PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti (CMC) — Secretary General of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Irwin LaRocque on Sunday toured the exhibition booths Grand Market at the Caribbean Festival of the Arts (CARIFESTA), as the Frenc- speaking Caribbean nation pulled out all the stops for the event.

The 12th edition of CARIFESTA opened on Friday with LaRocque saying it was a historic occasion for Haiti and the region.

He added that he was pleased to see that Caricom “responded to the call to celebrate in Haiti as it hosts CARIFESTA for the first time”.

LaRocque reiterated Caricom heads of government, ministers of culture and the artistic community’s commitment to the implementation of a new and improved CARIFESTA, stating that everyone should do their best to ensure that each edition of the festival is in line with the region’s mission, and that it brings us closer to the goal of presenting a “world-renowned mega festival of Caribbean cultural and artistic excellence that brings economic benefits, unites the region and excites all peoples”.

The nine-day festival continued yesterday with fashion shows and performances from groups representing the member states.

CARIFESTA is the region’s roving multi-disciplinary mega event that showcases the cultural expressions of artists in more than 30 countries in the region.

It was established in 1972 by regional government leaders to celebrate the arts, foster a vision of Caribbean unity and to positively advance Caribbean culture regionally and internationally.