Nine Mornings Festival to be launched Sunday

The 2018 SVG Christmas/Nine Mornings Festival will be officially launched this Sunday December 3 from 6.00 pm at Heritage Square.

The program will begin with the traditional lighted street parade featuring the Police Band, Cadet Corps Band, Sion Hill Euphonium Steel Orchestra, X-Pan, String Bands, Rose Bank Boom Drum and the Rose Hall Drummers. This will be followed by a Community Christmas concert and the lighting of Heritage Square.

During the parade, the various communities participating in the festival will vie for: Best Community on Parade. They will be judged on: uniformity of costumes, use of traditional lights and music, quality of presentation and size of continent. The winning community will earn $2,000.00. Point Village won the competition in 2017 with their presentation of “We Going Nine Mornings”.

The lighted street parade will feature some additions this year with a number of dance groups doing cheerleading performances, drama groups presenting aspects of Nine Mornings and cartoon characters from Uncle Skinny. Members of the public will be given lights to join in the parade.

The Community Christmas concert will begin with a special prayer and word for the nation by Reverend Al Blake of the Harvest Bible Chapel. This will be followed by the Best Community Song Competition in which participating villages in the festival will sing a song about Christmas in their community with the winner receiving $1,500.00. Point Village won the competition last year.

Guest artistes for the Christmas concert include: the Renaissance and La Gracia Dancers, Ronnie Richardson, Angelicas, The Bowmans, Mr Grant and the return of Carlton ‘CP’ Hall.

There will also be the launch of a special Nine Mornings commemorative magazine. The full colour publication which will be made available to the public, documents the history and activities of Nine Mornings over the years and across the country.

Cecil Mc Kie, Minister of Tourism Sports and Culture is expected to declare the festival open following which there will be the lighting of Heritage Square. The launched is being held under the theme: “Christmas Is We!”.

The Nine Mornings festivities which are unique to St Vincent & the Grenadines will be staged across the country from December 16 to 24. But throughout the month of December there are also community lighting, concerts, caroling contests and other activities celebrating the Christmas season.