Carnival 2020 settled after drawn out talks
![Cayman News Service](https://caymannewsservice.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Batabano-carnival.jpg)
(CNS): Officials have revealed there has been ongoing disagreement over the last few weeks as government and organisers sought to settle a date next year when Cayman’s rival street carnivals could be consolidated into one weekend. Up until Tuesday, stakeholders remained unable to agree. But on Thursday the ministry confirmed that the Junior Carnival will be on the first weekend of May, the two adult carnivals on the second and Bracchanal on Cayman Brac on the third.
The culture ministry announced earlier this year that it wanted to consolidate the two main carnivals, Batabano and CayMAS, after complaints from hoteliers and tourist traders. But Dwayne Seymour, the minister responsible for culture, noted that settling on dates for all of the seasonal street carnivals had proved challenging for his ministry.
“This was not an easy task and required many proposals and counter-proposals with stakeholders and vested parties,” Seymour. “At this time we believe we have gained the majority buy-in and have made final decisions to accommodate the start of 2020 bookings.
The ministry will continue to listen to our stakeholders on an annual basis and make adjustments as necessary,” he added, as he thanked the parties for their submissions and “the healthy discussions that have led to this decision”. He also encouraged everyone involved to make these dates work.
Officials explained in a press release that discussions, which have been going on for some time, were an effort to make better decisions about how, using the successes of regional partners as models, to host Cayman Carnival as a unified carnival and create an outstanding experience.
The ministry considered a number of issues that caused some difficulties. The first weekend in May clashes with the Bahamas Carnival and would leave Cayman Carnival competing for the same international tourism dollar. But the second weekend falls on Mother’s Day, which some believe would limit the tourist numbers. And the third weekend would conflict with the Cayman Brac event, Bracchanal, preventing tourists and residents from taking part in both.
During the discussions, the long weekend in June was explored as another option but there were concerns because the Queen’s birthday celebrations in George Town would clash with the parade.
So, despite the question mark over the Mother’s Day weekend, the main Grand Cayman Carnivals will happen on the weekend of the 9/10 May 2020.
Category: Community, Local News
You all have 360 days of the year to be fake Christians!!! Let the people have their fun. We get into this back and forth about going not going, but this is where the shift in trends has taken us. The same ones complaining about it wont do anything to help change the nature and culture of the event, but will still go out to view and judge. doesn’t make too much sense in my eyes but we live in a day where its more fun and easier to just complain/criticize. Cayman lost its “Culture” after Ivan. since then the amount of outside influence has masked any form of what Cayman is or used to be. So If you don’t like it DONT COME or Shut the hell up and go do something to help the event transform into something better!!!
now only if we could uproar about the cost of living like how they worried about thiefing a wine off shelly man or brad woman on a different day… *sips tea
Remember when Batabano was fun and it wasn’t 2 different events that cost $700+ to join in on?
No. I remember it was always crap.
Still is.
lets celebrate the high cost of living!!!!!???? politicians be the dancers…lol
If this event must be held, then do it along Queen’s Highway. Old Man Bay to Morritt’s will soon tire out the participants so they have no energy for the inappropriate ‘dancing’.
As an aside, Mother’s Day is the Third Sunday in Lent; the thing in May is a recent American commercial invention.
Mothering Sunday is an event of some tradition, when one would return to one’s home church if one lived elsewhere. All forms of “Mothers Days” are ghastly modern commercial affectations whenever they fall.
you so posh..
Ban the event. Nothing is good about it.
Just don’t go if you don’t like it! Don’t ruin it for the rest of us!
If the complainers actually attended Batabano and CayMas they would realize that what they describe as “public displays of lewdness ” are present but hard to find.
99.9% of the participants are wearing at least as much clothing as one would see on the beach, but with sequins, and are just having a good time with friends.
I have never seen people grinding on the beach!
You don’t stay late enough.
