by Brian Major
Last updated: 11:44 AM ET, Tue May 14, 2019
Grenada will host two distinctive events in August that are among the southern Caribbean destination's longest-running annual festivals. The Carriacou Regatta and the SpiceMas Grenada Carnival will offer visitors opportunities to experience the dual-island nation's culture, traditions, music and cuisine.
The 54th annual Carriacou Regatta takes place August 2 through 5 and highlights the traditions of boat-building and seamanship linked to Grenada's smaller sister island.
Billed by the Grenada Tourism Authority as the Caribbean's longest-running work-boat regatta, the event will offer spectators opportunities to join most of the island's 8,000 residents in cheering on sailing teams from local villages and neighboring islands as they compete for prizes and island bragging rights.
The four-day festival will also feature onshore activities ranging from donkey and bicycle races to drinking competitions. Themed evening entertainment will also take place in locations across the island.
Meanwhile, GTA officials describe SpiceMas Carnival, which takes place on August 12 and 13, as the "most anticipated cultural event of the year." The annual two-day festival is a raucous two-day party featuring dancing, music, colorful costumes and island-wide decorations celebrating Grenadian culture.
Coveted Carnival events will include Monday morning's J'ouvert street party, during which revelers parade through the streets wearing horned headpieces while covered in black oil.
The party will continue into the Monday Night Mas street parade, where band members will march through the streets of the capital St. George's in color-coordinated t-shirts, waving glow sticks and dancing long into the night.
The festival reaches its end with a series of vibrant mas band parades on Carnival Tuesday. Visitors will also find steel-pan orchestra performances, soca and calypso competitions as well as themed all-inclusive parties or fetes across St. George's streets and neighborhoods.
JetBlue Airways will launch new daily, seasonal flights to Grenada from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport from August 1 to September 3, 2019. Visitors to Grenada can travel to Carriacou via the Osprey Ferry which departs from St. George's or aboard flights operated by SVG Air.
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