With just 24 hours to go until the annual African Emancipation Day celebration, vendors at the Lidj Yasu Omowale Emancipation Village in Port of Spain are reporting a steady uptick in business after a quiet opening to the event, with many praising the decision to relocate the village to an eastern stretch of Queen’s Park Savannah for a better overall experience for sellers and attendees alike.
Hosted annually in the lead-up to African Emancipation Day, the village brings together dozens of small entrepreneurs selling a wide range of African-centered goods, from traditional clothing and handcrafted jewelry to homemade beauty products and cultural art pieces. The event wraps up its run tomorrow with the main Emancipation Day celebrations, drawing crowds of locals and tourists interested in African heritage and cultural commerce.
Vendors universally noted that business started slow on the opening Monday, as is typical for the annual event, but foot traffic and sales have climbed steadily each day since, fueled by growing public awareness of the village and a surge of after-work visitors drawn to cooler afternoon and evening temperatures. Marcia Seales-Rodney, owner of local Afrocentric accessory brand Afrocessories, said the opening weekend of Saturday and Sunday already brought strong foot traffic despite hot weather, with Monday holding steady at a slower pace before activity picked up sharply this week.
“I’ve exceeded my daily sales targets every day this week,” Seales-Rodney said, crediting her consistent off-season marketing across social media and local events for building a loyal customer base that seeks her out annually. “I had customers waiting for me to set up my booth before I even opened. This year is already stronger than last – I do a full performance review every year to adjust my strategy, and it’s paying off.”
Other long-time participants echoed Seales-Rodney’s positive assessment. Josephine Hayford, owner of Hay Looks and a Ghanaian vendor who has traveled to Trinidad to join the Emancipation Village for 25 years, sources all her goods directly from African artisans. She reflected on how much the event has grown since her first year, when only a handful of vendors sold African cultural goods.
“When I first came here, you couldn’t find shops selling African wear or handcrafted jewelry anywhere around. Now I’m so proud to see so many local entrepreneurs building businesses around these products,” Hayford said, noting that while sales have not hit the peaks they reached in past years, the cultural pride of the event remains as strong as ever. She added one small suggestion for future organizers: raising tent flooring to better withstand rainy weather.
Candice Williams, who sells handmade natural body care products at the village, said she saw the same pattern of slow early days followed by steady growth. “The first two days had low turnout because most people don’t know we’re here right away, but each day gets busier. Most customers start arriving after 3 p.m. once it cools down, and a lot of my sales come from repeat visitors who come looking for me every year,” Williams explained. “Every year you add a few more loyal customers, so your base just keeps growing.”
A major point of praise from nearly all vendors was this year’s decision to relocate the village further east on Queen’s Park Savannah, a shift made necessary to preserve the iconic North Stand structure ahead of Carnival. Many sellers said the new greener location, set on grass rather than the hard concrete of the old site, created a far more pleasant atmosphere for shoppers and vendors alike.
Seales-Rodney admitted she was skeptical of the move at first, a common reaction to change for long-time participants. “When they first announced we’d be moving closer to Jerningham Avenue, I was worried people wouldn’t find us,” she said. “But the grassy space gave the whole village extra life – it feels more sophisticated and open than being stuck on concrete. I ended up loving the move.”
Chanel, a vendor with local brand De Jeunesse, echoed that approval, noting that sales have improved each day and the new location draws more foot traffic from nearby neighborhoods after work. She suggested minor adjustments for future events, including adding portable air conditioning to the enclosed tents to improve airflow and comfort, and noted that the overall organization of this year’s village was a marked improvement. Williams also praised the greener setting, saying it created a naturally cooler, more welcoming space for browsing.
National Carnival Commission chairman Peter Kanhai, who toured the village Wednesday, confirmed the relocation was a compromise made to preserve the North Stand for upcoming Carnival preparations, and said the Emancipation Support Committee has been fully satisfied with the new space. “They’re very happy with the green, open layout we have this year,” Kanhai said, urging members of the public to visit the village, patronize the small businesses, and join tomorrow’s Emancipation Day celebrations before the event closes.