Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Our first Fete

Carnival season consists of many things here. Mostly partying. It fills the newspapers. Pan bands practicing, costumes being prepared and a full schedule of events coming up and photos from recent events. A popular event to attend is a Fete.
We attended our first Fete this past weekend. It was the Blue Flame Fete held in the Blue Range community north of our apartment. It is set up in the neighborhood park. It is all fenced off, it is surrounded by security. They take down the tennis court fences to create a dance floor out of the courts and they lay plywood sheets on the grass to finish things off. Then they build out bars, food stations, huge walls of speakers and lighting system. It doesnt start until 10 pm and goes until 4 am. You cant leave before 1 am. You can talk to people around you until about 2 am and then the sound system just takes over.
Any noise laws are suspended (if they exist at all). A fete is basically an all-inclusive cabaret/Stampede Party/New Years Eve party all rolled into one. Organizing them here is a business of its own. In the weeks ahead of Carnival (this year Feb 14/15), there are 4 or 5 of these fetes each night on the weekends. There were probably 2000 people at this fete alone. We went with a group of new friends - a bunch of Canucks living here in Trinidad. The Winnipeg Jets shirt was a dead giveaway. There are several bars set up - no waiting. They had the drinks ready to go. They also had these little tiny cups. I dont think we had any.
That's our story and we are sticking to it.
B.

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