Locals uninterested in Tobago heritage

However, Committee public relations officer Rennison Quashie told Newsday that while local attendance at the festival has dropped considerably, the number of foreign patrons to the various village productions is on the increase.

Quashie said he was comfortable with the turnout for the events so far, only because the attendance has been bolstered by the influx of tourists to the shows.

“I have found that the visitors and tourists are a lot more interested in the shows and are rushing to get a first-hand experience of our Tobago heritage, while Tobagonians are coming, but you still tend to see them standing outside the venues,” Quashie said.

He admitted that the festival may have become “stale to local eyes” and the committee may have to consider repackaging or hosting the festival biannually to maintain local interest. Meanwhile, the Moriah Ole Time Wedding production did not disappoint eager patrons, both local and foreign, who gathered at the Moriah Recreation grounds on Saturday.

Regarded as the most popular event on the Tobago Heritage Festival calendar, the storyline and dramatisation were said to be the most interesting of the productions so far as the recreation ground was transformed into a wedding reception area complete with local food, drinks, a good lime and of course, the village “maccos” who were at their best (or worst).

The audience was also entertained with traditional dances and folk songs including a number of humorous renditions from guest performers Spice Island Youth Quake of Grenada who blended perfectly with the production.

However, notably disappointing was the decreasing attendance to the popular event and even the ‘“smaller than usual bridal entourage”a fact that was constantly referred to by patrons. Attendance at the other Heritage Festival productions has been poor as well.