Festival Del Mar ended with mixed emotions from patrons after Pat Ross, the headlining artiste, cut short her performance that left many persons surprised and confused. She sang a few songs including the popular hit song “Mistakes” before quickly apologizing and leaving the stage.
The Festival now its 10th year was also severely criticized for the high pricing of some of the foods.
However, during the opening ceremony on Saturday 15th April, Mr Cardigan Connor, Parliamentary Secretary responsible for Tourism, congratulated and thanked the organizers for putting on yet another event.
He said: “As we celebrate our 50th anniversary of cessation from St Kitts, this should bring us a lot closer together. I want to say thank you and congratulations to the organizing committee of Festival Del Mar for taking us this far to 10 years and, hopefully as time goes on, take us even further. Festival Del Mar gives us an opportunity as an island – as a people, and those from overseas – to come together like family.”
Ms Avon Carty from the Department of Youth and Culture, noted: “The DYC is also celebrating 10 years and it has been supportive of the Festival since its inception. So it’s a year of celebration and we are grateful and thankful – and we, as a Department, are a part of almost everything that has to do with culture. This is what we are about: developing people, extending and sharing our culture, making sure that who we are, and what we are, extend into prosperity.”
Mr Othlyn Vanterpool, former Chairman of Festival Del Mar thanked the many persons, vendors, and sponsors who came on board during the initial stage of the event. He wished the organizing committee all the best in the future.
