There is no question that Guyana has a rich, diverse history in varying cultural aspects. In fact, there are several events during the year which are organised specifically to keep reminding us and bringing further awareness of those historical elements of Guyana’s culture.
Recognising there is need to understand and appreciate the historical significance of rum production in Guyana, Yonnick David, a young Guyanese entrepreneur, and his team created a unique concept in 2020, the ‘Guyana Rum Festival’, to be the pioneers leading the future generation along the path of learning and appreciating the impact our rum has on the world.
The inaugural festival was hosted just a few months before the global pandemic, and was intended to be an annual event. However, owing to the said pandemic, there was no actual festival last year, but this resulted in an even greater interest in the 2022 edition, as there is a growing audience with vested interest in experiencing the Guyana Rum Festival – spectators from all over the world.
Two days just weren’t enough for the 2022 edition, which took place on September 10th and 11th at Everest Cricket Club. With the way the concept of the event is designed, it allows for a huge tourism boost in Guyana.
Yonnick said this was deliberate, as the team saw great potential in the Rum Festival being one of Guyana’s main tourist attraction every year.
“We want to add a layer to destination Guyana. We want to create another time during the year when people will be coming to Guyana. We have Guyana Carnival when all the revellers come, we have Mashramani and Easter. There’s always a specific time when different people are coming to Guyana and we want to create a time when the rum connoisseurs and the rum tasters and wine tasters can put Guyana on their calendar and come down. And because we focus on everything, it will give us the chance to sell Guyana well,” he said in a previous interview.
Noting further that the festival in essence, is an opportunity to celebrate the wins that Guyana made within the world of rum production.
But while rum production, and the showcase of various rums in Guyana is the main focus of the festival, it incapsulates different Guyanese cultural elements such as our food, games, music, steelpan and other creatives such as painters, which makes the experience even more exciting. This year saw a massive turnout, with several booths and performances showcasing different aspects of what makes Guyana, Guyana.
Next year is expected to be bigger and better. Keep abreast with their updates on guyanarumfest.com
