Minister wants festival to be alcoholic free

Nine Mornings festivities will be free of alcoholic beverages, even if Minister of Culture René Baptiste has to get a law passed to ensure that it is so.

As she declared the Nine Morning festival open last Tuesday morning, Baptiste stressed again that the organizers of the 10-year-old festival, wants it to be alcohol free.{{more}}

She said if this request isn’t being adhered to by vendors and patrons, then she will gladly go to parliament and get it passed into law.

Meanwhile a decent crowd gathered from 4 a.m. to be a part of what is fast becoming a centrepiece festival in this country and a serious marketable tourism product.

From the expression of amusement and excitement that filled the face of Yvonne Armour Shillingford, the Chief Executive Officer designate of the newly formed Tourism Authority, the marketing plan may soon be going full speed ahead.

Armour-Shillingford was the guest of Minister of Tourism Glen Beache at the opening of Nine Mornings.

The old, young, and a few families even brought their pet dogs to witness Nine Mornings, and they weren’t disappointed.

The veteran gospel band New Life Ambassadors, Calton ‘CP’ Hall, Xtatik dancers, Urban Expression dancers and the National Dance champions, Renaissance Dancers thrilled all that gathered that first morning.

St Lucia gospel singer Shemeluche also performed.

But as is the norm with Nine Mornings, the heartiest laughs, which were bellowed even so early in the morning, were reserved for the crowd participation aspects.

Several persons, of all age brackets, got an opportunity to sing, answer questions, crow like a cock and bark like a dog for prizes-they loved it!

In the unofficial battle of the singing ministers of government, the Culture Minister Baptiste soundly beat Tourism Minister Glen Beache. His rendition of “We wish you a Merry Christmas” – well let’s just say, it’s a good thing he has a day job.

But then again, all that is expected- “it’s Nine Mornings.”