Batabano grows to biggest parade in the Cayman Islands

The
Cayman Carnival Batabano Committee is thrilled to announce that there
will be FIFTEEN (15) masquerade bands, groups, and floats in the
Batabano parade this Saturday, May 4, 2019, with up to 4,000
masqueraders anticipated this year.

The
Batabano Committee said four new mas bands joined the national
carnival this year, including a new Latin group called Mas Azucar,
Kaotic Mas Band, Local Carnival, and Fenomenal Mas Band. Also new to
the parade this year is a cultural dance group called Feria Juniana
from Honduras doing traditional Honduran dances wearing traditional
Honduran dresses. There is also a new corporate float by Canterbury
this year, and a new group of local and international beauty queens
called Stush Mas. Cayman Aids Foundation will have a king costume in
the parade again this year, and there will also be costumes by
Cayman’s longest-serving costume designer, Reba Dilbert. The 2018
Batabano Band of the Year, Tribal Carnival, said they have doubled in
size this year, with more than 400 masqueraders expected in their
band for Batabano 2019.

"We
couldn't be more elated with the tremendous support that Batabano
continues to receive from local Mas Bands and masqueraders, as well
as from local and international groups who are eager to be part of
this 36-year carnival tradition in the Cayman Islands," said
Batabano Chairperson Donna Myrie-Stephen. "This year's parade
will be one of the biggest in the history of carnival in Cayman, and
we invite all residents and visitors on the island to come out and
experience it."

The
Batabano Committee also this week released the line-up of the
masquerade bands in order of their appearance in the parade. Leading
the parade of mas bands will be Fenomenal Mas Band followed by
Canterbury Float, Feria Juniana, Reba Dilbert Creations, Local Mas
Band, Cayman Aids Foundation, Illusions Mas Band, Stush Mas, Mas
Azucar, Kaotic Mas Band, Revel Unit, Tribal Carnival, Renegade Mas,
Fresh Carnival, and Party Animals.

Per
tradition, the Batabano parade starts at the Seven Mile Public Beach
at 1pm and ends on Harbour Drive in the heart of George Town. The
parade will take its usual route down Fort Street and pass the final
judging station in front of the Legislative Assembly and head towards
the main Post Office. However, this year the parade will turn down
Cardinal Avenue in order to position masqueraders right on Harbour
Drive where the free "Last Lap" street dance will take
place immediately following the parade. The much-anticipated Batabano
Food Festival will therefore be on Albert Panton Street this year
instead of Cardinal Avenue.

Following
the parade, the public is invited to come out and enjoy the free Last
Lap street dance from 6pm until Midnight, which will feature 12
local, regional, and international DJ's on three stages with three
genres of music - the Soca Stage playing the latest and greatest Soca
favourites, the Reggae Stage, and the Latin Stage playing a variety
of Latin music throughout the evening. There will also be a bar in
each area to better serve event patrons.

For more information, visit www.caymancarnival.com
or email  batabanocaymancarnival@gmail.com.
 

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ABOUT
CAYMAN CARNIVAL BATABANO

Established
in 1983 by the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman, Cayman Carnival Batabano
is the National Carnival of the Cayman Islands. A salute to Cayman’s
turtling heritage, “Batabano” is the native name for tracks left
in the sand when sea turtles go ashore to nest, which has always been
cause for celebration in the Cayman Islands. From humble beginnings,
Cayman Carnival Batabano has grown from a small parade with homemade
costumes and floats, to an international tourism attraction with
hundreds of masqueraders donning professional costumes by local and
international designers, parading down West Bay Road just steps from
Cayman’s iconic Seven Mile Beach. A unique carnival that fuses
culture and the arts via creative costumes, Caribbean music, local
crafts, and a Food Festival worthy of Cayman’s reputation as the
Culinary Capital of the Caribbean, Batabano is symbolically held the
first weekend in May as part of the celebration and awareness of the
start of Turtle Nesting Season. Today, the non-profit Cayman Carnival
Batabano Committee (CCBC) is proud to use its platform to promote and
support local turtle conservation efforts in the Cayman Islands. For
more details, visit www.caymancarnival.com
and follow www.instagram.com/caymancarnivalbatabano,
and www.twitter.com/batabano_cayman
.

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SAVE THE DATES

J'ouvert  - Saturday 27 April - 4:00am - 8:00amLe Masque - Thursday 2 May

Friday Nite Fete - "Outta De Blue" - Friday 3 May 

Batabano Food Festival - Saturday 4 May - 12pm - 12pm midnight

Cayman Carnival Adult Parade – Saturday 4  May  - 1:00pm - 6:00pm

Pan and Pooches on Parade - Friday 10 May - 6:00pm

Family Fun Day - Saturday 11 May - 1:00pm - 5:00pm

Cayman Carnival Jr. Parade – Saturday 11 May - 3:00pm - 5:00pm

Join a mas band for Cayman Carnival Batabano 2019!

Tribal Carnival; Fresh Carnival; Illusions; Revel Unit; Kaotic; Party Animals; Fenomenal; Local Carnival; Renegade Mas; Azucar; Cayman Aids Foundation;