Queen's Park Savannah vendors look forward to Taste of Carnival

PRESIDENT of the Carnival Entrepreneurs Association David Baptiste is grateful to the National Carnival Commission (NCC) for allowing vendors to ply their trade at the Queen's Park Savannah's Carnival City during Taste of Carnival events this year. Baptiste met with officials from the NCC on Saturday.

Speaking to Newsday on Sunday, Baptiste said vendors would be allowed to use 12 vending spots at the North Stand and six spots at the Grand Stand.

“The NCC has their challenges this year but we appreciate that they included us in their activities.”

Contacted for comment on Monday, NCC communications officer Kyle Pilgrim said the commission would release an official statement on Carnival City vending later this week.

On Sunday, Baptiste said all Carnival City vendors were required to be fully vaccinated and only three people would be allowed into each booth at a time. Booths will be spaced out to avoid crowding and vendors and customers will be required to wear masks.

Manager and PRO of the Queen's Park Savannah Vendors Association Michael Williams, owner of Doctor Fresh, speaking to Newsday last Friday, said food vendors would be operating along the track from the Frederick Street entrance for certain events. He said vendors would find alternative accomodations when Panorama events are being hosted on February 19 and 26 as the track would need to be clear in order to facilitate the approach of steelbands.

Also on Friday, Newsday spoke to Omar Lester of Come back Jamaican Jerk, David Kallicharan of Country Style Doubles and Vilma Robinson of Sweet Hand Vilma about their vending plans for the Carnival season.

Lester said he planned to take a break from vending during the festivities this year.

“The carnival is not at a full 100 (per cent) this year. So I'm just watching and waiting until next year or for a better one to come.”

Kallicharan will wait for official word from the NCC before making his decision.

He said, “With this pandemic, we’re just waiting to see what’s going to happen.”

Robinson, who usually plys her trade in one of the Grand Stand booths during Carnival events plans to do so again this year.