Event: Barbados - Bridgetown

Crop Over Festival

When:	Jul - Aug 2009 (annual)
Where:	Spring Garden

The end of the year's sugar cane season is celebrated in style at Bridgetown's annual Crop Over Festival. See the the ceremonial delivery of the last sugar canes and limber up for addictive calypso dancing throughout the capital's streets.

The annual Crop Over Festival began in the 1780s, when Barbados was the world's largest sugar producer. The festivities kick off with the traditional crowning of the festival king and queen, the most productive male and female cane cutters of the season. Carts are decorated in colourful designs and patterns for the cart parade and handicrafts and mouth-watering delicacies abound in Bridgetown Market during the festival.

Other crowd pullers are the party monarch and pic-o-de-crop calypso monarch competitions and the big Jump Up party on Grand Kadooment day. From as early as 6am, costumed revellers and bands parade from the National Stadium to Spring Garden along a stretch of highway next to the coast.