Holetown Festival Delights with Music and Cocktails: A Recap of Barbados' Historic Celebration

By Simone Tull

The Holetown Festival was a heady mix of music and cocktails on Saturday as the celebration of Barbados’ English settlement in its very first town four centuries ago kicked into high gear over its first weekend.

Early in the evening, the streets were lined with attendees eager to get a prime view of the vibrant cultural display as the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. Dooflicky took place. As night closed in, the focus shifted to the Mark’s Autospares and Great Health Works/Omega XL Socafest. The stage was ablaze with electrifying performances from many of the island’s top soca artists.

Channelling the essence of the region’s soca queens, Trinity Clarke was impressive with her renditions of Patrice Roberts’s Old and Grey, Nadia Batson’s Market and Alison Hinds’s Roll It. Clarke’s dynamism and powerful vocals had the crowd grooving from start to finish.

Stiffy brought his signature high energy to the stage, igniting the hometown crowd with a medley of his bashment soca hits before delivering the crowd favourite I am Blessed. Also revelling in the warmth from his supportive fans was Holetown Festival Ambassador Hypasounds. He kept the momentum going with a series of his infectious tunes before adding Barbados Nice by request.

Peter Ram further elevated the energy levels with his top tunes Crop Over Good Morning, All Ah We and Woman By My Side. Soca guru Mikey kept the party going with his energetic performances of Don’t Run, All Ova De Pace, and Feting Family. The lineup included Coopa Dan who further energised the crowd with the popular Reflection, Get Short and Question of the Year.

Leadpipe and Saddis clearly indicated why they are a favourite with tracks ranging from their early hit Condense to the more recent Brain Freeze. Closing out the night was the legendary Lil Rick, who had the audience jamming with hits True Story, Sugar Lump, and Jam Down. He even heeded a request for Brucelee Almightee’s Mauby, allowing a young trio of excited boys to sing some of the lines for him.

Another of the evening’s highlights was the Mount Gay Rum Celebrity Mixologist Competition hosted by Jamarr Brown and Megghan Michael. Before the competition began, the duo stepped up to the challenge by creating their own signature cocktails, setting the stage for the mixology showdown.

Four contestants vied to dethrone last year’s champion, Carl Alff Padmore with his Sun, Sea, and Sip. Among the contenders were Mr Blood, presenting his bold concoction Bloody Rumble, and Queen Archibald Cox, offering up the tantalising Sunset in Paradise. Additionally, two tourists from China and the United Kingdom showcased their mixology skills in hopes of claiming the coveted title.

But it was first-time visitor Tyler from Manchester who emerged triumphant with a tasty blend called Tropical Zest. Relegating Padmore to a second-place finish, he impressed the judges with his bold flavours. Coming in a close third was Estella from China, whose Not Without You pleased the judges with its rich flavour profile and visual appeal.

Patrons had the chance to win enticing prizes such as spa days and a trip on the Atlantis Submarine by answering trivia questions. Adding an interactive element, some attendees were challenged to show off their wining skills.

The festival ended Sunday with the Barbados Police Service Band concert sponsored by Earl’s Funeral Home and IRG Services which featured a lineup that included Mighty Gabby, Red Plastic Bag and Edwin Yearwood.

(STT)