“Basseterre Live” also known as “Street Market”, as one of the many carnival activities, is designed to showcase a wide range of talents from throughout the entire island. As it is customary, Fort Street, a portion of Central Street between Fort Street and Rosemary Lane was temporarily closed to vehicular traffic from 6:00am to 6:00pm to accommodate the festivities.
Along with the regular daily activities such as vending, the streets were populated with individual tents to house the handy craft and locally prepared food. Approximately ten booths were laid out specially to allow free traffic flow for pedestrians, spectators and partakers.
A key feature of the entertainment package was a calypso tent that highlighted the talents of some of the island’s junior calypsonians.
“Monkey see, Monkey Do”, was one of the many songs performed by a Junior Calypsonian who demonstrated that he too has cause to celebrate. He, alongside nine other calypsonians was accompanied by the Legends Band, managed by senior calypsonian Socrates, a former calypso king.
The Master of Ceremony was Mr. Wayne “Piece-A-Man” Phillip.
Other activities of the day included, a Drum-ology by the National Youth Drum Corp, Drum and Dance competitions, Special Presentations by Ms St. Kitts and Ms Talented Contestants and lots of give-aways (tickets to upcoming events such as National Talented Teen and National Queen Shows).Other displays came from the Craft House where a wide range of creative “handmade” crafts were designed for presentation to the wider community, and tourists highlighting the enriched legacy of St. Kitts and Nevis. These designs were in the form of locally stained shirts for casual wear or souvenir, vibrantly stained pottery work such as vases, wooden bedframes and dining room sets to name a few.
Meanwhile the Traffic Department is advising all road users especially motorists to take the necessary precautions when using the roads, given the on-going and upcoming festivities. It is also advised that motorists should ensure that proper parking space in available before parking and that where necessary; make a proactive decision to drive less in town, in order to prevent traffic congestion, due to limited parking options.