It’s The Carriacou Maroon and String Band Festival 2024

Maroon culture is about celebrating life, and throughout the years, Carriacou has preserved this aspect of their heritage with the Carriacou Maroon and String Band Festival. This annual celebration is one of the island’s most popular events on the social calendar, drawing large crowds to the small island.

This year, festivities run from 26 to 28 April and, as is customary, will showcase Carriacou’s ancestral music and dance. Over the three days, visitors will be treated to energetic big drum and steel pan presentations, graceful quadrille dances, theatrical Shakespeare Mas portrayals and lively string band performances. There is also the traditional Flambeau parade in which locals and visitors revel in the streets.

Of course, no Caribbean festival can be had without our mouthwatering delicacies. Another significant custom practised at the festival is food—mainly its preparation. Eagerly anticipated, all look forward to the various available smoked foods each year. Through the practice of smoked foods, provisions and meats cooked over an open fire, the Kayaks have maintained a strong connection to their ancestors.

The 2024 Carriacou Maroon and String Band Festival will be a grand celebration to which all are invited. You, too, can join the merrymaking. Visit Explore Carriacou and Petite Martinique on Facebook or the Grenada Cultural Foundation website for more information.  

Let’s celebrate our heritage.