分类： entertainment

Preparations for the fifth annual Ti Vilaj Kwéyòl cultural celebration in Dominica are entering their final phase, with event organizers announcing two major upgrades to this year’s gathering at an official launch ceremony this week. Kareem Guiste, Events Manager for Ti Vilaj Kwéyòl, revealed that a purpose-built dedicated wellness space will be the headline new addition to the 2026 event, alongside a significantly expanded Kids Zone designed to make the celebration more family-friendly.

Guiste emphasized that the new wellness zone is far more than a last-minute add-on, but a deliberate reflection of Dominica’s long-standing cultural identity and national brand as the “Nature Island.” “Wellness is deeply woven into the Dominican way of life, and it has become a core pillar of our national tourism outreach,” Guiste explained during the launch. “For generations, our communities have leaned on our island’s rich natural environment — from local produce and native herbs to centuries of traditional healing knowledge — to support physical and mental well-being. This new space will let us share that integral part of our culture with attendees in a whole new way.”

Set within the larger Ti Vilaj Kwéyòl site at the Botanic Gardens, the wellness space is designed to give attendees a chance to step back from the excitement of the event’s traditional music, food, and cultural activities to recharge. Visitors can expect a full range of locally focused wellness offerings: a curated market of handcrafted natural products, including local herbal teas and organic goods, one-on-one consultations with local wellness practitioners, interactive sessions about healthy, nature-centered lifestyles, and quiet spaces to relax and connect with Dominica’s natural surroundings. “It’s all about giving people the chance to slow down, explore a different side of what our island has to offer, and invest in their own well-being while enjoying everything Ti Vilaj Kwéyòl has to celebrate,” Guiste added.

Alongside the new wellness initiative, Guiste outlined plans for the expanded Kids Zone, a change crafted to make the annual cultural celebration more welcoming to multi-generational family groups. Organizers are doubling down on creating a safe, engaging space where young attendees can not only play, but actively connect with Creole culture and build their own lasting memories of the annual Creole season.

“This isn’t just a space to keep children occupied while parents explore the rest of the event,” Guiste noted. “It’s an intentional part of the Ti Vilaj experience, designed to get kids involved and pass our traditions down to the next generation. For our culture to keep thriving, young people have to be part of the celebration from an early age.” The expanded zone will feature more interactive activities, creative games, hands-on learning experiences that highlight Dominican cultural traditions, all in a secured, kid-focused environment. Parents can enjoy the event with peace of mind knowing their children are engaged in age-appropriate, meaningful fun, Guiste said.

The fifth edition of Ti Vilaj Kwéyòl will run from October 19 to 22, 2026, at Dominica’s iconic Botanic Gardens, bringing together locals and international visitors to celebrate Creole culture, natural heritage, and community life on the Caribbean island.

As Dominica prepares to mark the 25th anniversary of its iconic World Creole Festival, a longstanding cultural event that has cemented the island’s reputation as the Caribbean’s premier hub for Creole music and culture, conflicting claims of credit for the festival’s creation have prompted a long-overdue clarification of its origins from a key insider directly involved in the event’s founding.

The author, who served in dual leadership roles as a director of Dominica’s National Development Corporation (NDC) and chair of the NDC board that approved the festival’s launch, first shared this account in an interview with the late journalist Ferdina Frampton years ago. Now, amid renewed debate over who deserves credit for the beloved event, this firsthand recollection is being republished to set the historical record straight.

A core principle underpinning this clarification is a foundational rule of democratic governance: no single government official can unilaterally enact policy or allocate public funds without following established institutional processes and securing formal cabinet approval. This standard guided every step of the festival’s creation, from its initial proposal to its first launch in 1996.

The original seed for the festival was planted years before its approval, when the Dominica Hotel Association—where the author served as public relations officer—submitted a formal proposal to the NDC board under the previous Freedom Party government. The proposal’s core goal was simple: boost tourism arrivals to the island by celebrating Creole music and culture. That administration ultimately rejected the proposal, a fact confirmed by both insiders Sobers Esprit and prominent music promoter McCarthy Marie, who has reaffirmed this timeline repeatedly on social media.

The tide shifted after the United Workers Party (UWP) won the 1995 general election and appointed a new NDC board, which the author was invited to chair—an honor extended despite the author not being a member of the new ruling party. The board was composed of some of Dominica’s most respected cross-sector leaders: entrepreneur Michael Pascal, local Coca-Cola franchise owner Louis Gabriel, trade union representative and former reporter Elsworth Carter, business leader Sheridan Gregoire, engineer Isaac Baptiste, hotelier Janice Armour, and acting general manager Stanley Georges.

The new board wasted no time approving the festival concept, initially branded as the Cadence Festival before the committee renamed it the Creole Festival (a suggestion from Marie, chosen for its broader cultural inclusivity) and later added the word “World” at the suggestion of sponsor Michael Fagan—contrary to later claims that a single minister deserved credit for the iconic name.

A dedicated sub-committee led by acting NDC general manager Stanley Georges, who oversaw the project before Gregoire was appointed to the permanent general manager role, was tasked with developing the festival’s framework. The founding committee included NDC official Sobers Esprit as secretary, Freddy Nicholas, and McCarthy Marie, and had already completed core planning before Gregoire took over as NDC general manager, after which he continued to lead the project as the key NDC liaison to the new festival commission.

