Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports the Hon. Silveria Jacobs commends the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) for a well-organized and an almost incident free Carnival 2013.
The Minister also thanked the SCDF for bringing back cultural aspects that were clearly visible in the shows that were hosted.
Both Local and international shows garnered the support of many who turned out in full force. Though the SCDF made valiant efforts to incorporate cultural aspects into the carnival calendar of events, there is still much left to be desired with regards to this aspect.
The minister would like to see the cultural wear and speech segments of the Queen shows brought back to the village so that more persons can benefit from the rich cultural heritage displayed and the presentations of the participating young ladies.
All stakeholders put in the 100% + and should be commended for their commitment to making St. Maarten Carnival the best in the Caribbean. A lot of time, effort and creativity and enthusiasm was put into offering locals and visitors culinary delicacies in the various booths, troupe leaders who dedicated themselves to making the parade livelier and more colorful as well the musicians and bands who entertained both the local and international public. Without their support, we wouldn’t have experienced such a successful Carnival, the Minister pointed out.
Special commendations also go out to the security personnel and police force during the events as they delivered exceptional service during the festivities. "It was great to experience a carnival in an atmosphere of safety," the Minister said.
We look forward to Carnival 2014 which will mark 45 years of Carnival on St. Maarten. Many are already marking their calendars and reserving their spaces for what promises to be an even greater opportunity to ‘Come Experience Life’.