Independence Square took centre stage Saturday afternoon as Christmas In The City was held in the popular Bridgetown location.
Children and adults, locals and visitors took in the beautiful music and sounds of 12 choirs and two steel bands. It was also an opportunity to shop, enjoy carolling and take boat rides.
Project coordinator of the Barbados Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCCI), Stacia Browne, said Bridgetown was synonymous with shopping and particularly at this time of the year it can be very busy so the committee wanted to bring another aspect of what Barbados was known for around Christmas time.
Browne said the Christmas In The City event, organized by the Bridgetown Development Committee of which BCCI is a member, was conceptualized as part of the effort to bring some vibrancy to Bridgetown.
The session included performances by the Bay Primary School Choir and A Few Good Men, among others.
There were also boat rides and kayaking for the public.
Browne said the event would give individuals the opportunity to see the Careenage and Bridgetown from a different perspective.
“It looks completely different from the water than when you are in town walking or driving. We want to make it something Barbadians and visitors alike can come to expect as a part of the Barbados landscape,” Browne added.
Several charitable organizations were also involved in the event. The Salvation Army with their kettle appeal, the HIV/AIDS Food Bank, as well as the Alzheimer’s Association with its one-cent drive collected donations.
“Christmas is about giving, and we want to help them to be able to give to others,” Browne said.
People of all ages, especially children, were encouraged to give a non-perishable food item to the HIV/AIDS Food Bank and in return they were given a Christmas tree decoration to place on one of two trees set up at Independence Square. (LK)