GF Expo blends commerce, creativity in carnival theme event

The combination of costumed models, pulsating music and the aroma from the expansive food court set up along the perimeter immediately captured the essence of carnival at the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium in the latest instalment of Girlfriends Expo and Arts Festival. The event, which successfully blends commerce and creativity, continues to be a popular choice with a large turnout over the weekend.

The carnival experience extended to the culinary spread enjoyed by VIPs. Those in the exclusive lounge had a fivestar experience, sipping their cocktails with smiling servers delivering treats which included Jamaican jerk chicken wings, salt fish buljol with cassava crisps and Bajan fish cakes with Marie Rose sauce. In celebration of the month of love, costumed models moved through that zone, distributing flowers.

The organisers thought of everything, curating a diverse range of stalls catering to varying interests. For those who needed stress relief, getting a massage was an option. Need your vision checked? There was a stall for that as well. If you wanted to fast-track your access to the suite of products available from CIBC Caribbean, provisions were made for that too. Representative Kelechi Mann explained: "We are giving you the opportunity to scan the QR code for the opportunity to select any products that you may be interested in. We have an estimated turnaround time of two days where we have a team reaching out to those customers who have selected specific products."

Girlfriends Expo and Arts Festival continues to see growth with 225 businesses showcasing their products and services this year. Organiser Kimtara Clarke expressed gratitude for the support received, explaining that the 2025 theme, The Magic of Carnival, was well received by exhibitors. She also acknowledged the corporate backing that plays a key role in making the expo a success. Clarke added: "Feedback has been great, the exhibitors had a great time."

Sharia Pilgrim of Soapful Caribbean was among the exhibitors revelling in the experience. It was her second time displaying her products. "My customers, that is really what I enjoy," she said. "I love interacting with people, and I love when people come back and say, I have my soap, I want another one."

She added: "The whole expo has been really good. We have been hearing about the fashion show and hearing things as they are going on. People are walking around with their drinks, so it has been a lot of fun."

Regarding customer engagement, she noted: "The traffic has been quite steady, I cannot complain. There have been a lot of people coming to ask questions about the soaps and what they can do for your skin."

A first-time exhibitor was the Psychiatric Hospital. Psychiatric Nurse Ryan Lewis said: "Over the last two days we have been seeing a lot of traffic with person coming and actually showing their interest and wanting to know about mental health. People have asked more personalised questions about how they could get help.

"It is funny to know that a large number of persons do not know that in every polyclinic across the island there is a mental health clinic. People believe that you have to be admitted and that is not always the case. There are different mediums of therapy and treatment modalities that we have established and that persons can just seek out and figure out for themselves what their mental health journey could look like."

Sunday's schedule of activities included a fashion show on the main stage, featuring designs by Aaliyah P. Fashions, BAJE Cherry by BU Designs, The Soigné Experience by Chloé and Sixteen 28 Frames and Glasses by Amar Brathwaite. Some brave audience members got the opportunity to strut their stuff on the catwalk as the animated audience screamed their support.

(STT)