Several thousand people are expected to attend the Caribbean Student Association's 30th annual Carifest, entitled "Diamonds in the Sand," Friday at 6 p.m. in Harriman Hall on South Campus. The event will end with a bang at the Niagara Falls Convention Center complete with live music by soca and reggae music artists, Bounty Killa, Gabriele and Destra.
Carifest is the CSA's most popular event, combining tropical tunes, food and cultural performances from the Caribbean. Preparations began in early August, with advertising in Buffalo, Rochester, Canada and the surrounding SUNY schools.
"We're expecting a great turnout," said Tosha Groves, a junior medical technology major and president of the CSA. "We're probably going to have around 1,500 people in attendance."
The highly anticipated event will kick off with a "Mr. and Mrs. Caribbean SA" pageant, consisting of 11 male and female contestants, each representing their favorite island or area of the Caribbean.
The contestants will compete much like a Miss America pageant with bathing suit and evening gown competitions, as well as a question and answer period. Additionally, contestants will be evaluated based on their appearance, talents and the accuracy and delivery of their Caribbean island presentation.
The best contestants will reign as Mr. and Mrs. Caribbean SA for a year, with prizes of $500 for first place, and $250 for second place.
Last year's winners were Latoya Dorsett and Brandon DeCosta Stanislaus.
The winners are expected to be involved in community service activities and the CSA throughout their year as royalty, according to Dorsett, a sophomore biology major who is involved with the choreography for this year's event.
"It's going to be a really diverse competition this year, all different nations will be represented - Trinidad, the Bahamas, and the Dominican Republic," said CSA president Groves. "It's going to be really interesting. The girl who is competing as Miss Jamaica is actually Chinese."
Sean Williams, a sophomore exercise science major, is competing as Mr. Jamaica, and has the spent the past month preparing and keeping up on Jamaica's current events. He has prepared a skit depicting everyday life in Jamaica as his talent.
"The pride for my culture and country makes me want to participate," he said.
The pageant will also feature brief culture shows throughout the event, giving spectators a window into Caribbean history. According to Williams, the big finish will be a 12-person dance performance in honor of Mr. Wacky, a famous Jamaican dancer who was killed in January.
After the pageant, the festivities will continue at the Niagara Falls Convention Center, the official CSA after party, where there will be live music.
According to Tosha Groves, while casual attire is appropriate for the pageant, "party attire" is a must for the dinner and dance celebration.
"The party will include a formal sit-down dinner, serving traditional Caribbean food like rice and beans, jerk chicken, and Caribbean finger sandwiches," she said.
According to Judi Salmon, a senior business administration major and the CSA's publicity coordinator, local restaurants specializing in Caribbean Cuisine will cater the meal.
Freshman business major Glenn Francis has helped promote the event with fellow CSA member Locksley Williams, a freshman media studies major, by distributing fliers and advertising on the radio station, WBLK 93.7. Francis said he looks forward to his first Carifest experience.
"It's going to be an exciting event, a lot of people are going to be there," Francis said.
The cost of the pageant is $5 at the door, or $2 with a ticket to the after party, which costs $20. Proceeds will go towards the CSA.
CSA president Tosha Groves is confident the event will be a success.
"It's going to be a guaranteed great time for everyone," she said.
Additional reporting by Nicole Coleman
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
