What is Crop Over?
Crop Over is the number 1 Festival of Barbados, historic Festival that spans six(6) weeks of the Caribbean Summer period, lasting from June to the First Monday in August, which features, one of the largest, most dynamic Carnivals in the Eastern Caribbean, known as Grand Kadooment. This traditional Harvest Festival, has its roots to the period of enslavement in the Caribbean, when the island of Barbados was covered in Sugar Cane Plantations, which lead to it being one of the largest Sugar producers in the World and the British Empire, making Barbados one of the wealthiest islands in the Caribbean. From this legacy, Barbados has long been credited as the Birthplace of Rum, which is made from the byproducts of cane sugar production- The large production of sugar, rum, molasses, cotton and Tobacco did not come without its hardships- a period worthy of celebration by the then, enslaved population at the end of the sugarcane harvest.
After the end of the Second World War, the then Government provided incentives for the resurgence of the Historic Festival, to further boost Tourist arrivals during the slow, summer period, bringing fresh life to the local entertainment scene and providing much needed employment opportunities for the numerous artistes, craftsmen and businesses around the island.
The modern Festival mirrors much of the original festival as documented from the 1600s with numerous calypso competitions, costume parades, parties, fetes an other festivities. As Barbados has cemented itself as the culinary capital of the Caribbean, you can be sure to experience numerous delicacies while on island for the annual celebrations.
Soca Empire provides numerous packages which highlights numerous aspects of this truly unique, colorful, Festival, with options to travel as an individual or as part of a group.