Chairman of the Dominica Festivals Committee (DFC), Colin Piper, has said all Carnival activities were implemented and executed as planned.
Piper said, however, a number of unforeseen circumstances had popped up but this was not due to the lack of planning.
“We staged the first pageantry weekend and so we will have a review where we can take on board the positives and negatives,” he said.
Piper revealed that there were no complaints in regards to moving the Miss Dominica pageant up one week.
“I spoke to the Queen Show committee who was happy with the staging of the show a week before Carnival which gave them a chance to enjoy their Carnival,” Piper said. “What we have to do is look at gate receipts, look at the impact of the pageantry weekend and see if it is in fact doing what we thought it would.”
He said at least 1,300 patrons attended the first ever Bouyon Festival staged at the Windsor Park Stadium on February 13th.
“We were hoping for a bit more on a revenue perspective, but certainly I believe that the bands put on a good showing and the patrons who were there truly enjoyed the show,” Piper stated. “What we need to do is just continue to plan far enough in advance and determine whether that is going to become a performance with guest artistes or whether it is going to be become a competition.”
Piper said in terms of organizational challenges, “we still have an issue with tardiness.”
“When we would like to have the (Carnival) parade start at 10:00 am and people don’t show up at 10:00 am, it is very difficult to start the parade with very few groups or troops,” he said. “And so these are some of the things we continue to press upon the organizers and some of the groups, to be on time.”
The Carnival season in Dominica ended earlier this week.
I pity mr. Piper because that is a thankless job he has been saddled with. Honestly, I would deliver him from that and leave all this festivity business to private enterprise and let him concentrate his energy ans sparse resources on promoting Dominica overseas. There is no need for a DFC financed by Govt. If people want parties and feasts they are quite capable of organising that themselves as long as there is money to be made and fun to be had. Look at the calypso people, they even managed to build their own substantial edifice through their own means and efforts..
Who did Piper talk to ???? So many returning Dominicans were very very disappointed that the Queen show was held one week earlier. Because of vacation restraints they missed the show — A bad idea to move the date from the traditional Friday. — There were alot of complaints !!!!!!!!
Is Mr. Piper kidding ???? Most US visitors can only get two weeks vacation at a time — therefore they plan their vacation to coincide with the week before carnival monday when they can take in the Queen show and the Calypso show and the following week of the jump up . Therefore putting the show one week earlier they missed the Queen show , which we were all looking forward to.
MR Piper, Piper, Piper, please announce if you will or the powers that be, tell us what date will be our W.C.M,F. and sir while you at it Sir tell us how we did with last year`s W.C.M. F. As usual we putting the cart before the Horse. The country nice boy.