[www.inewsguyana.com] – The Ministry of Tourism has launched the inaugural “Guyana Festival” which will see a mixture of the country’s traditional music, dance, food, art and craft being exhibited at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence on August 8 to 10.
The three-day event, which will be marketed in North America and the Caribbean, is aimed at bringing awareness to Guyana’s diverse cultural heritage and the nature of its tourism product locally, regionally and internationally.
During a feature address at the launch which was held at the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC) on May 02, President Donald Ramotar said the festival is an idea demonstrating to the world at large how beautiful it is to live in a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society of rich culture from Africa, Asia and Europe and at the same time coinciding in a single and unique Guyanese culture.
“When you sit there and enjoy the African and Indian drumming and the fusion dance, we must thank our fore parents for the strength and resilience to keep alive under difficult circumstances, our culture,” President Donald Ramotar said.
Meanwhile, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Irfaan Ali said that the intention of the festival is to create a long lasting impression.
“We want the Guyana Festival to be the single subject that would bother your mind and contemplate your brain….we want to bring thousands of Guyanese and non-Guyanese all across the globe to celebrate with us this wonderful and rich history and culture of our,” Minister Ali said.
This family-oriented event will take the format of an exhibition during opening hours showcasing craft, art, culinary delights, celebrity and demonstration tents, and concerts in the evenings. There will also be a children’s playground.
On Friday, August 8, there will be the opening ceremony which will see a fusion of Guyanese cultures comprising various dramatic performances highlighting drama groups, and craft, poetry, dance and painting. There will also be the minting of a “Festival Coin” to commemorate this inaugural festival.
This coin will be available at King’s Jewellery World. A Guyana Festival passport costing US$15 or $3000 will be made available which will allow persons to enter the event all three nights, among other benefits.
[Extracted and modified from GINA]
