Atlanta gears up for Caribbean Carnival

Atlanta Caribbean Carnival will host its 35th celebration from May 27-30. The event is promising "lively fetes, J’Ouvert, a wide array of cross-cultural food vendors, display of costumes (inclusive of carnival queens) and the region’s top performers on stage at the Atlanta Carnival festival village," a media release said.

The live entertainment cast includes St Vincent’s Skinny Fabulous, Trinidad and Tobago’s Nadia Batson, Barbados’ Lil Rick and Edwin Yearwood, St Lucia’s Motto and Grenada’s Tallpree.

During the carnival, Skinny Fabulous will also be honoured with a proclamation by the city of Atlanta and will serve as Grand Marshall at the parade, the release said.

Atlanta Caribbean Carnival Bandleaders Association (ACCBA) president Patricia Henry said the event can be a platform for boosting regional tourism.

"It is very important to showcase the culture in mainstream settings where persons from various backgrounds can observe and embrace it. We want folks to come out and see what the Caribbean has to offer so the festival can be a platform for encouraging tourism for the entire region," Henry said in the release.

The annual downtown Atlanta tradition has previously attracted celebrities from Love & Hip Hop and Real Housewives TV show, and will this year feature the participation of Jamaican reggae singer, actress, model, and brand ambassador, D’Angel.

The festival has attracted sponsors such as The Atlanta Falcons, Coca Cola, S&A Laparkan, Juneteenth, Total Wine, Soca Wine, Golden Krust, C3 Designs Biz, CFX Graphica, So Blast Marketing & Exposure, Mr Wayne Creative Designs, Clarke TV Network, Carib Life Media, T2A Films, Asinto Music Network, Streetz 94.5, LaVonda Gilchrest Realtor and Tina Chin Pop Up Cake Shop.

The festival will support the efforts of charitable organisation Blessed Hands Generous Hearts, the release said.

For more info: www.atlantacarnival.org/ or Facebook: www.facebook.com/AtlantaCarnival and Instagram: www.instagram.com/officialatlantacarnival/