Oct. 8, 2003 — There will be a V.I. Friendship Celebration Saturday, Oct. 11, in the Emancipation Garden, with a cultural fair and rummage sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Events will feature vendors from the "Committee to Revive Our Culture," second-hand goods, quelbe, bomba and steelpan music, masquerades, food, crafts, and a positive educational experience, in the words of a release from sponsor Friends of the St. Thomas Public Libraries.
Free books will be distributed on site. Proceeds from the day's events will benefit the Enid M. Baa Public Library and the Friends' literacy campaign.
The fair will explore the cultures of the U.S. Virgin Islands and the English, French, Creole, Spanish and Dutch cultures of the Caribbean. Gwendolyn Blyden, Vincent Cooper, Dominique Cyrille, Gene Emanuel, Wanda Mills and Gilbert Sprauve will facilitate cultural segments, and music and sound engineering will be provided by Westline Productions.
The anticipated schedule:
10-10:30 a.m. Opening Ceremonies: Pastor Blyden, singers, introduction of facilitators, prayer, anthems.
10:30-11:30 a.m. U.S. Virgin Islands: Interviews with tradition bearers and steel pan performance; facilitated by professor Gene Emanuel.
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Anglo-Caribbean: Jam Bull Masquerade performance; facilitated by Dr. Vincent Cooper.
12:30-1:30 p.m. French Creole Caribbean: Qudrille dance traditions; facilitated by Dr. Dominique Cyrille.
1:30-2:30 p.m. Hispanic Caribbean: Bomba and Plena Dance/music; facilitated by Dr. Wanda Mills.
2:30-3:30 p.m. Dutch Caribbean: Papiamento music and poetry; facilitied by Gwendolyn Blyden.
4:30-5:30 p.m. U.S. Virgin Islands/ Closing ceremony: Discussion on the 1733 uprising, and the cultural unity/diversity of the Caribbean; facilitated by Dr. Gilbert Sprauve.
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