Grenada Day Community Festival moves to Downsview Park

By Lincoln DePradine

The Grenada Day Community Festival, which has attracted thousands to Coronation Park each year, is relocating in 2018, the chief organizer has announced.

Maria Meyers, president of the Grenada Day Cultural Association, said the festival is moving to a “bigger, more spacious’’ Downsview Park, which will “accommodate a lot more people’’.

The 2018 all-day family event, on Saturday, August 25, is a program of arts, craft and food, as well as live entertainment.

“We’re ready,’’ Meyers said at ‘Oil Down Fest’, a fundraiser in support of the Grenada Day Community Festival. “This year, the theme is, ‘Deep Rooted in the Genes and in the Blood’’’.

The visiting artistes from Grenada and Carriacou will include Cynthia “Lady Cinty” Ogiste and her sons Luni Spark and Electrify; and father and son entertainers Skylark and Shortpree.

In 1983, Lady Cinty became the first woman to win the Calypso Monarch competition in Grenada. Since then, three other women have captured the monarch title.

Lady Cinty’s sons Luni Spark and Electrify, who compete as a duo, are former Soca Monarchs.

Fibar “Shortpree’’ Andrews, who has been a winner of the Groovy Soca Monarch competition, follows in the footsteps of his father Skylark, who was a popular calypsonian.

“Basically, what we’re doing is emphasizing the talent within the family,’’ Meyers explained. “So, we’re bringing up Lady Cinty and her sons, Luni Spark and Electrify, who are well-known artistes. We’re also bringing up Skylark from Carriacou and his son, Shortpree.’’

The Grenada Day Community Festival has been held in Toronto since 2006.