The just concluded Carriacou Parang String Band Festival will be remembered for two historic achievements. The 32nd annual Festival took place at the Lauriston Mini-stadium for the first time ever. Prior to the move the general consensus was that the festival had out-grown the confines of the Hillsborough Tennis Court and any further growth of the Festival would require a change of scenery. The up-grade in facilities exceeded the expectations of everyone who was attended any of the events last weekend. From the parking facilities to the ease of entrance, comfortable seating, ample back stage area and spacious bars and vending zones, the Lauriston Mini-stadium looks set to be the venue of choice not only for future Parang Festivals but quite possibly for the other festivals in Carriacou. The opening ceremony on Friday night was a delight for the kids and provided an opportunity for persons to preview the new venue. A tree on the perimeter of the mini-stadium adequately served as the Christmas tree and there was more than enough room for the bouncing castles for the kids. On Saturday night the National Lottery hosted a $50,000 bingo along with performances from Boneless, Skinny Banton, Brother B and Inspector. The program ran smoothly and a $25,000 jackpot at end the evening was won by four persons, a fitting finish to a wonderful evening. Sunday night was the main event with over a thousand persons in attendance to witness six Parang Bands in competition. All the Bands delivered as expected in the three-part competition that included a test piece, a Co-op Bank Jingle and the much –anticipated melee composition. The defending champs BBH Serenaders prevailed once again winning the overall title along with prizes for the best Chorus, best test piece and best Melee composition. The second historic component of the 2009 Festival was the entrance of an all female band for the first time ever. The Dominators as they are known held their own among the men resulting in a 4th place finish. The feedback to the 2009 Festival has been very positive and this past weekend should be indicative of the thrust toward the development of culture and the indigenous festivals in Carriacou. Full Results Names of Band and Position 1) BBH SERENADERS 2) GHETTO YOUTHS 3) BC ALL STARS 4) DOMINATORS 5) STINGING MENTORS 6) STRUGGLERS BEST CO-OP BANK JINGLE Stinging Mentors BEST DRESS BAND Ghetto Youth BEST TEST PIECE: BBH Serenaders BEST MELEE COMPOSITION: BBH Serenaders BEST CHORUS: BBH Serenaders SPECIAL PRIZE/FIRST FEMALE GROUP IN COMPETITION Dominators From Dexter Mitchell Grenada Cultural Foundation