by CHOISELLE JOSEPH
Visitors and returning Barbadians alike have been entering the island in high numbers as the last lap of the Crop Over season quickly approaches.
Flights incoming to Grantley Adams International Airport from New York City, London, Toronto, Charlotte, Miami, and elsewhere were filled to capacity last Friday as tourists and Barbadians eagerly await this week’s upcoming celebrations.
Even the traffic surrounding the airport moved at a glacial pace as long lines of vehicles entered and circled the compound awaiting new arrivals.
At least 60 events are slated for the coming week, including fetes such as Rise, HYPD, Mimosa, Bliss, Panache, Dawn and more, as well as other celebrations, from the Pic O De Crop Finals to Foreday Morning, from Bridgetown Market to Grand Kadooment.
In addition to participating in the wide range of festivities of the Crop Over season, many incoming locals and tourists are also making plans to reunite with loved ones and enjoy the island’s beaches, scenery and places of interest.
Chaeryl Gregoire Waiters, a returning national, said she was looking forward to taking part in the diverse selection of events, along with other tourist attractions and family activities.
“This time I’ll be participating in all the tents and things like that . . . . We have a lot planned. We have Harrison’s Cave. We have a cruise on Saturday. We have all kinds of activities planned. And the family reunion lunch is coming up too,” she told the DAILY NATION.
Waiters noted the airport and flights were busy that day, as lines for duty-free items were especially long.
“The line for duty-free alcohol is like 7 500 people. You can’t even get online. There’s too many people in there. You can’t even imagine how long it would take to get anything.”
Rayvon Johnson and Kareem Simon, two Trinidadians now living in New York, returned to the island for their second visit.
“We have Soca On De Hill, Mimosa, Bliss . . . . I’m going to see krosfyah tonight [and] other ones,” Johnson said of the activities he planned to attend.
Sheila McDaniel, a visitor from Boston with familial ties in the island, described the airport that day
as “a little bit hectic”.
“I did notice that it’s more busy than on the day I landed,” said McDaniel’s sister Monique King, who arrived at an earlier date.
McDaniel said she planned on attending Kadooment Day, Foreday Morning, Mimosa, and Soca On De Hill, among many other events. She also hopes to indulge in the many culinary treats the island has to offer.
“[I’m looking forward to] the beach and the sno cones, the coconut water and jelly . . . the jam puffs
and the turnovers.”
Janina Forde, another Barbadian national returning from the United States, last visited briefly in 2019
and is planning to spend more time this year.
She is looking forward to “just enjoying [her] time here, [and] seeing family and friends that [she hasn’t] seen in a long time.”
“It feels great. It feels just like home.”
Choiselle Joseph is on an internship programme at The Nation Publishing Co. Limited.
