AFTER a two-year hiatus due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, revellers from across the globe recently converged for the return of Barbados summer festival Crop Over.

The event, which began on July 27, culminated with Grand Kadooment Day on Monday, August 1.

Corey Garrett, director at Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc (BTMI), shared why it was important for the festival to be held.

“After seeing the world go on pause for two years, due to the global pandemic, it showed us that we should always live in the now and not wait until the next time. After battling the unknown for so long and then being able to manage it to a certain extent, we decided: Why not have Crop Over but on a smaller scale? It is very safe to say that, while smaller in scale, the vibe was larger than life,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

A part of the initiative to make Crop Over larger than life was to invite a cohort of influencers, media personnel, and PR representatives from across the globe, including attorney-at-law-turned-creative host Rushane “RushCam” Campbell, the Jamaica Observer, and Sleek Jamaica.

“And when we say the world, we mean it. We had media and influencers from as far as Colombia, Montreal, Frankfurt, Spain, and from as near as Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Guyana, and Grenada. We had media who write for Forbes Brazil, Rolling Stone, Allure magazine, the New York Times, and more, and influencers with major social media followings either on Instagram or TikTok” said Garrett.

A colourful street carnival, Grand Kadooment Day, has been celebrated for more than two centuries. The occasion saw revellers parade through the streets dressed in sequins, colourful feathers, and jewels.

Other events included Mimosa Breakfast Party, Native Foreday Morning, Lost in Paradise, and Rise Barbados headlined by dancehall act Spice.

When asked what will be different for next year’s staging, Garrett said: “Only one way for you to find out – book your trip to Barbados for Crop Over 2023.”

“Crop Over’s a blessing! Not a curse!” And a blessing it was indeed as the team plans to make 2023 even more sweet. Garrett reminded that the social calendar in Barbados isn’t over, so, if you missed Crop Over, there are other events in store. We have the return of our well-known Barbados Food and Rum Festival, which is set to take place October 27th to 30th! This year’s four-day star-studded event marries food and rum perfectly and this year there will be a special focus on nurturing the future culinary talent on the island,” he added.

— Rushane “RushCam” Campbell