The Bahamas is only days away from the first-of-its-kind Youth Culture Fest in Nassau on May 1st, where hundreds of youngsters will showcase indigenous costumes for locals and visitors alike.

With no cost to attend the event, the Bahamas National Festival Commission is encouraging the public to support the inaugural Youth Culture fest this Friday, which is expected to draw thousands of onlookers.

Minister of Youth Sports and Culture Daniel Johnson said the nation’s youth are a bridge to our culture and that the Youth Culture Fest was headed in a right direction telling the Bahamian story.

“We have to bridge these gaps we have where people are not identifying with this national push,” said Minister Johnson. “This week we’ll get to see what the kids understand and what they can do.”

Dr. Ann Higgins, organizer of the Youth Culture Fest, said excitement was building over the event.

“You can expect to see the nation’s youth adorned in costumes depicting the different islands,” said Dr. Ann Higgins, organizer of the Youth Culture Fest.

“We are inviting all Bahamians and visitors to come out and experience the diversity of Bahamian culture on a new platform.”

“There are costumes integrating straw, sisal, sponge, leaves and more, so come on out and see it for yourself.”

Each group that has registered to date has committed to a membership of a minimum of 50 school-aged children. The participants will parade along a designated route starting at the top of Fort Charlotte down on Bay Street, heading west to the middle entrance for Fish Fry, heading East back onto West Bay St. and back through the first entrance of the Fish Fry to Da Cultural Village, Western Esplanade.

A mini-cultural show will follow the parade at the grounds of Da Cultural Village, including music, arts, food and more dancing.

To date, the event has received full participation from 24 organizations, including pre-schools, senior high schools and community groups around town, which have all pledged to incorporate indigenous material in their costumes.

The Bahamas National Festival Commission believes the possibilities of expansion with the Youth Culture Fest are endless.

“We can plant a seed and let it grow,” said CEO of the BNFC Roscoe Dames. “We can use the Youth Culture Fest as leverage to invite other Caribbean youth organizations to create a cultural exchange to show youth from other countries how we celebrate our culture.”

ABOUT: The Bahamas National Festival Commission was formed in October 2013 with a mandate to stimulate economic opportunity for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Creative Industry Sector, while positively and significantly impacting the country’s GDP. The Youth Culture Fest is a first-of-its-kind Youth Culture Fest in Nassau this May 1, where hundreds of youngsters will showcase indigenous costumes for locals and visitors alike.