Caribbean Cultural Events January 2019 | 2BKaribbean Top 5 List

January 23, 2019
by Artis Trise
Comments Off on Caribbean Cultural Events January 2019 | 2BKaribbean Top 5 List

The diversity of cultural influences in the Caribbean are endless and are reflected in the various cultural events held within the region. Here is our Top 5 list of Caribbean cultural events for January 2019.

Written by Artis Trice

As we ring in 2019, several holidays, events, and festivals will be held around the West Indies. From film festivals to community fairs, the celebrations and fetes will be sure to delight, and will set the stage for the coming celebrations in the New Year. Here is our Top 5 list of Caribbean cultural events for January 2019.

1. Accompong Maroon Festival in Accompong Town

Date: Jan 5-6
Location: Jamaica

For one weekend a year, the population in the small town of Accompong in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica grows from about 500 people to over 8,000! The Accompong Maroon Festival celebrates the victory of the Maroons over the British army in the First Maroon War and the signing of the 1739 peace treaty. Every year, the Abeng Horn is sounded to assemble the Maroons, who pay tribute to their ancestors by carrying food to their gravesites. There, the Maroons reenact Captain Kujo and his lieutenants’ plan to attack the British to secure their victory. On return to Accompong Town, the residents and visitors take part in a fair and carnival filled with vendors, traditional Jamaican jerk foods, drinks, amusement rides, and dancing. A party for all ages, the festivities begin early in the day and conclude around 5:30 the next morning. To get more information about the festival, visit: http://www.accompongtown.com/.

2. Three Kings Day

Date: Jan 6
Location: Puerto Rico

Three Kings Day, or El Día de los Reyes Magos as it’s known in Puerto Rico, is celebrated to commemorate the arrival of the Three Wise Men visiting Baby Jesus in Bethlehem. The day and night is filled with festivals, parties, and various celebrations. The night before the 6^th, young children place a box filled with grass or hay underneath their beds. The following morning, they could wake up to either a box filled with candies or a box filled with dirt, depending on their behavior for the year. For young adults, celebrations range from street festivals to shopping, and continue throughout the day into the night.

3.Barbados Independent Film Festival

Date: Jan 11-20
Location: Barbados

In its second annual edition, the Barbados Independent Film Festival will feature films from across the Caribbean and around the world. Several of the films feature a diverse Caribbean diaspora with actors, producers, and filmmakers from different islands and countries. Of those featuring stories from the Caribbean, a few titles include Moko Jumbie, The Land We Call Home, and Sing Your Song. The festival, just over a week long, will be held at four venues around Barbados. For more information and tickets, visit: http://barbadosfilmfest.org/

4. Cayman Cookout in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands- January 16-20

Date: Jan 16-20
Location: Cayman Islands

The 11^th-annual Cayman Cookout will host chefs and culinary experts from around the world for five days in the Cayman Islands. Set at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, guests will have the opportunity to wine and dine right beside the Seven Mile Beach with world-renowned chefs and attend events to learn about the culinary and hospitality scene of the Cayman Islands. For more information and to see the event line-up, visit: http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/cayman-cookout.

5. Spice Island Billfish Tournament

Date: Jan 21-26
Location: Grenada

The 50^th Anniversary Spice Island Billfish Tournament is a sport fishing event held annually in Grenada, in which people compete in a five-day competition. With four days of fishing and one day of rest, all of the action is on the water where fishers compete to reel in their best catch. While the tournament is held in Grenada, the majority of the competitors travel from neighboring Trinidad and Tobago to take part in the festivities, which is understood knowing that the Grand Prize for reeling in a Blue Marlin is EC$500,000.00! The festivities begin on January 21.