New parking arrangements for Blue Food Festival

The stage has been set, and all is in place for the annual Tobago Blue Food Festival at the Bloody Bay Recreation Ground which starts at 11 am on October 19.

This was revealed by CEO of the Tobago Festivals Commission Ltd (TFCL) Kern Cown as he addressed the media during a news conference at the Office of the Chief Secretary at the Hochoy Charles Administrative Complex in Scarborough on October 16.

Cowan said one of the shortcomings in 2024 was the logistics surrounding the shuttle service and parking zones.

“So we’re focusing heavily on ensuring that we come up with a more robust support for patrons to ensure that our patron experience remains premium,” he said.

He said six parking zones have since been developed to improve the number of cars that can be accommodated for the festival.

Parking zone A, he said, will be inside the venue and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. He said once that carpark is filled, cars with be facilitated at the Bloody Bay Beach Facility, opposite the Bloody Bay Anglican Church; at the nearby Carrington Lot along the main road; the Parlatuvier Community Centre; and at the Parlatuvier Primary School.

He parking will also be provided at the Cyd Gray Complex in Roxborough.

Parking starts at 8am, and shuttles will be available from 9 am.

Additionally, he said there is a premium shuttle service from Market Square in Scarborough which departs at 10 am and 10.30 am respectively. PTSC will also provide a paid service at 12 noon to Bloody Bay.

He said the festival will comprise of a petting zoo, a children’s corner, arts and crafts section, food court and live entertainment. Farmer Nappy and Shurwayne Winchester are expected to headline the event with several locals also appearing on the cast.

In 2024, the event commemorated its silver jubilee following its inception in 1998 aimed at celebrating the versatility of the root crop, dasheen.