South glows with kiddies mas

Fancy Indians, complete with elaborate headpieces, and Sailors, arrayed in a dazzling range of colours from blood red to golden yellow and moss green, were on full display during the annual San Fernando Kiddies Carnival parade yesterday. Under a blistering afternoon sun, over ten bands paraded through the streets of San Fernando, making their way along Royal Road to Coffee Street, Cipero Street and Skinner Park. Unlike previous years which often saw bands cross the parade route after 3pm, this year’s parade kicked off just after the lunchtime hour when the first band, the St Bridget’s RC School of Siparia, entralled spectators with their presentation of “Colours in Motion,” which featured masqueraders as the colours of the rainbow.

They were followed by the PNM San Fernando East Constituency’s presentation of “Sailors Ashore”, which featured fancy and children sailors. Not to be left out was the Mon Repos RC School’s presentation of “Fancy Clowns,” with masqueraders decked in full clown kit, complete with “clown faces.” And the Mayo RC School who remembered “Those were the days” when “sugar cane was plenty” had revellers waving tall stalks of sugar cane in the air. Each band was accompanied by music trucks which blared sweet soca music.