MORE THAN 140 visitors have signed on with the Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival groups to participate in the Road Fever March on Saturday, with the majority joining the Enigma group and significant numbers with Bahamas Masqueraders and Rhythms Bahamas.

Enigma Junkanoo Carnival Group co-owner Leslia Brice said 90 visitors have signed up to march with the group. “For us, that is phenomenal and it is only going to grow,” she said at the group’s headquarters on Taylor Street.

“They are excited. Some of them arrived today, about 40, and everybody wants to know, ‘What’s the plan? What are we doing? Where are we going tonight?’

Dr Beverton Moxey, of Bahamas Masqueraders, said over 20 foreigners have signed up to march with the group. “We have a surplus of visitors, more so than we had in the previous year, of tourists who will be joining us,” he said. “A lot of them have either been friends of persons who participated last year or new people who heard about the group through our international partners that we’ve actually made contacts with.”

Dr Moxey said all the participants are from the United States and signed up on Masqueraders’ website. Dario Terrelli, of Rhythms Bahamas, said more than 30 visitors have signed up with his group.

Prime Minister Perry Christie toured the workshops of four Road Fever groups - Masqueraders, Rhythms, Enigma, and Barabbas Carnival Tribe - on Monday night, observing various participants stitching costumes and embedding jewels in head pieces among other things.

“Tourists spend between $250 to 300 million a year on souvenirs and handicraft,” he said while visiting Enigma’s workshop. “It is expected that as Bahamians are getting more and more involved in the production of souvenirs and handicraft, the artistic genius that is present here must get involved and take advantage of the opportunities that we have.

“This is bigger than just the costume for the parade that day. You are on the right path. You are planting and you will reap.”

Mr Christie said he was impressed with the level of ingenuity that the groups have put into their costumes and stressed the economic implications of carnival.

Dr Moxey said Bahamas Masqueraders is employing 50 people full time. “We spent in our straw work initiative, somewhere around $10,000, just for straw work for our costumes,” he said. “We have in excess of 400 people that will be on the road. We have people calling daily.

“Right now, just in the camp alone we have in excess of 50 people working with us daily, in terms of producing costumes, helping to decorate them, trim them and put the jewel pieces on. That doesn’t count the people we will employ for the road march – sound engineers, DJs, musicians, chiefs, security guards, medics.”

Bahamas Masqueraders are being sponsored for a second year by Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), the local producer of Coca-Cola products.

Coralie Adderley, of Bahamas Masqueraders, said: “It is through the sponsorship of partners such as Coca-Cola that we were able to realise the historic win of the inaugural Road Fever parade in 2015. We look forward to an exciting and meaningful partnership with them for many years to come.”

Cara Douglas, Marketing Manager at CBC, praised the positive impact the Masqueraders have had on the community. “Bahamas Masqueraders is a huge operation, providing employment and a learning opportunity for a diverse group of persons,” she said. “From costume designers, to customer service reps, to social media, and marketing teams this single group has positively impacted our community.

“Each of the carnival groups has had an impact on our community, and we are proud to be able to partner with, and support the Masqueraders.”

The partnership includes a cash donation, a significant product donation, and “carnival survival” items. CBC is offering “Coca-Cola Red Bays” costumes for $190.

Twenty-six groups are registered to participate in Road Fever on Saturday.