There
aren’t many places in Cayman where one can find four sound stages
offering an eclectic mix of musical performances, drama, theatre,
poetry, fashion, dance and film for six hours. However, each year
the Red Sky At Night multi-cultural arts fair presents multiple
stages for local artistes and performers to showcase their talents
while surrounded by dozens of fine artists and artisans displaying
their creations of locally made art, crafts, jewellery, clothing and
accessories. Local food vendors in Café Cayman will also be plying
attendees with dishes such as Cayman style beef, fish rundown, stewed
conch and lobster and desserts including pepper jelly, coconut
treats, heavy cakes, ice cream and doughnuts.

This
year Red Sky at Night will take place on Saturday, 29 February from
4pm to midnight on the grounds of the Harquail Theatre. Produced by
Cayman National Cultural Foundation (CNCF), the popular fair is the
anchor event for Cayfest, the Cayman Islands National Festival of the
Arts.

Festival
goers will be able to choose from the Harquail Theatre Main Stage,
the outdoor Moon Stage, the intimate Studio Theatre setting and the
Caymanian Village where some performances will start from as early as
4pm. Featured performers this year at Red Sky are Swanky Kitchen
Band (Moon Stage), Quincy Brown (Studio and Harquail Mainstage), poet
Leonard Dilbert (Harquail Mainstage), and the Proud Thespian Theatre
Company (Studio). Other musical acts for the night include
Regeneration Band (Moon Stage), Erica Assai (Moon Stage), Bona Fide
(Moon Stage) and the Cayman Islands Folk Singers (Harquail Mainstage
and Caymanian Village) while the Cayman Islands National Dance
Company, Dreamchasers and the Philippines Dancers are among the
groups that will perform on the Harquail Mainstage.

“I
am looking forward to another beautiful night at Red Sky. It is truly
a night soaked in Cayman culture that no one should miss,” said Pam
Parsons, who attended the 2019 event. “Last year, the crafts, live
music, performing arts and food was just a perfect blend of our
island's fabric, and it was great to see residents from all walks of
life enjoying and embracing our culture.”

Those
attendees looking for unique local gifts and treasures will have lots
of opportunities to spend money on the Thatch Walk and Coconut Grove
which feature 50+ artisan booths selling everything from paintings,
oils, soaps and jewellery to sculptures, clothing, woodwork,
calligraphy prints, ceramics and photos. The Creative Kids area will
provide supervised activities and specialty food for kids ages three
to 12 and there will also be stargazing along Astronomical Way if the
skies are clear.

Back
again for only the second year year is the Caymanian Village where
artists, crafters, storytellers and performers will recreate Cayman’s
rich cultural traditions. There will be live demonstrations of them
going about doing ‘old time tings’ such as household chores,
playing outdoor games, cooking on a caboose, coconut grating,
needlework, thatch plaiting, playing music, dancing, farming, boat
building, net making and woodworking. Visitors to this area will
also be able to play traditional games like dominoes or warri, enjoy
quadrille and maypole dancing and hear the folk singers perform.

Tickets
for Red Sky At Night are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors (65+) and
students ages 13 to 17 and $5 for children 12 and under and are
available for purchase online at www.eventpro.ky or at the gate on
the day of the event starting at 3pm.

For
more information about Cayfest email cncf@artscayman.org, call
949.5477 or visit www.artscayman.org.

The
Cayman National Cultural Foundation

For
more than 30 years, the non-profit Cayman National Cultural
Foundation has carried out its mission of stimulating, facilitating
and preserving Caymanian cultural and artistic expression. CNCF has
achieved this through the extensive development of wide-ranging
programmes. These programmes include stage productions, creative
education for young people, free workshops and financial support of
artists, as well as festivals, publications, national recognition of
artistic and cultural achievement, the preservation of Caymanian
heritage, and the promotion of arts and culture for future
generations.