The return of the Emancipation Day float parade on Monday generated excitement and jubilation in Half-Way-Tree, St Andrew, attracting hundreds of people, some from as far as Westmoreland who were adamant that they had to be in the Corporate Area to witness the spectacle.

The parade, which started at Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre on Hope Road, travelled south to Half-Way-Tree, turned onto to Half-Way-Tree Road, then veered off onto Oxford Road travelling along Tom Redcam Drive before turning onto Arthur Wint Drive which took it to its terminus at the National Stadium car park.

It was the precursor to the Grand Gala scheduled for the National Stadium this Saturday, August 6 when Jamaica will officially mark its 60th anniversary of Independence.

At Half-Way-Tree, people gathered in large numbers waving miniature Jamaican flags, jumping, cheering and singing to music thumping from the various floats depicting different aspects of Jamaican entertainment, culture and heritage.

One of the highlights of the morning was the release of doves by Prime Minister Andrew Holness, Opposition Leader Mark Golding, Archbishop of Kingston Kenneth Richards, and other dignitaries as a symbol of peace, love and unity.

Susan Rose of Whitfield Town in St Andrew, who had taken her granddaughter and two great grandchildren to witness the parade, said that, like Jamaica, she will celebrate her 60th birthday this month.

“You see like how mi a 60 this month, the feeling is real. So mi did haffi go fi mi grandchildren and great gran’ fi carry them out. Mi can’t tell you how happy mi feel fi be 60 and trying to be more,” Rose told the Jamaica Observer.

Tivoli Gardens resident Deloris Williams said the occasion was very special as she was celebrating with some of her friends ahead of her 60th birthday on Saturday.

“If I live to see Saturday I will be 60 like Jamaica, so I am very special. Today brings me back to Festival time many years ago. Today brought together real people and real vibes,” an excited Williams said.

It was Keisha Senior’s first time at an Emancipation float parade and she wasn’t disappointed.

“I am here with my niece Annaliese Senior-Cranston. Right now it is hot, I am sweating, but I am enjoying myself to the fullest with my family. This is the first time I am seeing the parade live,” she said.

Charmaine Matheson and her grandchildren from Seaview Gardens were equally excited.

“I am ecstatic. I am excited to be out here. I just saw Miss Grange and had to big her up and tell her thanks for this,” Matheson said in reference to Culture Minister Olivia “Babsy” Grange.

“It brings back the love. It brings back everything. It mek yuh feel like yuh really want to be a Jamaican today,” added Matheson. “When yuh see all of this it mek yuh feel like yuh still have hope. I had to grab mi grand pickney dem and seh ‘oonu come’. This little one soon gone a foreign and mi nuh know if she a go can see this again, so mi just mek she come experience it. Mi not even care how wi bruk, we just want to be out here.”

Matheson’s granddaughter, Tiawanna Bryan, said there was no way she was going to watch the proceedings on television. She said she had to be in the midst of the excitement.

“I am 19 years old and mi couldn’t stay home fi watch it pon TV. This too nice. Mi couldn’t miss all of this,” she said.

Minister Grange was obviously pleased.

“This hasn’t happened since 2008. I am happy that the people are excited,” Grange told the Observer after the parade had left Half-Way-Tree.

“It could even have been more spectacular in my estimation, because I know what I can deliver and what my team can deliver. There were certain restraints and limitations. We could have mobilised more people in the costume groups and mobilised more floats, but it would take more funding. There are some other spectacular things we could have done but we decided that we would tun wi han mek fashion, work with what we have and do the best we can,” she said, then added, “The Grand Gala will be spectacular.”

Monday’s parade featured music trucks, costumed and uniformed groups, effigies, jonkunnu, youth groups, and more than 1,000 participants.