The national parade and official opening for Carnival 2023 is set for Saturday, January 14, under the theme: “Mas An Lawi”
Carnival has not been celebrated in Dominica for the past two years due to Covid-19.
“We will kick off this year’s celebrations this Saturday, January 14, 2023, with the official carnival parade from 3:00 PM and the official ceremony at the Windsor Park Stadium from 6:00 PM immediately following the street parade,” Project Officer at Discover Dominica Authority (DDA) Daphne Vidal said
She said participating groups and businesses will gather between the Dominica Broadcasting Station (DBS) and Fort Young Hotel, while the Traditional Mas Groups will gather at Peebles Park from 12:00 PM.
“So the groups will begin assembling at 12 PM on Saturday,” Vidal stated.
She also announced the carnival route.
“The parade will start northwards along Victoria Street onto Dame Eugenia Charles Boulevard, eastwards along King George V Street, northwards on Great George Street, eastwards of River Bank, south unto Independence Street, east along Kennedy Avenue onto the Windsor Park Sports Stadium for the official opening ceremony,” she explained.
Furthermore, Vidal mentioned that the Dominica Police Force will also partner with DDA for the opening parade.
She made it clear that there should be no parking along the Carnival route beginning at least an hour before the parade.
Vidal went on to say that this year a number of exciting groups will form part of the 2023 Carnival parade.
“As usual our parade will start off with royalty with our calypso king. We will have the Miss Dominica queen contestants, we have five lovely contestants who will be vying for the title of Miss Dominica on February 16,” she noted. “Also included in the pageantry section of the parade will be the contestants who will take part in the princess show, school pageants, Miss Teen [Dominica], mother’s queen, the creole queens, that will be the winners and the runners up for the Miss Wob Dwiyet and Madam Wob Dwiyet competitions and the junior calypso and bouyon monarch competitors.”
She added, “We will also have in the Traditional Mas, the Old Mas Groups, Lapo kabwit , sensay, and stilt walkers.”
The contemporary mas groups are the National Bank of Dominica (NBD) and Marigot Flag Wavers and we have the Amnesia and Fantasy Tribe costume bands.
She stated that a number of businesses have come on to be part of the parade in order to take part in the business advertising float of the street parade competition.
Dno please, am confuse; is it “Mas Ah Lawi” or “Mass An Lawi”