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Festivals

There are key festivals which are a must-see for any visitor. Depending on the time of your visit, there are events such as Best Village or the Tobago Heritage Festival, which both take place around July and August. The Dragon Boat Festival is one of the youngest and energetic activities on the Trinidad Calendar and is usually held in Chaguaramas around October to coincide with events to mark the arrival of Chinese immigrants to our shores. Not forgetting Blue Food Festival that also takes place in October on the sister isle Tobago. Whether the race or cultural background we all look forward to a Trinbagonian festival. 

Hosay: It’s the Islamic observance of the martyrdom of the Prophet Mohammed’s grandsons Hassan and Hussein at the Battle of Kerbala in Persia. The entire event plays out over the course of a week either at the top of the year or late in the year depending on the moon/lunar calendar. On the last day, there is a parade of tadjahs (hand-made temples) made by the different communities and tassa drumming through the St. James district. The tadjahs are then submerged into the sea.

Phagwa/Holi: A Hindu festival celebrating the first day of spring with songs, music and dance. Celebrants often wear white and look forward to the spraying of abeer – (coloured powder mixed with water). Phagwa is mostly celebrated in Trinidad in March or April.

We Beat Festival: A week-long mid-year event celebrating the rich diversity of cultures as well as the incorporation of the St. James into the City of Port of Spain. The Festival features heavily on local culture, so there’s a Pan Night to celebrate steelpan, kaiso shows, children shows, as well as local music genres including Soca, Chutney, Tassa and Jazz.

Tobago Heritage Festival: An annual two-week event showcasing the unique cultural traditions of Tobago. There’s the ole time Tobago wedding, Heel an’ Toe, Bele dancing, the telling of folklore and superstitions and a Heritage Queen competition. You can also get a mouth-watering taste of traditional Tobago food like their famous crab and dumplings. The Festival runs from mid-July to the beginning of August.

Divali: The Hindu Festival of Lights celebrating light over darkness and good over evil. Usually takes place at the latter half of the year.

Blue Food Festival: Held during the month of October every year, the peaceful and quaint village of Bloody Bay, Tobago comes alive as villagers from neighbouring villages flock to the recreational grounds to enjoy palatable dasheen cuisine, ingenious entrees and appetizers, desserts and liqueurs. The event features live entertainment, a fun area for kids and live food demonstrations.

Carnival: A burst of color and costume. See more