Colour, music and the scent of traditional cooking filled the National Park on Saturday as thousands of Guyanese gathered to mark Emancipation Day, honouring the struggles of their ancestors through a day-long celebration of African heritage.
Families, entrepreneurs, cultural groups and visitors moved through the grounds, drawn by performances, food stalls and rows of exhibitors showcasing locally made products, in what has become one of the country’s most vivid annual expressions of cultural pride.
Among the vendors was Leisa Gibson, owner of Lisa Salon and Beauty Supplies, who said the event gave Guyanese-made products a rare and valuable spotlight.
“It means celebration as a nation, and for me it means getting to meet a lot of people. People get to see the person who manufactures the products and interact with us,” Gibson told the Department of Public Information (DPI).
She said the occasion also carried weight beyond commerce, offering young people a chance to see homegrown success up close through her range of hair, skincare and soap products.
For Ariello Sutherland, founder of For Me, For You Fragrance and Creation, the day was a chance to reconnect with African heritage and explore the breadth of Guyana’s cultural traditions. This year’s observance carried an added layer of meaning, she said, falling on what would have been her late grandmother’s birthday — a coincidence that made the celebration feel both personal and profound.
Patron Angel, who gave only her first name, said the day’s significance stretched beyond festivity.
“For me, it’s for us to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery and let’s all try to live with love and unity,” she said.
Throughout the day, the National Park pulsed with traditional African cuisine, artisan displays and educational exhibits tracing the history and legacy of Emancipation in Guyana — a reminder, for many in attendance, that the fight for freedom remains woven into the fabric of everyday celebration. (Rewritten from DPI)
