Since the August Emancipation Festival officially kicked off on Monday, revellers have been treated to activities ranging from music to rides to beauty pageants.

 

And the fun has only just begun. Over the next 10 days, performances and parties will be hosted across the territory, starting in Road Town before moving to East End for three days and then wrapping up in Carrot Bay.

FRIDAY

Food fair
The annual Cultural Food Fair will be held at the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park. There will live fungi music, drama, dance and craft demonstrations. A ceremony at 12:15 p.m. will honour East End farmers Gregory and Marrieth Smith.


‘Int’l Music Mix’
Tonight at the Festival Village, Jamaican reggae and dancehall singer Clifton “Capleton” Bailey will headline the International Music Mix, which is typically one of best-attended nights of Festival. Known as “The Fireman,” Capleton is the voice behind reggae hits such as “Who Dem,” “Jah Jah City,” and “That Day Come.”

He will be joined by Cocoa Tea, a 56-year-old Jamaican reggae artist who has been performing for three decades. “Hurry Up and Come” and “She Loves Me Now” are among his most popular songs.

Xtreme Band, a VI soca group that hasn’t performed often recently, will also take the stage, along with other local performers.

SATURDAY

‘Int’l Soca Explosion’
In the past, the Saturday night Festival concert has featured mainly soca and calypso artists. But in recent years, it has been modified to include reggae and dancehall as well, and this year is no different.

Mr. Chucky, the 2015 Trinidad and Tobago Soca Monarch, will take the stage, singing such hits as “Personality” and “Doh Take It On.”
A Team Band, a Trinidad and Tobago group that covers popular soca and calypso songs, will perform for the second time in the VI. Their countrymen 5 Star Akil will also take the stage, as will Problem Child from St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the VI Soca Monarch.

The mood will shift with Glendale “Busy Signal” Gordon, the 33-year-old Jamaican reggae and dancehall singer known for his hit “Unknown Number.”

VI band VIBE will close off the show with songs including “Shake the Bottle,” “Bend Your Knees and Bubble,” and “World to Me.”

SUNDAY

Freedom March
The Heritage Month Committee will host the annual Freedom March from Peebles Hospital to the Sunday Morning Well in Road Town from 4 p.m.

Miss BVI
Six ladies will compete in the Miss BVI Pageant at the Multi-purpose Sports Complex from 8 p.m.

Village
Virgin Gorda soca and calypso band Final Faze will perform at the Patsy Lake Festiville tonight. USVI calypso groups Venomous Band and Splash Band will also take the stage.

MONDAY

Tramp
Prime Time Band, VIBE and Showtime Band will perform during Road Town’s Rise and Shine Tramp, which will start around 4 a.m. near the Port Purcell roundabout.

Sunrise Service
The Heritage Month Committee will host its annual Sunrise Service at 7 a.m. at the Central Administration Building. 

Parade
About 40 entries are expected to participate in the August Monday Parade from around noon today in Road Town.

Celebrating 60
This evening, the festivities move to the eastern end of Tortola, where the 60th East End/Long Look Festival will kick off at the Yvette Penn Festiville.

Jamaican reggae family Morgan Heritage will headline the first night of the three-day event.Still on reggae, Khago of Jamaica will also perform, as will the VI’s Sista Joyce and Shine I. DJ Push Pop will be behind the turntable. Other groups for the night include Prime Time Band and Final Faze.

TUESDAY

Tramp
A second Rise and Shine Tramp will begin at the Port Purcell roundabout at around 4 a.m. Water sports activities will commence shortly thereafter.

EE/LL music
Tonight in East End, the entertainment line-up will include Trinidad and Tobago soca singers Nadia Batson and Farmer Nappy, as well as St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Fireman Hooper. Stylee Band from the USVI is also scheduled to perform, as is VIBE. DJ Bertrum will be behind the turntable.

WEDNESDAY

EE/LL events
Today is a big day in East End. A Rise and Shine Tramp will proceed early in the morning from Major Bay to the Yvette Penn Festiville At around noon, the East End/Long Look Parade will follow.

Starting in the evening, several local bands and entertainers will take the stage at the Festiville, including the Razor Bladez, Showtime Band and Spectrum Band.

Carrot Bay

AUG. 6

The festivities move to Carrot Bay when the Elmore Stoutt Fisherman’s Tournament gets under way around 5 a.m. as the competitors head to sea. Later that evening, a torchlight procession will proceed from lower Carrot Bay to the community’s Festival Village.

Performers during the opening night will include The Spark Plugs, a fungi band from Carrot Bay, and Shurwayne Winchester from Trinidad and Tobago. The energetic soca performer is known for his popular hit “Carnival, Please Stay.”

AUG. 7
During the day at the Carrot Bay Cultural Fiesta, there will be donkey races, tug of war, and other traditional games.
At night, Destra, whose recent song “Lucy” has been a hit at many VI parties, will take the stage, as will her countryman Benjai, who songs include “Phenomenal,” “All” and “Come Out to Play.” Other performers include KA re, Prime Time Band and Showtime Band.

AUG. 8
Festival comes to a close with a concert tonight at Carrot Bay, when lovers’ rock-reggae singer Romain Virgo takes centre stage. The Jamaican is known for reggae covers of various contemporary songs, as well as original hits such as “Taking You Home” and “Who Feels it Knows it.” His countryman, dancehall singer Konshens, will also perform, as will Haitian kompa band Carimi.