With some 40 groups and individual participants registered for this festive event, "we're indeed ready to roll," says Umain Dormoy, parade and concert manager.
The St. Maarten Tourist Bureau came up with idea of the Boardwalk Mas as a heritage event that evolved from the Tourism Master Plan (TourMap).
"The idea from the very start was to create a St. Martin experience that everyone would be able to enjoy together and that would continue to enhance the creativity of our people," explained Director of Tourism, Regina LaBega.
She pointed to the variety of participating groups and stressed the unifying strand that holds the whole folkloric and festive jamboree together while celebrating the very best of our culture.
"This year promises to be perhaps the best and largest ever in this young event which holds a lot of potential to attract participants from beyond our shores," LaBega further noted.
Indeed, there will be moko jumbies from Anguilla and St. Kitts/Nevis and already plans are afoot to bring in groups from Curacao for the next edition.
"There is a growing interest in the Boardwalk Mas from neighboring islands," added Dormoy. "Last year, Saba was represented and in future we hope to bring groups from Guadeloupe, St. Thomas, and other places to make this into the unique Caribbean celebration of festive mas it is meant to be."
Highlights of past Boardwalk Mas can be viewed on Youtube at the following links:
The Boardwalk Mas is coordinated on behalf of the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau, by Offshore Editing Services, a division of House of Nehesi Publishers Foundation. The parade manager Urmain Dormoy can be contacted at 542-2337, for groups and individual artists wishing to participate in the parade or concert of the Boardwalk Mas.
