Hundreds of attendees descended upon Cape Coast, the historic city, to partake in the renowned Oguaa Fetu Afahye Orange Street Carnival.
The Orange Friday Carnival, indisputably Ghana’s most colossal carnival, lures in excess of two hundred thousand visitors to Cape Coast each year. These visitors come to witness the dazzling array of costumes, colossal floats, and lively street revelry.
This yearly festivity, inaugurated a decade ago, has enticed numerous brands, institutions, and individuals keen to utilize the opportunity to exhibit and promote their products and services to the revelers.
The throngs, predominantly clad in vibrant orange hues, sang and danced to the rhythm of music while also engaging in displays recounting the Dutch enslavement of the country’s forefathers.
Furthermore, some groups showcased their skills in skating and acrobatics, adding zest to the atmosphere. The city itself underwent a transformation into a carnival wonderland, adorned with vividly colored floats and an assortment of masks and retro attire.
The week-long Oguaa Fetu Afahye typically culminates on Saturday, with the Orange Friday Carnival customarily taking place the preceding Friday before the grand durbar.
Patrons of the carnival converge from both within and outside the country to partake and behold the splendid spectacles of attire, music, and parades coursing through Cape Coast’s main thoroughfares.
This year’s carnival, spanning a distance of four kilometers, saw the attendees beseeching support from traditional authorities and the Ghana Tourism Authority to elevate the carnival to new heights for a more significant impact.
Beyond the merrymaking, businesses reaped substantial benefits. The organizers sold over 120,000 T-shirts, with demand far exceeding supply.
In parallel, political parties seized the opportunity to promote themselves through placards, branded T-shirts, and campaign materials, highlighting their candidates for potential votes.
The carnival commenced this year at 0300 hours, commencing from Ayifua junction, proceeding through Pedu Junction to Kotukuraba, and concluding at the Chapel square within the Metropolis.
Source : African Property Magazine – Joycelyn Marigold