Barbados Crop Over

Crop Over is the biggest, baddest festival held in the beautiful Caribbean island nation of Barbados each year and one heck of a party. If you’re looking for a great spot to visit in the islands at the end of July or the beginning of August, this would be a great choice.

What does it all mean? Crop Over originated way back in the 1780’s, when the main export from Barbados was sugar rather than sunburned tourists. The festival began as a celebration of the end of the sugar cane season and to this day features music, masquerade, heritage and culture.

The final day of the festival is celebrated as a national holiday known as Kadooment Day. It’s like the Fat Tuesday of Crop Over. This year Kadooment Day will be celebrated on August 4th, which is almost as good of a reason to celebrate that particular day as my 30th birthday. If you’re in Barbados for Kadooment Day, you won’t be disappointed with a “colorful and lively parade of costumed dancers and fireworks.

Crop Over is a long one. The celebration begins with a grand opening gala and continues for five whole weeks of carnival inspired fun.

August 1: Pic-O-De-Crop Finals, in which eight finalists compete for the year’s crown and top prizes in the calypso competition.
August 3: Cohobblopot allows costume bands to strut their stuff to the tune of local calypso hits, while competing for the title of King and Queen of Crop Over.
August 4: Grand Kadooment is a street carnival filled with people dancing to Soca and wearing elaborate multi-colored costumes and body paint.

For more information, check out visitbarbados.org.