The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

IN AN effort to promote more cultural festivals, the Ministry of Tourism is partnering with the residents and descendants of Old Freetown Heritage Association in hosting the second annual Freetown Fire Half Food and Heritage Festival over the holiday weekend.

The festival starts on Saturday with a Family Fun Day and Pre-party followed by a Gospel Extravaganza on Sunday and the main cultural event on Whit Monday from 11am- 8pm at the East End Pre-School grounds.

Brooke Sherman-Grant, public relations officer at the Ministry of Tourism, said: “We recognise the importance of heritage and festivals that tell the story of our past and highlight the rich value of our Bahamian history. We are excited to assist in the facilitation of cultural exchange between locals and visitors.”

Mrs Grant said that there will be a showcase of culture and live performances by Bahamian entertainers, including Islanders Rake n’ Scrape, Wilfred Solomon, KB and a Junkanoo Rushout. Complimentary round trip transfers will be available to visitors from various hotels, she said.  

Freetown is an historical settlement and was the first place the slaves settled when they were freed in 1834.

Recalling some of the brief history of Freetown, Mrs Grant noted that in the 1960s Wallace Groves leased the land that included Old Freetown to develop the city of Freeport, and descendants settled further east and established a new Freetown.

“The original Freetown is referred to now as Old Freetown, and the new one as Freetown. There were an estimated 500 people living in the original community at its peak. They worked mostly in the lumber industry at Pine Ridge,” she said.

Although there is some dispute, she said the Hermitage in Freetown is considered the oldest building on the island. Built in 1901, it was first a Baptist Church and later served as a hermitage for a Cistercian monk.