NASSAU, BAHAMAS – As Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival is just months away, Anthony Knowles, a designer for The Bahamas Masqueraders carnival group projects that they will gain a 33 per cent growth in participants this year.
In an interview Tuesday with Eyewitness News Online, Knowles said Bahamas Masqueraders is preparing to have more than 1,600 persons.
The cost for a costume package can run from $300 to nearly $1,000 and this year, the group’s theme is “illumination”.
“We are going to light up the road,” Knowles said. “We are highlighting neon colours and our theme this year had everything to do with just one singular quote, ‘Be the light that you want to see in the world.’”
Knowles said carnival has been a major attraction for tourists and this year, Bahamas Masqueraders is expecting participants from South Florida, North Florida, St. Lucia, Jamaica and Barbados.
“I think logistically The Bahamas is such a perfect place to accommodate so many visitors. We have the hotels and accommodations needed and it’s a beautiful place,” he said.
“Carnival is a vibe, it’s a time of love, comradery, it’s a time of music and fun. Our biggest focus is on our people.
“In Masqueraders we want you to feel like family. We offer premium services at every level. We are very detailed oriented and logistically sound. We have a great time, even under pressure, we have a good time.”
Knowles said, unlike Junkanoo, Carnival is a money-making business.
“I’ve been involved in Junkanoo at a very high level all of my life. Junkanoo is one of my greatest loves. There is no comparison between Junkanoo and Carnival. Junkanoo is an expression of who we are as a people but Carnival is a business.”
Bahamas Masqueraders will launch the group’s plans this weekend at its Mask camp off Fire Trail road at 8:00 p.m.
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