NEWS RELEASE
Media Contact: Maureen Wright; E-mail: pr@lma.ca
Phone: 800-387-1399/416-440-2500; Fax: 416-440-2504
Press Trip Information & Photography available upon request
Sizzling summer events keep Grenada hot and spicy!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 7, 2009. (St. George’s, Grenada, WI)–Although the spring season has come to an end, Grenada continues to heat things up with a spectacular line-up of summer events and festivals. Festivities, sport, and exciting cultural celebrations keep Grenadians and visitors invigorated, as well as serve to the lead up for the fall/winter seasons. The following will take place in Grenada this summer:
July 17 - 21, 2009 – Cricket Test Match – West Indies vs. Bangladesh: This major sporting event will take place in the Grenada National Stadium, as Grenada hosts the 2nd Cricket Test Match between the West Indies and Bangladesh. This competitive Test Match will span 5 days.
July 26, 2009 – 44th Annual Carriacou Regatta Festival: The Carriacou Regatta began in 1965 as a local boat race using the traditional fishing workboats, to continue the indigenous art of Boat Building handed down by Irish and Scottish ancestors. Since that time, it has evolved into a major Caribbean event, held over the Emancipation holiday weekend, with keen competition among sailors from many of the neighbouring islands - Tobago, Martinique, Antigua and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Visitors and locals admire the skill and captaincy of some of the region's boatmen, as they jostle for supremacy in the different classes of boats, ranging from 14’ to 35’ long.
In 2009, the Carriacou Regatta Festival celebrates its 44th anniversary from July 26 to August 6, with festival highlights including Miss Aquaval Queen Show, Miss Wet T-shirt contest, Donkey Racing, Greasy Pole and numerous cultural and sporting events. For more information about the Carriacou Regatta, visit www.carriacouregatta.com
August 3, 2009 – Emancipation Day 2009: Emancipation Day is a public holiday celebrating the abolition of slavery. Although officially acknowledged worldwide as August 1st, in Grenada Emancipation Day is celebrated on the first Monday of August, with cultural activities planned for both Grenada and Carriacou. Emancipation Day is a public holiday when banks and most shops are closed. In 2009, Emancipation Day will be celebrated on August 3.
August 10, 2009 – Carnival Monday 2009: Carnival celebrations in Grenada are held during the second week in August, just one week after Emancipation Day festivities. From dawn on Carnival Monday, the streets of Grenada's towns are filled with traditional masqueraders depicting Devils (Jab-Jabs) and social commentaries of the highlights of the past year (Ole Mas). Spectators and masqueraders dance to the sounds of steel bands and DJs playing the latest carnival melodies.
On Monday afternoon, the fancy and pretty bands appear briefly on the streets as they make their way to the big stage where competition is fierce in the fight for 'Band of the Year'. The street party continues on in the evening as the Monday Night Mas bands make their way through the streets from 8 p.m. onwards, dancing and waving brightly coloured lights. Carnival Monday is a public holiday, when banks and most shops are closed. In 2009, Grenada celebrates Carnival Monday on August 10.
August 11, 2009 – Carnival Tuesday 2009: On Carnival Tuesday, the fancy and pretty bands parade through the streets, with spectators and masqueraders dancing to the sounds of steel bands and DJs playing the latest carnival melodies. The party continues late into the evening until midnight when the official celebrations end.
Carnival Tuesday is a public holiday, when banks and most shops will be closed. In 2009, Grenada celebrates Carnival Tuesday on August 11. For more information on Carnival, visit www.spicemasgrenada.com
About Grenada Board of Tourism
The Grenada Board of Tourism (GBT) was formed in 1991 to market and promote Grenada as a preferred Caribbean tourist destination, while also providing technical and managerial support to industry partners. For more information on Grenada contact the Grenada Board of Tourism office in Toronto at 416-595-1339, e-mail at tourism@grenadaconsulate.com or visit www.grenadagrenadines.com
How to Get to Grenada
Grenada can be reached via Air Canada Vacations that operates a direct flight from Toronto to Grenada (11 resorts, Sunday departure with easy connections from major Canadian gateways, and bookings for the 2009/10 season available at www.aircanadavacations.com) from December 20, 2009 to April 2010. AC operates daily flights from Toronto to Barbados (Saturday & Sunday departure from Montreal) with connections on LIAT to Grenada and Caribbean Airlines operate regularly scheduled flights from Toronto to Barbados and Trinidad with connections on LIAT to Grenada. GG Tours and Titan Tours operate seasonal charter services (www.ggtours.ca and www.titantours.com). West Jet operates a flight from Toronto to Barbados with connections on LIAT to Grenada from November onwards. American Airlines operates a non-stop flight three times per week from Miami to Grenada from November onwards.
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