Bigger Oistins Festival on cards

The 2025 Flow Oistins Fish Festival will return this weekend, and its planning committee is promising a bigger and dynamic event for this year’s edition.

Under the theme Catch De Culture, the festival will take place from Saturday until April 21, and will highlight more than 150 vendors in a celebration of the vibrant heritage and contribution of its fisher folk.

Speaking yesterday at the official launch of the festival, held at Oistins Bay Garden, in Christ Church, co-chair of the Oistins Fish Festival Committee, Israel Mallet, previewed a calendar of events, highlighting new and old favourites.

New to the line-up will be Sip, Bead, Paint & Jazz, a free beachfront session where patrons paint, sip cocktails, bead bracelets and enjoy live jazz by the sea.

The official opening parade begins at 5 p.m. on April 19 and will roll straight into a night-time extravaganza featuring a showcase of culture and creativity.

Other events include the Celebrity Cook-Off Competition, Family Movie Night, The Easter Egg Hunt and Egg and Spoon Marathon and The Easter Bonnet Showdown.

The event closes on Easter Monday, April 21, with a live concert from the Marzville Band – Plus One to close out the show.

Mallet said that this year’s festival would focus on the vendors, highlighting their contributions within the fishing industry.

“We aim to promote our vendors. We have our festival website on which we post our vendors. We post our vendors on social media. We do our part as a festival to make sure our vendors are promoted and that we give them every opportunity to showcase their product,” he said.

The co-chair also praised the contributions of corporate companies that had lent their resources to the growth of the festival, along with the support of their sponsors and title sponsor Flow.

Speaking on the telecommunications company’s sponsorship of the festival, Flow senior manager, communications Toni Yarde emphasised their commitment to the investment in the vibrant and distinct culture of Oistins.

“For decades, this festival has been more than just a showcase of Barbadian heritage. It has been a unifying force that brings together our communities, highlights the invaluable contributions of our fisher folk and celebrates the spirit of Oistins.

“We encourage everyone to come out and enjoy the festivities, support our local vendors, and, of course, indulge in the finest seafood our island has to offer,” she said.