Greiggs abuzz for National Heroes Day

The village of Greiggs will be a hive of cultural activities next week, leading up to the annual Greiggs Heritage Festival on Friday, March 14 – National Heroes Day.{{more}}

The activities are being spearheaded by the Greiggs Garifuna Council, along with the Greiggs Rastafarian Progressive Society, the Cultural Ghetto Ladies, other community groups in Greiggs and the churches.

The activities begin on Sunday, March 9, with a church service and rally organised by the First Response Disaster Preparedness Group of Greiggs – a group attached to the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) and the Red Cross. The rally will seek to heighten awareness in Greiggs about the importance of disaster preparedness.

Other activities during the week will include an evening of traditional games and sports, a cultural wake, and an evening of tribute to David Jackson,the founder/leader of the reggae band Kindreds, which was formed in Greiggs and rose to national and regional fame.

The week’s highlight will be the heritage festival, and the organisers say the Greiggs playing field will be transformed into a model tribal Garifuna village, with huts and a central bonfire. The huts will be occupied by groups and individuals preparing authentic traditional dishes. Some occupants will be dressed in tribal and traditional costumes.

The organisers say artifacts found in the “Heights of Massarica” – the highlands of Greiggs, will be exhibited, and agricultural produce and local craft will also be displayed.

Outstanding individuals dead and alive, who have contributed to the cultural heritage of Greiggs will be recognised, honoured and awarded. Entertainers will also be on the scene from daybreak, while a cultural and talent package will be staged during the afternoon.

A special presentation this year will be a dramatisation of the Legend of Fannie Greig. Fannie Greig was the Garifuna woman from whom the village of Greiggs derived its name after she was kidnapped as a baby by the British soldier Captain William Greig.

The day will end with a reggae show in the night at the old school at the Greiggs Entertainment Centre.

The theme for this year’s Greiggs Heritage Festival is “Reviving the Spirit of Fannie Greig.”