Following constitutional process, then-Tourism Minister Norris Prevost, widely regarded as one of the most effective ministers to hold that portfolio, championed the project, and Finance Minister Julius Timothy arranged the required state funding after full approval from Prime Minister Edison James’ cabinet. As the author emphasizes, all credit for the formal authorization of the festival rightly rests with the UWP government cabinet, as is standard for all public initiatives in a functional democracy.

After the NDC board approved the initial plan, members agreed that an independent festival commission would be best suited to manage the event long-term. Following extensive consultations led by Gregoire, the commission was established, and Eddy Toulon was selected as its first executive director in 1996. Toulon played a pivotal role in growing the festival’s profile before his untimely death, and a host of other early contributors also shaped its success: Gordon Henderson served as international coordinator, building connections with audiences and media across New York, France, and the French Antilles; Denis Joseph helped refine the commission’s strategic vision; Michael Fagan resolved critical operational and promotional challenges; Sobers Esprit continued his foundational work as the founding secretary; early cultural leaders including Kelly “Ghost” and current Cultural Ambassador Wadix joined the first commission team, building regional audience for the event; and Gregory Rabess and Dr. Steinberg Henry contributed key expertise in the early years.

Today, 25 years after its first edition, the World Creole Festival has far exceeded its founders’ expectations. It has become a core pillar of Dominica’s national identity, fostering pride and unity among locals, strengthening cultural ties with the Dominican diaspora, and advancing the critical work of preserving Creole heritage for future generations. It has also delivered on its original founding promise: the event consistently drives massive increases in hotel occupancy and tourism revenue for the island.

Looking ahead, the author argues that the festival would benefit from re-embracing its original vision as a global celebration of all Creole music genres, building deeper connections with Creole communities across Africa, the Indian Ocean, and South America, including French Guiana and Seychelles, to honor the shared ancestral roots of Creole culture worldwide. There is also enormous untapped potential, the author notes, to expand the festival with additional programming focused on Creole crafts, drumming, and cuisine, and to aggressively market the event to the millions of potential visitors from neighboring Martinique and Guadeloupe, located just 50 miles from Dominica’s shores.

As a direct participant in the festival’s founding from the initial proposal stage through to the launch of the first edition, the author says it remains a privilege to have contributed to the creation of an event that has put Dominica on the map as a world-class Caribbean cultural destination.

Dominica is preparing to host its fifth annual celebration of indigenous Creole heritage this October, when the lush grounds of the Dominica Botanic Gardens will be reimagined as a lively, immersive Creole village for the Ti Vilaj Kwéyòl festival, themed “Tout Biten Domnik”. Running from October 19 through 22, 2026, the four-day cultural gathering will bring every facet of local Dominican life to the forefront, offering attendees a full sensory experience of authentic Creole tradition.

Originally launched in October 2022, Ti Vilaj Kwéyòl was created to replace the long-running annual Creole in the Park (CITP) event, which previously served as the lead-in to the globally acclaimed World Creole Music Festival (WCMF). This year’s iteration is far more than a simple market or performance series, according to event organizers who officially announced the festival details at a media launch held earlier this Wednesday.

Gloria Joseph, Permanent Secretary in Dominica’s Ministry of Labour, Public Service Reform, Social Partnership Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development, framed the 2026 festival as the starting point for a national conversation about Dominican identity, rooted in the island’s cultural touchstones. “Today marks the beginning of an intentional island-wide conversation about who we are as a people through our food or language or music or craft or stories,” Joseph stated during the launch address.

She emphasized that the festival acts as a living showcase of Dominican Creole identity in advance of the World Creole Music Festival, designed to highlight the depth and breadth of the nation’s cultural heritage for both local residents and international audiences. “It is a living, vivid expression of our Dominican identity ahead of the world-renowned World Creole Music Festival, designed to showcase the depth and diversity of our Creole heritage, our culture, to both locals and to the world,” Joseph explained.

Tying the event to Dominica’s broader national independence theme of “Our Journey, Our Legacy, Our Future”, Joseph noted that Ti Vilaj Kwéyòl serves as a communal space to reflect on the nation’s history, celebrate its current vibrant culture, and collectively plan for its future. “As we come here this morning, under the independence theme, our journey, our legacy, our future, Ti Vilaj Kwéyòl becomes a space where we honor our past, celebrate our present and imagine our future together,” she said.

More than 90 local entrepreneurs across a wide range of sectors will have the opportunity to display and sell their handcrafted goods and services at the festival. The immersive village will feature stalls offering traditional Dominican cuisine, locally produced beverages, handmade crafts, fine art, homemade artisanal products, native plants, and dozens of other uniquely Dominican goods. Attendees will also enjoy continuous live music, cultural performances, and hands-on demonstrations of traditional skills throughout the event’s run.

The festival will operate daily from 12:00 noon to 8:00 PM, and Joseph extended an open invitation to all residents and visitors to attend the celebration, encouraging attendees to support local creators and enjoy the full cultural experience. She invited everyone to join in this celebration, “to patronize, to just have a great time.”