A surge of visitors turned out at Golden Square Freedom Park on Sunday as the fourth annual Heritage Month Antiques Market drew strong attendance, underscoring growing public interest in Barbados’ tangible cultural heritage despite earlier concerns about the weather.
The market formed part of a wider programme of activities hosted throughout June by the Office for Pan-African Affairs and Heritage, aimed at educating the public and encouraging greater appreciation and preservation of Barbados’ rich cultural legacy.
Visitors moved from table to table, examining and purchasing authentic Bajan antiques and collectibles ranging from furniture and household items to jewellery, records, books, pottery, glassware and stoneware. Despite concerns about the weather, the event attracted large numbers, many seeking not only unique finds but also a deeper appreciation of the island’s heritage.
Persons viewing the antiques. (Photo Credit: Lauryn Escamilla/Barbados TODAY)
Senior Cultural Policy Officer in the Office for Pan-African Affairs and Heritage, Dr Sheron Johnson, described the day as a resounding success.
Senior Cultural Policy Officer in the Office for Pan-African Affairs and Heritage, Dr Sheron Johnson. (Photo Credit: Lauryn Escamilla/Barbados TODAY)
“What we have here is a number of our vendors displaying and selling a wide range of antiques. Many of these antiques our forefathers will have used before whether it’s in the garden, in the house, etc. So many of them are on display. People get the chance to feel them, touch them, inquire about them, and to learn and also to purchase.”
She added: “We’ve had a lot of purchases throughout the course of the day. People have been coming and going. The threat of rain didn’t hinder anyone. We had a very successful day.”
Now in its fourth year, Johnson said the market has become one of Heritage Month’s most significant activities because it allows Barbadians to interact directly with pieces of their history.
“This event, this is in its fourth year and I find this is one of the events where people can really interact with the tangible heritage with movable objects.
“People recall memories of having used these, these, these, these, these instruments. Today, for instance, we had quite a number of fathers passing through with their children and they were interacting with the objects as well and pointing them out and telling them stories.”
Preserving those memories is just as important as preserving the objects themselves, she said.
“So it’s important to capture these stories. Activities like this help us to put a hand on heritage and dispel the myth that it is something intangible, something that you can’t interact with, is something in old book or in or in a room shut away.
“It is important for us during this month to showcase the various elements of our heritage and to ensure that we educate people in how they can preserve that heritage.”
The market offered more than antiques. Artists set up around Golden Square Freedom Park, painting scenes from the event itself and capturing on canvas Barbadians engaging with the island’s past. Demonstrations of traditional caning also highlighted the skills required to preserve treasured items for future generations.
An auction added excitement to the day’s proceedings, with paintings, photographs, irons, lamps and other pieces showcased as patrons bid for their own piece of history.
The event also featured a special guest performance by Ola Ile, Barbados’ first all-female Afrikan drumming group, adding another dimension to the celebration of national identity and cultural expression.
For many in attendance, the market stirred feelings of nostalgia and pride. Older visitors reflected on items once found in their homes, while younger Barbadians listened as parents, grandparents and vendors shared stories of how those objects were used in everyday life.
(LE)
