Crowds of spectators lined West Bay Road in Grand Cayman on Saturday, 6 May, to take in the sights and sounds of this year’s colourful Batabano carnival parade.
The sun-soaked afternoon event celebrated Cayman’s multicultural population with floats representing residents from India, Honduras, Jamaica and many others.
Costumed participants walked and danced the four mile route from Seven Mile Public Beach into George Town where festivities continued with a food festival and street party.
“Carnival in the Cayman Islands has a distinct flavour as the islands are home to a melting pot of over 100 nationalities,” Batabano organisers said on their website.
“The energy of Cayman Carnival Batabano is electrifying, with thousands of locals and visitors flocking to the streets to enjoy the signature, spirited parade, a creative panoply of costumes, choreography and floats that becomes more elaborate each year.
“It is a time to celebrate local surroundings, to showcase creativity, to voice social issues and, of course, to party and unite – and there’s nothing like a great party to bring people together.”
The Rotary Club of Grand Cayman launched the inaugural Batabano carnival in 1983.
The name was a nod to Cayman’s turtling history as ‘Batabano’ is a local term for the tracks left in the sand by sea turtles.
This year, the organisers celebrated the festival’s 40-year anniversary.
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