GTA-To crown the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO) Year of Festivals in 2019, Grenada debuted its newest event, Festival of Lights on the 6th and 7th of December. The Festival took place on the Carenage, which is one of the most stunning spots in the destination. The beauty of the festoon lights was enhanced by new spotlights which lined the entire harbor area, lighting the historical buildings in a multi-coloured glow, and accompanied by a new laser light show.
Added to the ambiance was a mixture of carols, steel plan music, parang music, local cuisine, a Santa’s grotto and a night market which provided Grenadian Christmas goodies such as sorrel, ginger and household items. Performances by local artists and groups such as the PBC Boys Choir, Sonika McKie, Kareem Alexis, Emily Rapier and Hess and the Boys crowned the entire affair.
The Festival of Lights was the brainchild of the Chairman of the Grenada Tourism Authority and adviser to the Minister of Tourism, Mrs. Brenda Hood who had championed the idea for a few years. “The Festival of Lights is an opportunity for us to show the world how wonderful and authentic Christmastime is in Grenada. It is also an opportunity for our visitors to interact with our friendly citizens,” she said. The Ministry for Tourism and Civil Aviation collaborated with the Grenada Tourism Authority to form a hard working Committee to bring the Festival of Lights to fruition.
Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Hon. Dr. Clarice Modeste-Curwen said it was a great achievement for Grenada to host its first Festival of Lights. “This was a truly collaborative effort and we thank all the businesses that came on board. The Carenage is a stunning location and we hope to enhance it every year with the Festival of Lights,” she said.
The Festival of Lights Committee, the Grenada Tourism Authority and the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation are already receiving positive feedback from the general public and looking at ways to further enhance Grenada’s newest festival for 2020. There will be two more events on Saturday December 14 starting at 5pm and December 21 at 3pm to close out the Festival for 2019.
