UPDATE:After enraging festival stakeholders and participants with an impromptu date change, the Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival (BJC) is back on for its original date of May 4 to 6, The Tribune understands. FULL STORY HERE.

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

FESTIVAL-GOERS far and wide expressed disgust yesterday over the sudden date change for the third annual Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival, accusing organisers of sabotaging the fledgling event and negatively impacting the culture of the popular showpiece.

Participants interviewed by The Tribune yesterday were incredulous at the explanation given by the Bahamas National Festival Commission (BNFC) and expressed shock that an event of its magnitude could be arbitrarily set aside.

“I’ve never heard anything like this,” said Tahlia Welsh-Oliver, a 31-year-old Trinidadian who booked a cruise package for her husband and their six friends from New Jersey.

Mrs Welsh-Oliver, an experienced participant, said her husband chose to come to the Bahamas because he felt the relatively new event had promise. She and her group have booked hotel rooms and flights to Miami before the cruise’s departure, and will not be able to attend the new Junkanoo Carnival dates.

A self-described carnival advocate, Mrs Welsh-Oliver told The Tribune she has already called both the cruise line and the BNFC directly to inquire about whether the change was final. She said she was giving organisers another day or two before she started requesting full refunds.

“We had a surprise last night (Monday),” she said. “We cannot come for the new date, we have other things planned. So there’s thousands of dollars for about six people that’s going to be lost. It’s a huge inconvenience in the history of carnival. I’m from Trinidad so once the festival is over you’re immediately taking bookings for next year’s fete.”

Mrs Welsh-Oliver added: “It’s a big deal. This doesn’t just impact their reputation, the Bahamas’, but it affects people’s perception of carnival in general. The people coming with us, this would be their first carnival and we talked it up so much. Up until yesterday we were still talking about how good it’s was gonna be.

“For people who are first time ‘mas’ players, it’s not only affecting the Bahamas but the culture as whole. If your first time is bad you’re going to remember that. I’ve never heard anything like this.”

Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival will now be held in Nassau from May 18-20, two weeks after the heavily publicised initial date of May 4-6.

The Grand Bahama celebrations, originally set for April 21 and 22, have been cancelled altogether with event downsized to just one island on one weekend.

Infuriated by the sudden date change, scores flocked to the BNFC’s social media pages to demand a full refund and vent their frustrations.

While some predicted that the misstep would irreparably damage the event’s brand and the country’s reputation, others pledged to pursue relentlessly a full reimbursement from organisers and even more threatened international news exposure over their ruined holidays and lost funds.

An angry Facebook user wrote: “This is ridiculous! You had plenty of us from the States waiting to travel and invested non-refundable money into costumes, flights and hotels that can’t be changed! Thousands have already been paid out to come for the dates that have been advertised for a year and a month out you change dates!”

The user continued: “This is disgustingly irresponsible! (You’re) going to (lose) not only money but respect and future business with operating like this!”

Another Facebook user posted: “Less than one month and you postpone? And for no better reason than you just feel to? How very inconsiderate! So all the tourists who have already booked their flights, costumes and accommodations I guess it’s just too bad for them?

“How very incompetent and small minded of the promoters/government. Moving forward I don’t see how you can recover from this massive failure,” the user wrote.

“No one is going to want to spend their money on something that is so undependable! Destroying Bahamas Carnival before it has even gotten off the ground is how I see this move!”

On Instagram, one user wrote: “This is the first time I would have been attending Bahamas (Junkanoo) Carnival and this a blemish on your carnival. I have been to over ten carnivals around the world and I can’t imagine this would happen so close to the event.”

The user continued: “I’m travelling from Belize and there is no way I will ever come back and I will be sure to let people on my blog know about it.”

Another Instagram user wrote: “So disappointed, flights and hotel accommodations booked! Money down the drain, I hope to get a full refund. Don’t worry I’ll make sure this makes international news to let folks know the Bahamas folks are full of it. So I’m (guessing) prior to setting the original dates you guys were not aware of upcoming elections in the country. Just shameful.”

The BNFC yesterday explained that it made the “difficult decision” to postpone the event due to conflicts with the general election timetable.

Complaint video, see tribune242.com