The Gouyave Fish Friday Festival Company, in its quest since 2006 to bring back the traditional aspects of Christmas, has planned a number of activities as part of its ten-day “Christmas at Fish Friday” celebrations, happening every Friday from November 2, 2007 through to January 4, 2008. Among the list of activities planned for Fish Friday’s patrons during the Christmas season are Humour and Calypso Friday featuring some of Grenada’s premier humorous calypsonians and drama clubs; Fishtastic Recipe-Tasting Friday involving the vendors; two (2) Farmers’ Markets; a Family Evening; a Band Splash showcasing some of Grenada’s top jam bands; Jazzy Drum-Pan Friday featuring jazz musicians, big drums and steel bands; theatre productions; Christmas renditions by artists; Caroling by Candlelight with a street parade; “Bamboo-Bursting” Competition; Parang music and the opportunity to start the year with friends and family – all sponsored by Grenada Distillers Limited, Bryden & Minors Limited and Cable and Wireless Grenada Limited. According to Dr. George Vincent, Gouyave Fish Friday Festival’s chairman, “This Christmas season, our third since Fish Friday started, we plan to continue and improve our Christmas offerings. I am excited about the 10 week Christmas programme which brings back the “Christ” and tradition in Christmas especially the “Bamboo-Bursting” Competition and Bond Fire scheduled for December 21st, 2007. We are already planning the 2008 activities program – stay tuned.” Speaking with enthusiasm on the festival committee’s plans, Ms. Reece Sam - the marketing & public relations consultant said, “Added to the hosting of these activities every Friday, we also have three (3) exercises that we are equally proud of. One of them is the setting up of a “toy” bin in Fish Friday every Friday until December 21 for collection of new or used toys from patrons who would like to give. These toys will then be donated to the less fortunate. Another is the one closest to the heart of our chairman, which is the invitation of persons who are seventy (70) years and over, and reside at the “old folks’” homes in St. John’s and St. Mark’s to dine at Fish Friday; take a walkthrough of the festival; and have their pictures taken and posted on the company’s website. And last but not least is the Vendors Tent-Decorating Competition which will be judged every Friday night until the end of the Fish Friday’s Christmas Season”. Fish Friday, being of a family-oriented nature, has also sought to involve children in their Christmas plans by bringing back the Kiddies’ Fish Friday Radio Quiz every Friday, and facilitating Pastor LeBlanc’s Traditional Creole (featuring Jin Pin music) Band to present storytelling, drumming and poetry at the festival every Friday in December. The festival, dubbed the biggest community-tourism product in Grenada and one of a few of its kind in the wider Caribbean, is hosted every Friday except at Easter, providing both locals and tourists with fun-filled cultural experiences of meeting, greeting and eating in a safe and welcoming environment. Contact: Dr. George Vincent 473-440-3646 / 535-1503