Carnival Returns After Hiatus

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Carnival bands an their teams had just weeks to prepare for Survival Weekend and Bahamas Carnival road march.

Our Jasmin Brown caught up with a veteran designer for Bahamas Masqueraders who revealed what it took to mass produce costumes under pressure.

Scores of carnival enthusiasts hit the road for the first road march in two years.

One of the veteran designers responsible for outfitting revelers is masquerader costume designer Jamal Clarke.

Clarke says with only weeks to prepare, the team worked long hours.

Clarke, who has been designing costumes since the launch of Bahamas Carnival more than six years ago, says he got his designer start through Junkanoo.

A bubble carnival event was held in November.

It was the first carnival-like event to be held since the COVID-19 pandemic started in march 2020.

Bahamas Carnival was last held in 2019.

As Clarke anxiously awaited the return of carnival, he says he kept busy. For this year’s carnival, Clarke says he hand-produced 150 costumes.