What is exactly the significance of these carnivals ? Pirates week has some history although I don’t agree with pirates being glorified with a celebration, these other 2 all I can think of is what not wear
It’s rooted in african culture and the catholic religion (yes Cayman is a part of the black diaspora whether it likes to admit it or not). Google it to learn more…
For Dwayne most things are challanging.
fix the dump
Leave Dwayne’s dump alone. It’s his sacred vessel.
Poor Minister Seymour, said this was a really difficult task for him and his ministry. Lord help us then as the dump & garbage collection issues must really be over their head!
Small things amuses small minds. He has difficulties setting the date and the organizers think they are doing something worthwhile and beneficial to the Islands, they all need to stop the crap and go read a good book.
You are right
Hardly news…
But Dwayne Seymour, the minister responsible for culture, noted that settling on dates for all of the seasonal street carnivals had proved challenging for his ministry.
Obviously not as challenging as picking up garbage.
“Minister Responsible for Culture” = Minister without portfolio.
The worst of Cayman ‘culture’.
Nothing Caymanian about it.
what is ‘cayman culture’?????
Turtle meat
Mildew.
Not cultural at all. Cayman Carnival is nothing but a drunken brawl. Nothing at all like Rio which really does have cultural roots.
That’s what happens when you let the culture vultures take over your islands…
Scrap this imported display of lewdness and disgusting behaviour! I’m love partying as much as anyone but my morals are set higher than reveling in the behaviour I see at these displays! No, I’m not a pious “Bible-thumper”, just a normal person who clearly sees a big difference between family entertainment and disgusting lewdness!
There are 52 weekends in one year. Why do we have to cram everything into one month? Spread them out throughout the year.
It’s gettin’ hot out there, so take off all your clothes…
Reminder
The this is the same Government seizes shipments of massagers because they are worried they are sex toys
With the same MLAs who talk openly on the floor of the LA about having the police arrest gay people for PDA
Who organize with the Churches to insert themselves into every facet of people’s daily lives, talking about family values and christian heritage
Hypocrisy at its finest
The church also disagrees and speaks against Batabano/Caymas, so there is no hypocrisy here on their part. The government, now, that’s a different story!
I do like some “culture” but love me some T&A. Bring it on!
What do you think…… should sex be private or publicly allowed? I think it should be private. Now the only question is where the line is between dirty dancing and vulgarity. I’m no prude. I have done my stuff. I was particularly stunned to see children emulating their hip-pumping adult peers; that doesn’t seem to teach respect toward women…… or, really, men either. We need to do better. Maybe if this has to happen, take it well away from the central and residential areas of the island on all three islands.
I have no problem with the parades, the celebrations, the debauchery, the noise, whatever. Have fun! Be safe!
What do you think?
In any civilised society, that would be considered grooming. The Junior carnival should be shut down immediately.
If parents were really monitoring what their children wear and how they behave on the streets then the children’s parade would automatically come to a screeching halt. It is either they don’t know or don’t care. I guess it is their claim to fame, but then what do I know? I also think there should be no graduating from kindergarten and primary school all decked out in gowns and cap. Another pet peeve is all these little Cinderellas girls dressed up in fancy dresses at the supermarkets seeking donations-I guess they are preparing for some contest overseas! A chasing after the wind. Send them to ballet, music, gymnastics football practice and the like. I usually contribute to causes like these. Once I came across a young man by countryside asking for donation to help pay for his music lessons. I donated and he played his guitar and sang a song for a few of us customers. Now that was a novel idea!
Should be done away with all together. I see no reasons if strip clubs are not allowed in cayman, then why the heck have it when men and women with barely any clothes on are out in the streets doing for all to see, the young and the old. At least in a strip club you have to be 18.
But you have to pay in a strip club.
On the other hand, carnival has absolutely no cultural or historical significance in Cayman, and is merely an opportunity for a bunch of pissed up morons to parade themselves.
If you want to play mas, go to Port of Spain (scary for most expats in Cayman, too many people “not like” them).
I played mas in Port of Spain years ago…..now that was a carnival!
Umm…have you walked down SMB…you will see people with even less clothes…
They don’t imitate sexual acts in public
Who really has sex like that doh?
Quite possibly everyone except you. What’s your point?