As a foreigner, securing tickets for fetes and some events can seem like having to jump through a lot of hoops. The requirements of having to know a committee member or having to be there in person for early bird registration can definitely pose a bit of a challenge. I am very grateful for having both friends and family that were able to help me out with getting tickets. As an alternative, I would highly recommend using services like The Carnival Connection to try to secure tickets (Remember the key is to contact TCC early!)
Caesar's Army Ambush
My first fete for the carnival season was Caesar’s Army
Ambush. Caesar’s Army is considered an alternative jouvert. It is alternative
because unlike most jouverts that take place Monday morning, this one takes
place on the Saturday.

Source:Caesar's Army Facebook
After returning from picking up my carnival costume and
liming on the avenue, I was able to squeeze in a power nap for about 3 hours. I
had to prepare myself mentally for the 4am start time of this fete. I was quite
accustomed to the fetes in Toronto that ended at that time, rather than start!
My friends met me at the hotel around 2:30am with our
jourvet packages. My package included a white t-shirt, wristband, Caesar’s Army
bandana and a Caesars army cup. The drive to get there was an interesting
experience. I read past recollections from bloggers like Lehwego about the
drive to the meetup point being in a dark secluded area and it definitely was!
Once we got to the meeting point, we were happy to see a bunch of maxi vans on the side of the road and people gathering. After about 5 minutes of liming as the crowd grew, we were then instructed to get into a maxi. After showing our wristband, we were shuttled to another secluded area. And the madness began! Ambush was epic! We started like this:
And ended like this…
It was liberating letting go of all inhibitions and getting dirty with paint and powder. I’m usually one who likes to be put together, but that night all that went out the window. Special appearances from Super Blue after his win at Soca Monarch, and Bunji Garlin were nice surprises to the event. When dawn broke and you could hear Bunji’s "Differentology", the feeling was incredible.Overall the event was fun, and it has definitely made my list of must-dos for next year.
Scorch
Later that evening I attended Scorch. The venue was at the stadium, which was set up with two stage areas and drinks/food tents on the left and right perimeters. One difference I noticed from the fetes in Trinidad compared to the ones in Toronto, is they have the outdoor event experience nailed to a tee. I had heard this event attracts a lot a good looking crowd and that was an understatement. A friend who had arrived at the fete before me, texted me to give a heads up that she felt the crowd was a bit stush. I must have arrived at a perfect time, because I didn’t get that stush vibe and saw many people enjoying themselves. Overall I had a pretty good time.
Vale Vibe
I had tickets to attend the Vale breakfast party, but
unfortunately the event was cancelled. I was
really looking forward to this party as I heard from my cousins that it was one
of the best during the carnival season.
I was impressed though with the professionalism that was exhibited by
the promoters with regards to the refund process. Within a few days of leaving Trinidad
I had received my refund for the tickets.
Carnival with Bliss
Experiencing my first Trinidad carnival with Bliss was
amazing. The band truly lives up to its name, it was complete bliss. I had a
great time on both the Monday and Tuesday. My experience with them began with
costume pick up. My cousins and I went to pick up our costumes on carnival
Friday at the Hilton hotel. After paying the remainder of the balance, we were
escorted to the distribution room to collect our costume and goodie bag. I was impressed
with the goodie bag, which was a purple duffel bag, that had an assortment of
the sponsors products and souvenirs, such as flip tops, customized water bottles, and a tube top to match your costume. The information brochure was also a nice touch that
provided information to masqueraders on the order of sections, wrist band
policy, meal schedule, drink list, meeting point and lunch stop.



Playing with Bliss was great. The music was on point, security
was on point (so much so that I felt more safe and free from stormers playing
in Trinidad then I do playing in Toronto), the rest stop and food selection was
on point. I was surprised by all the options that
were available, I had bbq chicken both days and it was tasty. The variety of
drink options were endless, however since I don’t drink, I had my fill of
flavored snow cones, water and Gatorade.
I had a few moments on Carnival Tuesday when it felt so
surreal: crossing the stage was incredible! Also chipping down the avenue with
confetti in the air was another unforgettable moment. Carnival Tuesday culminated with the band
heading to a venue for the Tribe and Bliss after party. Though this ended
early, it was great to see the two bands coming together. Seeing the waves of
people flooding in (Tribe had soooo many masqueraders) was another surreal moment.
With that said, my first carnival experience was overall
amazing. Considering the few setbacks I encountered prior to getting there, I
am really happy that I went and had such a great time. I can see why playing in Trinidad can become
addictive! I myself am already planning to come back next year for my friend’s
wedding in Tobago (which just happens to be a few days after carnival!) Woot woot!
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