DESPITE concerns that a Sunday staging would translate into smaller crowds, this year’s Maroon celebrations at Accompong in St Elizabeth drew approximately 17,000 patrons and netted more than $500,000 in gate receipts.

In the weeks building up to the festival’s 264th staging, internal disagreement over the wisdom of straying from the usual Monday show threatened to mar the event as some of the cultural performers vowed to boycott the show.

But this year’s celebration, the first staging which benefited from a significant involvement by the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), went off with only minor hitches such as the poor road conditions and a few weak spots in the cultural package.

And based on the success of this year’s event, Deputy Colonel of the Maroons, Rupert Robinson, announced that next year’s celebration would stretch over two days, January 5 and 6, when it is expected that TPDCo’s involvement will continue.

The Maroon leadership invited TPDCo to participate this year, and the state-run body has been working with the community for the past five months. During that time, Accompong underwent significant infrastructural improvement. For example, the Community Centre now holds a museum where Maroon artifacts such as the Ashanti stool, Goombay drum and an 18th century Spanish gun, are displayed. And Nanny and Cudjoe are also portrayed, in a large painting, discussing war strategies.

Area residents themselves also came in for some hands on treatment, and were trained in management skills, art and craft, tour guiding, as well as the hygienic handling of food.

According to TPDCO director of human resource development, Hugh Shim, their input in this year’s festival had contributed to the jump in revenue earned.

“Over the years, the community has not been benefiting, so our role was to develop the product and ensure that the community benefits this time,” he told the Observer.

And he agreed with Maroon Colonel Sydnie Peddie’s arguments that Accompong could become one of the most important tourism destinations in the island, with the help of TPDCo.

“It has the potential of becoming one of Jamaica’s premier attractions based on its historical value,” Shim remarked.

This year’s celebration started with the traditional Kindah Tree ceremony, which featured the traditional cooking of pig flesh, drumming and dancing, blowing of the Abeng and the feeding of fresh pork to the ancestors.

After that, visitors were then invited to share the feast of slow cooked pork, and joined the Colonel as he led his troops through the village. The large, dancing and singing crowd was mainly comprised of Maroons clad in Cocoon vine, an ancient method of camouflage, and the human train made its way to the town square before converging at the school grounds.

On its way, the parade traversed the narrow streets which were neatly divided by over 100 stalls that displayed art and craft, clothing and food.

The day’s cultural offering was somewhat strengthened by the performance of Ghanaian drummer, Victor Agbel. His energetic and melodious drumming had the large crowd transfixed.

Angella Henry’s poem Strongest Among Women’, which paid respect to Nanny, and the Jamaica Kumina Movement from Morant Bay, also gave strong performances.

The celebrations continued well into the night, for, as soon after the day’s crowd started trekking out of the hills, in came another roughly 5,000 patrons for the night’s entertainment package. They were treated to music from top sound system Kilamanjaro, Sound Trooper, Amtrack and Thunder Force.