SAUGERTIES, NY – As Bob Marley and the Wailers once sang on one of the reggae act’s most iconic songs, the message of Saturday’s Seasoned Gives Caribbean carnival at Cantine Field was “One Love.”
Guests enjoyed Caribbean food from Jamaica, Puerto Rico and St. Kitts and lots of reggae music. Some danced and others dressed for “carnival” in colorful feathered outfits in the spirit of a true Caribbean carnival.
The festivities began with a small parade of about half a dozen units that marched down Washington Avenue and Main and Market streets. The longest lines were for food vendors serving Caribbean favorites like dry chicken and fried plantains.
Martin Dunkley, who co-founded Season Gives with his wife, Tamika Dunkley, said the festival, back for a third year, represents a great way to celebrate traditionally underrepresented cultures while also allowing everyone to come together and have a good time and enjoy each other’s heritage.
“There are people of all colors here enjoying the event today,” Dunkley said.
Tamika Dunkley said the festival fits with Lake Katrina-based Seasoned Gives as it fulfills its mission to help people, especially people of color and women starting their own businesses. She said many of the vendors were mentors they worked with.
Martin Dunkley said the music bill featured several local bands who would otherwise not have had the opportunity to play to a crowd expected to grow into the thousands by the end of the day.
As for why a Caribbean Festival, Tamika Dunkley said Martin Dunkley is Jamaican. And as to why they have it in Saugerties, he said they live there.
The return of the festival coincides with Jamaica celebrating the 60th anniversary of its independence in 1962.
Vanessa Hutchins and Witcliffe Cunningham and their 10-month-old daughter, Zoe Cunningham, showed off their Jamaican pride in full Jamaican flag outfits. The incident happened by chance as they were passing through the shopping area in the city of Ulster.
“We saw a sign next to Wendy’s,” Hutchins said. “I like activities for children.”
Among the vendors was Hannah Ferguson, from Kingston, who was showing off her unique “bottle dolls”, made by placing African fabrics over bottles destined to end up in a recycling bin or even a landfill. Each had a unique design with a space and colorful clothing that she said were inspired by the Caribbean and Africa.
“She looks like an islander,” she said as she pointed to one of the dolls.
As for her inspiration for the dolls, which take anywhere from half a day to a week and a half to make, she simply said, “It comes from God.
“I love what I do,” added Ferguson. “This is not work.”
At the other booth, Priscilla Deconti, also from Kingston, had her jewelry, zentangle art and greeting cards on display. She said the colors in the artwork were done with ink, watercolors and glitter pens.
Photos: Third Seasoned Gives Caribbean Carnival in Saugerties, NY
