The Events Company of Saint Lucia launched the annual Saint Lucia Junior Carnival last week.

CEO of the Events Company of Saint Lucia, Thomas Leonce, said organizers are preparing to stage a fantastic event.

“This is history in the making. The message that we are trying to send is that this is really an investment in the future of carnival. If you want to continue to have that river flowing into the adult mas, you need to make the appropriate level of investment in the junior carnival. I think we are setting the stage for a fantastic 2018 carnival at both levels—the junior and adult carnival,” he said.

The junior carnival launch was held on May 29 at the Finance Administrative Centre in Pointe Seraphine. The event was broadcast live on NTN and Facebook, and featured some of the bands participating in this year’s event.

Also speaking at the launch was Sonia Sifflet of the Carnival Bands Association.

“It is indeed a pleasure for the Carnival Bands Association together with the Events Company of Saint Lucia to present junior carnival 2018,” Sifflet said. “This is a first for all of us because it is the first time we are giving them this stage.”

Tuesday’s launch featured a few of the junior bands participating in the 2018 event portraying their costumes. They included the Gros Islet Community Junior Carnival Band portraying “Kwik Kwak”; Insomeil Junior Carnival Band with “Out of Brazil”; Nou Wivez with “Fun and Games”; Storm HD Junior Carnival Band with “Circus Stars”; and Splash HD with “Tweet Tweet Land.”

The junior carnival launch hosted by Jewel and Scady, also saw performances by the CAM Dancers and the Silver Shadow Dancers.

Junior Carnival 2018 will take place in the city circuit enroute to the William Peter Boulevard, on Sunday, July 8. The bands will be competing for individual titles, King and Queen of the Bands, as well as the prestigious Band of the Year award. A total of eight bands are expected to participate.