Philipsburg Parade to Flow into Christmas Village this Friday
In what is being hailed as a "very good example of public-private partnership", the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs, has teamed up with RBC/RBTT for the latter’s traditional Christmas in Philipsburg Parade to end up in the Festival Village which will then be transformed into a "Christmas Village" on Friday, December 9, 2011.
The increasingly popular RBC/RBTT Christmas in Philipsburg Parade, now in its seventh year, will start at 6:00PM at F.W. Vlaun & Son at the Long Wall Road, enter Front Street at the Paper Garden intersection, go straight up to Emmaplein, make a left at the bridge and move on along Pondfill Road to the Sundial School roundabout and flow onto the Pondfill Road to wind up at the Festival Village, where it is expected to arrive at about 8:00PM.
Minister Cornelius de Weever, who is standing in for the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs, Dr. Rhoda Arrindell, currently on a working visit to Curacao and Aruba, will welcome Santa and his entourage into the Festival Village, where a series of activities will be offered to the general public.
According to organizer, Brenda Wathey, the parade this year will be the biggest ever, with groups such as the New Generation Band, the Soauliga Brass Band, and a combined troupe of the Ebony Steel Orchestra and Gunslingers Steel Pan signed on to entertain the crowd. The parade will also feature the traditional cast of super heros – Wonder Woman, Robin, et al, with Santa preferring a ride on a big fire truck from the "North Pole" since there are no chimneys here for him to squeeze through.
The Festival Village will be open to the general public from 6:00PM, with booths offering traditional Christmas food and drinks, and several activities for children including clowns Dexter and Chris, face-painting by Lucinda & Co, Kiddie Jumpers, cotton candy, popcorn, etc.
Live entertainment on stage consists of a lineup that includes Tiny and the Boys, Chardonnay Martis, Voice of Our Children, the Bottleneck Group, Philipsburg Community Brass Band, Official Band and Tanny and the Boys.
MC for the evening will be Versatile, while music will also be provided by DJ Wilson.