A Celebration of Our History: The 2023 Holetown Festival
by Karen Rollins Feb 6, 2023
Barbados’ Holetown Festival is set to take place from 13-19 February 2023.
Some of the planned activities this year include three Alfred Pragnell Memorial Talks on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10am at the Holetown Methodist Church and two bus tours of historic Holetown on Tuesday and Thursday leaving from the library at 10am.
Locals and visitors can also look forward to a ‘Flood Lit Tattoo’ by the Barbados Police Service on Friday 17 February from 8pm, followed by the ‘Everything Bajan’ after-party from 10pm.
The festival’s street fair opens on Saturday morning at 9am. In the afternoon and evening, an exciting line-up of entertainment will include a ‘DOOFLICKY’ performance through the streets of Holetown, a celebrity mixologist competition, and a ‘Soca Rumble’ featuring Lil Rick, Peter Ram, Hypasounds, and Stiffy.
On Sunday 19 February, a 6km walk and run will take place at 3pm starting at the Frederick Smith Secondary School. A candlelight procession and worship service will be held at the Holetown Memorial from 6pm.
The 2023 Holetown Festival concludes at 7.30pm with a special ‘Bim Ah Come From’ live concert with local performers such as Red Plastic Bag, Adrian Clarke, Biggie Irie, TC, and Mikey.
The Holetown Festival commemorates Barbadian history through music, dance, and food and is an occasion the whole family can enjoy!
Background
The annual Holetown Festival marks the day in 1627 when the first 80 English settlers arrived on Barbados, along with 10 enslaved Africans (who were captured on the voyage), onboard a ship called the ‘William and John’.
The cultural celebration, which was originally conceived by Alfred Pragnell, Keith Simmons, and the Trent Northern Youth Group in 1977, has now become one of the main attractions on Barbados’ calendar of events.
For more information, go to the official Visit Barbados website.
