The high cost of Carnival

BY THE time Ash Wednesday comes around this year, the average fete-loving Trini will very likely spend upward of $16,000 to play mas and participate in all the major events of the season. These costs will include spending between $250 to $500 per ticket for admission to the most popular fetes of the season, at least $2,000 for costume and other perks to play in the special sections of the mega Carnival bands, plus hundreds of dollars for tickets to the calypso tents and the scores of shows that will be taking place throughout the season. The high price of partying during the Carnival season is mainly the result of the all-inclusive phenomenon which has transformed the national festival into a series of exclusive, aggressively marketed events targeted at locals and visitors. The all-inclusive label has been attached to everything from fund-raising Carnival fetes to sections in the most popular mas bands, with patrons willingly shelling out thousands of dollars for party and masquerade packages that offer everything from free food and premium drinks, to paramedic services, private security and even roving photographers.

While the all-inclusive concept is not new — it has been part of the Carnival festivities in one form or another for more than a decade — concerns about security, particularly in the context of Trinidad and Tobago’s worsening crime situation, have led to an increased demand for such events. This season alone, at least eight all-inclusive Carnival fetes are planned. These events were originally hosted by local institutions and service clubs as a form of fund-raising. The earliest examples were the Blood Bank Fete and Heartbeat, both of which take place at the Trinidad Hilton at the height of the season in mid-February. Over the years these events have attracted a faithful following of socialites, politicians, businessmen and other prominent local personalities and continue to be the hottest tickets in town. The UWI Fete was introduced by Professor Max Richards — now President George Maxwell Richards — when he was Principal of the St Augustine Campus of the regional university back in 1990. It was the first public all-inclusive Carnival fete. For an admission price of $100, patrons got a welcome drink of Brandy Alexander in addition to a range of other drinks and food throughout the evening, along with a live band and DJ music.

The 2006 edition of that event, officially known as the UWI Endowment All-Inclusive Fete, takes place on January 21. The admission price is $500. President Richards is also connected with another popular all-inclusive Carnival fete. This one takes place at CAREC in Federation Park and admission is $500. Several prestige schools have started to use all-inclusive Carnival fetes as their primary source of fund raising. The most popular of these include Trinity College’s Soca in Moka, which is scheduled for next weekend, Bishop Anstey High’s Old Hilarians All-Inclusive which takes place January 27 and Queen’s Royal College’s Outta de Blue on January 20. Tickets for these school fetes, which are in high demand, cost from $250 for the St Francois Girls’ event next weekend to as much as $400 for the QRC fete. The latter is one of two major fund raisers hosted by the QRC College Foundation to raise funds to cover the school’s recurrent operating deficit which ranges between $800,000 and $950,000 annually. Since 1995, the Foundation has raised more than $1.5 million for the school.

Several mas bands also host all-inclusives, mainly to launch their Carnival presentations. Poison, arguably this country’s best known mega mas’ band will host at least two such events — the Poison Fete at Mobs 2, Chaguaramas on January 28 and the Annual Poison Carnival Escape All-Inclusive at Salybia, Toco, on February 22. Despite the high ticket prices, these all-inclusives are usually sold out well before the event. Tickets are not sold at the door. Taking the all-inclusive concept even further, section leaders in several mas bands now offer special packages to masqueraders which cover the cost of a costume, unlimited food and drink and a range of products and services over Carnival Monday and Tuesday. There are at least 14 all-inclusive sections in Poison’s 2006 mas presentation, “Dreams”, with prices ranging between $1,700 and $3,000 for a costume, lunch, breakfast and snacks, an unlimited premium bar and other perks. Well known designer Sonia Mack’s all-inclusive section, “Morocco”, offers package prices of between $2,145 and $3,050 for female masqueraders and $1,795 for the men. For these prices, masqueraders get their costume, a Carnival essentials’ gift bag, unlimited access to a premium all-inclusive bar, lunch on Carnival Monday and Tuesday, breakfast on Carnival Tuesday, treats throughout the day, with music supplied by a top DJ truck and popular soca artistes.

In addition, there will be a roaming photographer in the section and “other on de road surprises.” Trini Revellers’ will have at least four all-inclusive sections, including the Young Revellers section “D Burning”, where for between $1095 and $1495, masqueraders will be entitled to drinks, eats, music by DJ Cin and other attractions. Masqueraders in BazodeeCentral.com’s “Platinum — The Damita Jo Carnival Trilogy Part II” will pay up to $2250 for a package that includes glamour bags stocked with cosmetics courtesy of Sacha Cosmetics, a road survival kit of sun block, lip balm and glitter, as well as private security at a ratio of one to every 12 masqueraders. Masqueraders in Tribe’s 2006 presentation “What Lies Beneath,” which is already completely sold out, will enjoy a complimentary shuttle service to the location of the band, mobile cool zones and resting stations, an on-site paramedic team and Carnival souvenirs. The entire band is all-inclusive and has been successfully marketed as “the ultimate Carnival experience.”

Most Carnival all-inclusive packages are being marketed on-line, with band sections presenting impressive web displays complete with soca music, slide shows and even videos to woo prospective revellers. In most cases the prices are being quoted in TT and US dollars, as well as British pounds. There are some shortcomings to all-inclusive packages however. Some masqueraders complain that bands don’t always deliver on their promises of food, drinks and other perks, since supplies quickly run out. One woman who paid $2,195 to play in an all-inclusive section in a popular big band last Carnival told Sunday Newsday that she got little of what was promised in the package. “My purpose for spending so much money to play mas on (Carnival) Tuesday was to enjoy myself on as many streets of Port-of-Spain as possible, while wearing a durable, skimpy costume, with an unlimited supply of food and drinks . . . at hand. “Instead, all I got was ten minutes on the Savannah stage and a pretty little costume with a broken clasp.”

The woman, an avid mas player said she got no food because it had run out by the time she located the food truck and “to add insult to injury,” she managed to get only a half glass of Gatorade to drink. While she has not yet signed up to play mas this year, she has not ruled out registering to play in another all-inclusive section this year. She said she considers Carnival one of her favourite seasons and she is not likely to opt out of playing mas altogether despite her bad experience last year. With eight weeks to go before Carnival 2006, sections in several of the mega mas bands are already sold out, with many prospective masqueraders securing their places with non-refundable deposits of between $600 and $750. Most also charge a fee for on-line registration of approximately US$125. Undeterred by the costs involved, however, many mas-lovers are shelling out the cash for a chance to enjoy the season in a secure, exclusive environment.