Ah Gwine! Barbados Crop Over Festival

The countdown is on to Barbados Crop Over Festival 2017 and in 38 days, Cruzan Foodie will be front and center to witness (and partake in) the bacchanal that goes along with it. If you’ve been following me on social media (do that here, here and here), you probably know by now that I have yet to meet a Caribbean carnival I didn’t like. It’s a balanced combination of intoxicating music, captivating vibes, vibrant colors and a heaping dose of bacchanal!

First Things First

What exactly is Crop Over anyway? Barbados Crop Over Festival is an eight-week long series of lively events infused with rhythmic soca & calypso music, a myriad of fetes (or parties) and the infectious revelry of celebration. It dates as far back as the 1780s when Barbados was one of the world’s largest sugar producers. The end of the successful sugar harvest season always brought about a huge celebration signifying that the tedious, exhausting work was over and days of leisure were ahead. When the sugar industry in Barbados declined, the Crop Over festival celebration came to an end in the 1940s. However, 1974 brought about its revival. Today, various elements of Barbadian culture are now celebrated over an eight-week period leading up to the grand finale of Grand Kadooment! An elaborate parade of sorts, Grand Kadooment features large bands with masqueraders wearing vibrant costumes designed with feathers, jewels and beads make their way down Spring Garden Highway in Bridgetown. Oh bacchanal!

Why You Should Want to Attend

Barbados Crop Over Festival can be seen as the island’s version of carnival. It’s a great introduction to a Caribbean carnival celebration due to the ease of planning, favorable costs and breathtakingly beautiful location. From here, you can go on and attend larger carnivals that require a bigger budget and a marathon-like pace when it comes to partying.

Fete

You also come to Crop Over to fete, fete and more fete! Cooler fete, boat rides and all-inclusive parties are where you go to be entranced by the sweet sounds of soca and calypso music, dance until you lose feeling in your feet and ingest copious amounts of alcoholic beverages that make you forget that you can’t feel your feet! I’ll be partying it up and getting down in Barbados with some of my closest friends from August 2^nd to 8^th. My fete lineup was carefully planned out to ensure that my crew and I could get the most out of Crop Over without being completely wiped out by Grand Kadooment, which will be on August 7^th. Check out my feteing lineup below and follow me on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter to be part of the party!

Foreday Morning

Similar to that of Trinidad Carnival J’ouvert Celebration, the Foreday Morning Jam is where late-night revelers take to the streets of Bridgetown. This is where all inhibitions are cast away and your spirit is set free as you dance well past sunrise covered in paint, powder and mud behind music trucks blaring soca & calypso!

Food

I wouldn’t be Cruzan Foodie if I didn’t tell you about the culinary delight that is Bajan FOOD! Barbados is well known for its mouthwatering seafood. Enjoy fried fish over on Baxter Road where you can get some flying fish outfitted with roasted breadfruit, French fries or cou cou – a popular side dish made with cornmeal and okra often served with flying fish and gravy. Devour a cutter or two (a stuffed Bajan sandwich) between fetes or visit Chefette for a Bajan-style roti and a Banks Beer. Hungry yet?

Find a Band

This year, I’ll be jumping on the road with Baje International in the Garuda section. Baje is one of the longest running Crop Over bands and their topnotch service keeps me coming back year after year. There’s something to be said of their ability to effortlessly cater to thousands of people with a nonstop flow of drinks, snacks to keep me nourished while I chip, dance and drink my way on the road and a smooth lunch distribution process that still ceases to amaze me. I’ve never worn this particular color combination before so my overall excitement is in overdrive.

Crop Over with Me

While it might be too late for you to make it to Crop Over 2017, you can experience its festivities through me! Follow me on on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter to get all the good, great and amazingness of Crop Over 2017!

Heading to Barbados for Crop Over? Tell me in the comments below and let’s connect so we can ‘tek ah chip, tek ah whine and tek ah drink’ as we indulge in the bacchanal of Crop Over!

See You on the Road,

Q the Cruzan Foodie

Cruzan Foodie Crop Over Lineup

Thursday August 3^rd

Lush – The Ultimate Cooler Party Experience

4:30pm – 11pm

 

 

Friday August 4^th 

Elite Cooler Cruise

11am – 3pm

 

 

Saturday August 5^th

Caesars Army A.M. Bush BIM

2am – until my legs decide it’s over

 

 

Bliss Ultra All-Inclusive

3pm – 10pm

 

 

Sunday August 6^th

Booze Cruise Tiny Bubbles Champagne All Inclusive Cruise

10am – 2pm

 

 

1Love Experience

6pm

 

 

Monday August 7^th

On the Road with Baje International

10am – until

 

 

Kadooment Day Rewhine

4pm – 12am