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This fully functioning vintage fire truck which was restored by George Ullyett was a hit, particularly children in the audience.

Last lap!

Holetown festival closes today

THE 42ND annual Holetown Festival will officially draw to a close today, but without the much-anticipated Miss Holetown Queen of the Festival show.

Organisers told the media yesterday some of the major sponsors are not with the festival this year because of the absence of the Queens show and there has been some difficulty in attracting contestants, however these were not the main reasons for pulling the show from the packed schedule of events.

Entertainment coordinator Petra Maynard said, “We had refrained this year due to the fact that we are revamping. It has been 41 years for the Queens show and you don’t want it to be monotonous … We decided to come bigger and better for 2020.”

“There are always challenges with sponsorship, but I must say those who are faithful to us kept it and we have to realise we are in a recession. It is nothing no one can avoid, it is happening around us … but you know what … life goes on … we have to put on the show. It is we have some faithful people who continue to work with us,” Maynard stated.

“You don’t always get sponsorship in cash but in kind … we really needed that and infrastructure. So it still worked out.”

Yesterday Holetown was a hive of activity with the annual Courtesy Garage Ltd Street Parade and Fair, featuring vintage and classic cars and, for the first time, race cars.

Maynard, along with Fiona Griffith, coordinator of yesterday’s parade, said the week of activities have been well attended by visitors and locals alike, even though there have been one or two hitches.

Yesterday persons of all ages braved the blistering afternoon sun to view the immaculately restored vehicles as well as the cultural extravaganza, which was put on by several youth and cultural groups along the Holetown stretch.

The festival also features several local vendors as far as the eye can see, selling a wide variety of plants, hand-made arts and craft, organic soaps and lotions, clothing and of course lots to eat and drink.

The activities will draw to a close today with a thanksgiving service at the St. James Parish Church to mark the first settlement in 1627. There will be a Spiritual Baptists Candlelight Procession and Worship Service at The Holetown Monument at 6 p.m. as well as a Touch of Tchaikovsky at the same time at St. James Parish Church.

At 8 p.m. a large crowd is expected to attend the Soca Gold Concert and Fashion Show featuring the Royal Barbados Police Force Band along with The Holetown Festival Ambassador Hypa Soundz, Reigning Calypso Monarch Blood, RPB, Adrian Clarke, Grynner, Mikey, Carl “Alf” Padmore and Queen Archibald Cox. The fashion segment will feature ten former Queens of the Holetown Festival. (JH)

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