Int’l delegations from Ghana and Trinidad coming for Guyana Rum Fest

Food, beverage, and good old Guyanese culture are what encapsulate the Guyana Rum Festival which returns on September 10 and 11 at the Everest Cricket Club, with an aim to reverberate Guyana’s rich history in Sugar cultivation and rum manufacturing.

Established in 2019, the festival returns to in-person activities and organiser, Yonnick David, told the News Room they have received interest from ten companies along with overseas groups from Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, and possibly Barbados.

“This year we have a lot more international participation because of the success over the last two years. We have a delegation coming in from Ghana, who will focus on cultural food and non-alcoholic beverages”, David conveyed.

Though rum is a common theme throughout the activities, the festival is more than just consumption of the product but understanding the history and now fusing it will modern practices.

“Rum festival is a very integral part I think part of our culture because we come from a culture of sugar production and everyone knows that to get rum, you need the sugar. So, rum being an offshoot from our sugar production, it gives us a chance to showcase Guyanese culture of where we came from and where we are at now.”

According to David, the festival is hoping that through a partnership with the Guyana Sugar Corporation – GuySuCo – it can tell an enlightening story of sugar production in Guyana.

Apart from being a kick start to Cricket Carnival in Guyana, the organisers want to put on display Guyana’s potential and grow the festival in the future by inviting other regional countries to make it a huge “cultural jamboree.”

There will be many novelty games promoting social interactions, and the organizers have added an augmented reality digital scavenger hunt.

Early bird tickets are $2,000 (day pass) and $3,000 (weekend pass), but closer to the date of the event, they will cost $1,000 more.

On September 9, there will be an exclusive dinner and rum tasting event at Herdmanston Lodge.