Jamming On The Ring Road

I’ll be jamming, jamming there on the ring road. UWI Carnival has been around since the 1950’s and even gave birth to what is now Carnival in Jamaica. Since its inception it has been the physical embodiment of the pooling together and celebration of Caribbean cultures alongside the UWI Homecoming activities. Over the years, it has morphed from wearing traditional cultural clothes and whatever you have to carnival costumes and tank tops but what doesn't change is the unity it brings to the university students and outside revellers alike. Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit there had to be a break from the usual revelry but; after three years of waiting, the well anticipated UWI Carnival is finally back alongside its full itinerary of events and I know as a former UWI student that only got one carnival that those students and the recent graduates must be on the edge of their seats waiting for carnival morning.

Personally, I only had one carnival experience and proper prep for another before the pandemic hit so my UWI Carnival experience is barely one to share but I’ll make sense out of the nonsense to provide tips for Ring Road.

My first year I didn’t go to any of the events leading up to Ring Road but I was a Commuter so I got a liquor band from them, one of the more affordable options they offered. I started my walk a bit early for a first time reveller around 12 but it was completely worth it to switch from truck to truck and hear music from all the islands mixed in with a healthy amount of dancehall. It’s important to remember to dress comfortably, stay hydrated, keep reapplying your sunscreen and stay with the group you came with. Remember UWI Carnival is open to everyone, the masses of non-students will start heading out around 2/3 in the afternoon. To make life simple, stay vigilant, don’t carry much on the road besides your cup to drink, a rag and securely put up your phone if you’re not using it.

In my second year, I got to purchase my costume through the Faculty of Science and Technology and they had a “carnival hub” for students to buy essentials needed for the upcoming events. I have the same fanny pack I bought there to this day and it’s seen many fetes so definitely invest in carnival essentials because they’ll serve you for a lifetime.

For the events leading up to Ring Road itself, don’t just run straight into them, remember it’s a marathon not a sprint. Think about what type of parties you know you’ll enjoy before buying your tickets. This year UWI is having a Launch Party (thursday), J’ouvert (friday), and Beach Party (sunday) alongside Ring Road and the after party (saturday). The launch kicks off the vibe so I'd encourage going to gauge if you want to commit to the full weekend. If you don’t like getting messy I’ll say skip the J’ouvert, the paint and/or powder will be a bit too much and sometimes it stains so if you do go, maybe wear something you have no emotional attachment to. Similarly, if you know the walk from backgate to Ring Road gets you winded, maybe don’t start the chipping early a cool 4 p.m gives you enough time to enjoy Ring Road without you getting stitches. If you're a dancehall lover D'After Mas is definitely your event especially since you'll have live performances and the beach party would be a great way to wind down and close off the weekend perfectly but remember ice and chaser isn't allowed so moderate your drinking. Besides those things, remember to handle your liquor responsibly, learn some soca songs and I’ll see you on Ring Road!!!

- JaCarnivalist