The Tribune

By SYANN THOMPSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

sthompson@tribunemedia.net

JUNKANOO ticket sales for the 2019 Boxing Day Parade are strong, despite stakeholders anticipating that the economic impact of Hurricane Dorian may have negatively affected them.

According to chairman for the Junkanoo Corporation of New Providence Dion Miller, tickets for the 2019 Boxing Day Parade are almost sold out.

"In terms of sales performance for the Boxing Day Parade, the corporation has sold out already 92 percent of tickets for that parade and that's a normal occurrence for the Boxing Day Parade which is very strong. That was our number one concern earlier after Dorian, the impact it would have on the national Junkanoo parades in New Providence. Initially we had a first slow week of sales and then it picked up and it is performing really well. So, I don't think Dorian has affected the parades because Bahamians are actually patronising the parades," said Mr Miller.

Mr Miller, a member of the Saxons, said corporate sponsorship for some Junkanoo groups took a nose dive since Hurricane Dorian due to the business community pumping resources into assisting storm victims.

"In terms of the groups and their corporate sponsorship it has impacted it because, you know everyone was participating in hurricane relief so they didn't have the funds to forward to those Junkanoo groups. Everyone was trying to assist our brothers and sisters affected by Dorian, it's only a limited amount of funds, that they could spend with all those groups and so Junkanoo and their individual group sponsors have been impacted," he said.

As usual, the New Year's Day Parade ticket sales are slow. The JCNP is hoping to encourage the public in securing tickets for the upcoming parade by offering a free car and flat screen TV. "Where we are seeing a struggle is in terms of the New Year's ticket sales so far with the New Year's Day Parade, we sold only 50 percent of those tickets. On New Year's there's so many different things you are competing with, church that gets out really late, you have New Year's parties and we typically have struggles with that parade so we are looking for creative ways. What we are going to be launching in a couple of days is a fun thing for persons to get involved in, we are giving away a Nissan Note vehicle, so anyone who purchases a New Year's Day ticket will be entered into a drawing for the car or mega flat screen TV," said Mr Miller.

This year the JCNP launched its online ticketing initiative in partnership with SunCash online at junkanootix.com and tickets can also be purchased at JCNP's office on Fredrick Street from 10am to 6pm. Junkanoo tickets range between $16 to $50.