Rise and Rum Breakfast Beach Party at hit during festival

Luminous shades of yellow cascaded throughout the Copacabana Beach Club in the early hours of Saturday morning. Patrons adhering to the dress code of sunrise yellow for Rise and Rum, thronged the beachside venue in anticipation of fantastic food and great vibes, they were not to be disappointed. The breakfast beach party was just one of a series of activities hosted at various spots throughout the island for the most recent edition of the Barbados Food and Rum Festival which ran from October 27 to 30. 

Mikey and Nikita performing their collaboration for the appreciative crowd.

Attendees enjoyed a wide range of scrumptious treats prepared by the island’s best culinary artists. Chef’s whose fine cuisine were featured at this event included Ann-Marie Leach who catered to vegan tastes with her roti and buljol and Shakayla Bovell who impressed with her Sunrise and Wake and Bake dishes which were delicious. D’Sean Miller’s Sweet
Potato Waffles and Ole Time Breakfast were tantalizing. Nothing about the menu was basic and even traditional items were given an innovative flair. 

Lil Rick delivered an enjoyable set.

Those with a sweet tooth were not forgotten as they had a wide array of items from which they could choose. Rodney Corbin’s Sorrel Macaroon, Sunrise Crepe and Pumpkin Fritters were delightful. In addition, there was other booths where caramel popcorn, cotton candy and alcohol-tinged snow cones were available.

Skilled mixologists including Antonio Busby, Dameain Williams and Phillip Antoine were on hand to keep their custom cocktails flowing throughout the morning. The sponsored products were creatively incorporated into their brews and one of the standouts was a tasty blend which had Frosteez ice-cream as its base. 

Hypasounds in resplendent yellow.

Producers of the event Barbados Tourism Management Inc. in conjunction with the National Cultural Foundation thought of everything. From the seamless parking and shuttle service to the branded aviator shades and fans that were distributed at the start of the event. The latter came in handy as the sun’s rays came out in full force as the morning progressed. Eventually partygoers were afforded some reprieve as intermittent showers were welcomed to beat the mounting heat. Those who were there from the start of the event and needed some therapy for their tired feet flocked to the massage station staffed by Kennifer Maurius and her team from Reflections Spa Barbados. The photo booth with the eye-catching backdrop was another one of the attractions at the premier event. 

The vibes were pumping with a host of popular deejays who appealed to the varied tastes of the appreciative audience. Among the line-up were Hutchy and Sizz, Salt and Don and Andwele and Reko Chase. They heated up the crowd for the live performances which opened with calypso stalwart Anderson Blood Armstrong. He pleased with favourites like Kitty Cat, De Plumber, Turn It Around, and was joined by Mikey for their hit jam Roll It. Mikey also thrilled with some of his big hits as he brought his trademark energy to the stage. His set culminated with Ready, his 2022 Crop Over collaboration with Nikita. Also representing for the ladies was Faith Callender who teased fans with her latest release Thunder Clap. The stellar cast of hitmakers included Leadpipe and Saddis, Hypasounds, Peter Ram and Lil Rick. Delectable drinks continued to flow until the close of the event after 11 a.m. (STT)

A sold out crowd gathered at Copacabana for the Barbados Food and Rum Festival event Rum and Rise.