Big savings on stall spaces for vendors – NCF

The National Cultural Foundation (NCF) has rolled out a suite of concessions and discounts for vendors hoping to cash in on the resumption of the Crop Over festival.

Chief Executive Officer of the foundation, Carol Roberts-Reifer on Friday announced savings of up to 50 per cent for stall spaces at major events and free stall spaces on Kadooment Day for vendors who previously plied their trade along the traditional jump-up route.

Last month, Roberts was accused by former Member of Parliament and radio personality Mark Williams, of “selfishly” excluding vendors from the adjusted plans for this year’s Grand Kadooment and Foreday Morning events.

“I am challenging the NCF, I don’t care who will be vexed with me, I don’t care if the band leaders are going to be angry with me. I am saying you are selfish,” said Williams.

“You have neglected one of the components of Crop Over and that is the vendor. You’ve stopped the vendor from making a dollar…,” he added.

Describing the allegations as “erroneous”, Roberts declared that vendors would “most definitely” be included.

“I am very pleased to report that stall space will go on sale to the public as of Monday. So Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week we will have stall space available for the various events,” Roberts announced on the Voice of Barbados’ Fireworks programme.

The NCF CEO explained that for Grand Kadooment, vendors would be allowed to sell either along the ABC Highway or at the National Botanical Gardens. She also announced similar opportunities at the Pic-o-de-Crop Finals at Kensington Oval, the Junior Monarch Final, Soca Ructions at Kensington Oval and Pandemonium at the botanical gardens which replaces Pan-Pon-de-Sand.

“All stall spaces will be 50 per cent of what was charged in 2019 as a commitment to all stakeholders to participate and make money from the festival. And so we’ve taken care of the soca artistes, the bandleaders and this is the turn of the vendors,” Roberts declared.

She recalled that space for a 20×20 tent at Grand Kadooment, which in 2019 was $1200, would now be rented at $500.

“If you were going to Junior Monarch and you had a 20×20 tent, in 2019 you would have paid four hundred dollars. In 2022 it’s two hundred dollars. So that reflects a 50 per cent cut as a gesture of goodwill to potential stall holders,” she disclosed.

This year’s Crop Over climax Grand Kadooment will depart Warrens, St Michael and head along the ABC Highway to the Emancipation Statue before ending at the National Botanical Gardens. Roberts acknowledged that the change would “deprive” stall holders who ply their trade along the route that includes Station Hill, Eagle Hall and Black Rock.

“From Wednesday, we began reaching out to them and contacting them and we are giving them free stall space for Kadooment Day and so they came this morning from nine right up until three this afternoon and they selected their spaces.

“The spaces are free of charge because you would recognise that in years previous, using the traditional route, they didn’t have to pay for stall space, they also don’t have to pay us this year. The space is free,” said Roberts. (TD)