Large eleventh Annual Vincy Day USA in 2023
Picture by Nelson A. King
Organizers are anticipating one other huge Vincy Day USA Picnic on Saturday on the picturesque Heckscher State Park in East Islip.
Vincy Day USA, Inc., the Brooklyn-based Vincy Day Organizing Committee, mentioned on Monday that the much-anticipated annual gathering “brings collectively the Vincentian neighborhood for a day stuffed with tradition, camaraderie and celebration,” stating that the “the plush landscapes” at Heckscher State Park will “present the proper backdrop for a day of festivities.
“Vincy Day is extra than simply an occasion; it’s a heartfelt gathering the place Vincentians from all walks of life unite to honour their heritage, share experiences and embrace the spirit of neighborhood,” the group mentioned. “With a picturesque park as a backdrop, attendees take pleasure in quite a lot of actions that showcase the wealthy cultural traditions of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, whereas additionally having fun with a day of leisure and delight.”
The Organizing Committee mentioned the festivities, as at all times, will kick off with “a energetic picnic, that includes an array of conventional Vincentian dishes and native specialties that may tantalize the style buds.
“Households are inspired to deliver their favourite dishes to share, fostering a spirit of neighborhood and togetherness that’s on the coronary heart of Vincentian tradition,” it mentioned, including that the spotlight of the day can be “a spectacular live performance showcasing a lineup of proficient Vincentian artists.
“Attendees can look ahead to performances stuffed with infectious rhythms, vibrant melodies and cultural expressions that may certainly get everybody on their ft,” the committee mentioned. “With a mixture of calypso, soca, gospel, poetry and reggae, the live performance can be an unforgettable expertise celebrating the sounds of the candy SVG (St. Vincent and the Grenadines).”
Raymond Otis Lewis, chair of Vincy Day USA, Inc., informed Caribbean Life that the 12th Annual Vincy Day, which is normally held on the third Saturday in August, is “an attractive celebration of our tradition and neighborhood.
“We invite everybody to come back out and be part of us, as we rejoice our heritage, strengthen our bonds and create unforgettable recollections collectively,” he urged.
Final 12 months, in picture-perfect climate, 1000’s of Vincentians throughout the US converged on the Camp Grounds at Heckscher State Park for the spectacular occasion.
Different Caribbean nationals even joined Vincentians, trekking from so far as Canada, amongst different locations, to take part in and to fulfill and greet family and buddies on the 1,657-acre (6.71 km2) state park on the shore of the Nice South Bay in Suffolk County.
The day-long occasion normally incorporates a kaleidoscope of colours – together with the Vincentian nationwide colours, inexperienced, gold (yellow) and blue – a potpourri of Vincy dishes; and Vincentian and Caribbean music, gospel and soca inclusive.
Final 12 months, amongst others, Brooklynite Alyssa Seales performed the steelpan; masqueraders from Mas Productions Limitless, the lone Vincy mas band in New York, displayed costumes for the large West Indian-American Day Labor Day Parade on Brooklyn’s Japanese Parkway; and calypsonians Delahante Isles and Dennis Bowman – representing the Brooklyn-based, Vincentian-owned Dynamite Calypso Tent, the lone Vincentian Calypso Tent in North America – re-energized the group with hits from their alternatives within the Vincy Mas Calypso Competitors.
The newly-formed, Brooklyn-based Magma Band, headed by Vincentian musical arranger and keyboardist Adrian Bailey, made its Picnic debut, backing up many of the soca artistes and in any other case offering enthralling leisure to the massive social gathering crowd.
Delroy “Fireman” Hooper, the perennial Vincentian Soca Monarch and final 12 months’s Street March King in Vincy Mas, additionally made his maiden Picnic efficiency, holding social gathering animals in a frenzy with alternatives from his large repertoire, bringing the Day down on the sprawling park.
Within the Soca Monarch Competitors in Vincy Mas 2024, Hooper was topped Soca Monarch for the 13th time.
Hooper, who first gained the nationwide Soca Monarch title in 1999, gained the crown from 23 makes an attempt, in response to the nationwide radio station, NBC SVG.
“We encourage all Vincentians and buddies to come back collectively for this joyous event,” Vincy Day Organizing Committee mentioned. “Be part of us in celebrating our wealthy heritage and neighborhood spirit at Vincy Day 2024.
“We look ahead to seeing you there,” it added. “Vincy Day isn’t just an occasion; it’s a communion.”
