Dozens of food, beverage, and souvenir stalls presented a wild dazzle of colour in ‘Da Cultural Village’ for visitors at Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival on opening day, May 5, at Arawak Cay. Hundreds of Bahamians and tourists were exposed to the international culture of Caribbean tastes and music.

Bahamian staples from fried fish, baked crabs, jerk chicken and pork, fried chicken wings, steak, chicken, and shrimp kabobs, macaroni and cheese, and even tacos, to name a few – to homemade ice cream, fresh fruit daiquiris, even a Cuban styled-canned rum and coke for a deal.

The Cultural Village sat in the shadow of a medium-sized sound stage, where rake-and-scrape performers warmed up their instruments for the evening's showcase.

By Gena Gibbs, Bahamas Information Services

BIS Photos/ Derek Smith