Wayne Kirkconnell and Craig ‘Festa’ Frederick had a vision of a carnival which would revolutionise the industry and create a new tourism product within Cayman’s low tourist season.
From this vision was born CayMAS, first touching the road on Discovery Day weekend in 2017.
“CayMAS Carnival is about giving the people the colour, the energy, the vibrance, the collectiveness, the inclusiveness, of our carnival,” says Craig. “We pride ourselves in being one of the most diverse carnivals in the world with our open-arms mentality. We want to give our masqueraders and onlookers alike, the same experience they would get at any other major carnival, just Cayman style”.
The founders wanted to deliver something slightly different to traditional carnival, with Craig saying, “We are a boutique carnival, a terminology I came up with a few years ago; meaning, we don’t want to be like the massive carnivals, we prefer quality over quantity, and this is very much appreciated by the participants as well.”
GROWTH
The first year of CayMAS six bands took part, with around 2,000 people ‘chippin’ down
the road’. Six years on and the event has grown from strength to strength.
“We have 14 entities involved with this year’s carnival and are expecting a massive crowd to participate in the carnival, locally and internationally,” says Craig. “Bands participating include Swanky International, Liquid Ice, Chicken Run, Kalabbra, Wristband, Renegade Mas, Party Animals, Fantasy Mas, Asylum Mas, Dream Carnival, Revel Unit, Q-Movement, Asendn Mas, and Tribal Cayman.
PLANNING
Planning the event begins even before the previous year’s festivities have finished.
“It’s a year-round planning process, gathering sponsors, liaising with the government, making connections with overseas partners to promote the carnival, organising the promotional plan and schedule, liaising with the bands who make up CayMAS, and so much more,” explains Craig.
As well as Craig and Wayne, and the army of organisers, CayMAS Chairperson Brent McLean is heavily involved.
“He has been extremely instrumental in the development and success of CayMAS Carnival,” says Craig. “He has steered our ship well over his time as chairman and even before then. He has played a massive part in establishing the CayMAS Soca Monarch competition which has grown and improved leaps and bounds since its first year.”
JOIN IN
Anyone who has participated in CayMAS before, or even watched from the sidelines, will appreciate the pull that the colours, music and energy of carnival provides, and Craig says is it a great stress reliever.
“Whether you’re a masquerader or a spectator tailgating on the side of the road or at one of the bars along the route, the energy and free-spirit carnival gives you is intoxicating,” he says, admitting that nothing tops actually taking part in the parade.
“I’ve said this many times before, it is the one Saturday afternoon that it doesn’t matter your nationality, your colour, your social status, your job level, your age… that one day of the year, we are all as one in CayMAS Carnival.”
ROUTE
While CayMAS events occur between 28 June – 3 July, the main road parade takes place on Saturday 1 July. The route begins at South Church Street, near Memorial Avenue, and runs through George Town to West Bay Road, culminating at Seven Mile Public Beach.
The parade is immediately followed by the Soca Monarch competition and the biggest soca event on the calendar every year, Swanky AfterMAS on Public Beach.
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