Discover Trinidad & Tobago 2017 (#28)

Heritage Festival
Running from mid-July to Emancipation Day (1
August), this is one of the biggest events on Tobago’s
calendar. Celebrating 30 years in 2017, its
mandate is the preservation and celebration of
Tobago’s folk traditions and culture. Each year
there is a new theme. The festival takes you
from village to village each evening, with communities
showcasing dance, drama, music, and
culinary traditions. Drag yuh bow, Mista Fiddla!
courtesy toucan/tha
Etienne Charles performs at the
Tobago Jazz Experience
Great Fete
A five-day beach party each July/August at
Store Bay, Pigeon Point, and Mt Irvine.
Great Race
First held in 1969, each August this speedboat
race (about 185km/115 miles) starts at the Port
of Spain waterfront early in the morning and
ends in Scarborough two to three hours later.
Naturally, a rollicking beach party ensues.
Harvest Festivals
Once an annual thanksgiving for the year’s harvest,
these vibrant celebrations are a fixture
of community life. One or more villages host a
Harvest Festival one Sunday each month. Days
begin with church services, followed by preparing
and feasting on delicious local dishes.
Signature presentations include:
n the Ole Time Tobago Wedding in Moriah,
featuring groom in stovepipe hat and
tailcoat and bride with trousseau on head,
processing slowly with the distinctive threestep
“brush back”
n Folk Tales & Superstitions — learn about
the Les Coteaux jumbie, and about Gang
Gang Sara and the Witch’s Grave in Golden
Lane
n the Plymouth Ole Time Carnival, featuring
African stick-fighting and a cast of
masquerade characters, Ju Ju warriors, Jab
Jabs, and devils
n the Pembroke Salaka Feast, which also
features African-derived sacred dances (like
the reel, jig, and salaka) that are indigenous
to the area.
Jazz Experience
Each April jazz takes over with events (some
free) in Speyside, Signal Hill, Scarborough,
Castara, and Pigeon Point. The event showcases
some of the best in local and regional music
alongside international stars. John Legend, Jill
Scott, Jennifer Hudson, Kool & the Gang, Angie
Stone, Janelle Monae, Chaka Khan, Elton John,
Stevie Wonder, Mary J Blige, Sting, Diana Ross,
Erykah Badu, India.Arie, George Benson, Lauryn
Hill, and Maxwell have all performed in the past.
For much more about Tobago’s culture,
festivals, and traditions, visit our website
at discovertnt.com!
discovertnt.com
129