MOTORISTS ATTEMPTING to travel on the Spring Garden Highway were thrown into a tailspin as two carnivals took over the stretch running from Holborn Circle to the Frank Worrell roundabout between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. yesterday.
It took a while for police to direct confused motorists who met a roadblock at Lower Fontabelle, St Michael – as the way was readied for the two unrelated carnivals: Joukanal Spring Break Carnival produced by veteran masquerader Chetwin Stewart and the one by University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, back after a break last year.
Stewart said he was hoping to team up with the UWI carnival for one big party but his request for a merger was not taken up, resulting in both events being held on the same day, albeit at staggered times.
“The only concern that I have is that I heard late that they were having [one]. We went ahead planning from last year but we have turned it [our carnival] into a Spring Break carnival. We had approached them to merge but they did not want to,” said Stewart.
It was one big Joukanal as these revellers hit the road yesterday.
Efforts to contact organisers of the UWI event were unsuccessful.
Stewart said it would have been a lot easier if the two entities had merged to offset costs of police and clean-up services and “we would both make some money”.
He said his aim was to transform from a carnival to Spring Break festival to attract visitors to an annual event.
“The two on the road is not a problem,” he said. (JS)
