Cost of booths at festival village cut by half
The festival village in Road Town during a previous year.
Given the dramatic scale-down of emancipation festivities this year, vendors are only being charged $500 to set up booths at the festival village in Road Town.
This marks a 50 percent reduction when compared to previous years.
Chairman of the Virgin Islands Festival & Fairs Committee Trefor Grant said this was welcomed news for vendors.
Vendors also have been given permission to begin booth operations as early as July 30, which represents more than a week before the festival village officially opens.
The festival village officially opens on August 3.
“Because we recognised that the [number of festival] days are shortened, we have to make sure it is economically viable for the vendors to be there,” explained Walwyn, who said he was the one to authorised early operations.
“We all know how the festival village turns into the local lunch spot during that time so even though we don’t officially have events, there is still an opportunity for the vendors to be able to come in and make some money because of the shortened days that we’ve presented,” Walwyn added.
During previous festivals, vendors have been known to complain about certain factors and conditions of festival. Such factors include the cost to erect a booth at the village, which vendors say cause them to earn little to no profit.
Meanwhile, festival will also include its usual admission fees on select nights. Admission on those nights will be about $25 presold and $30 at the gate.
“The fees are somewhat modest in my opinion when compared to other jurisdictions,” said Walwyn at a festival press conference on Monday.
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Nasty festival, nasty booths, nasty food.
In momst Caribbean jurisdictions it is more expensive to fly in for festival than to fly out. In the BVI it is always more expensive to leave for festival than to arrive. I agree it is a nasty, poor event and I wish I could afford to leave.
Go no. No one will miss you. Only true Virgin Islanders will be around. We know you are not one of us.
$30 to enter some armpit of an excuse for a festival! get real this place will be a ghost town….people have more important priorities than this embarrassment….
Well just stay home no buddy. The rest of us will go out and enjoy ourselves in the arm pit village. You stay home in your sour puss mood while we jump up in our village. Smh
Same s*&^ty post every year and the place will be ram packed with patrons enjoying the show. How those sour grapes tasting this early morning.
NOW MAKE THE ENTRANCE FREE AND CUT THE AMOUNT OF BOOTHS IN HALF (15 INSTEAD OF 30)
If you have free admission do you think less booths will accommodate the stampede of people? Just a question.
What about the entry fee for taking part in parade tell We. It. use too be a 100.to enter It cut in half too
So the booth venders who paid last year have to pay this year again.salty
i think if they are cutting down on prices it should be for everything.
Like times a mil!