Barbados ready to jump up

Spring Garden Road may not be on fire yet, but with summer fast approaching Barbados is heating up with activities that are part of its annual, 12-week long, Crop Over Festival. New to the festivities the Barbados Summer Arts Festival that features the talents of local artisans, with the main event being the Arts Mart on the Hastings Boardwalk which takes place from May 25 to May 27. Here local artists will display their works ranging from jewelry and fashion to glass creations and visual arts. Music, poetry and prose readings will transform the bustling boardwalk into a hub of creative activity. But back to Crop Over, it has several new additions, including the launch of a series of mini Kadooments — the first took place in April — but others are slated for May 28 and June 20 — each taking place in a different island location. Also new, is a Bridgetown by Night Heritage tour that takes place on June 3. But the busiest weekend in the Crop Over calendar starts on Friday, Aug. 3 with the Pic-O-De-Crop Finals, where the top ten finalists compete for the crown in a vibrant calypso competition. The excitement continues on Aug. 4 at the Foreday Morning Jam and at a colourful all night party at Cohobblopot which showcases some of the biggest performers from the Caribbean. And to wrap things up, on Aug. 6, it’s time for the Grand Kadooment — with over 15,000 costumed dancers in 25 bands parading through the streets of Bridgetown to the sounds of steel pan drums, soca and calypso music. For more on Crop Over, dance on over to http://www.visitbarbados.org/cropover or http://www.barbadoscropoverfestival.com .