 7 and it will go until midnight,” he stated.
Benjamin is urging those who take part in the festivities to ensure it remains free of any major crime.
