Crop Over shares similar themes of freedom, celebration, and black joy as Trinidad Carnival. The festival dates back to the 18th century, when Barbados was a British colony exporting massive amounts of sugar. At the end of the harvest season, the enslaved people on the island were permitted a time to celebrate the fruits of their unpaid labor.
After World War II, the Crop Over festivities wound down, but by the 1970s, they were back in full force to create the modern Crop Over, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. The experience I had this year as a guest of the Barbados Tourism Board explored the history and culture of Barbados while giving you the full, revelry-heavy experience of the festival.
Throughout the Crop Over Season, there are several different cultural events: calypso and soca music competitions, a ceremonial delivery of the last canes, and a steelpan orchestra competition, to name a few. Also on the schedule: dozens of fetes, or parties, that give you an authentic, flavorful taste of Caribbean culture.
