Arrow Fest

Montserrat’s annual festival season runs from December to New Years Day(Dec 4 – Jan 1st) , and is the climax of the year with many Montserratians returning yearly for the highly anticipated event. The festival is a celebration and highlight of the islands distinctive culture and abundant talent.

Following the passing of the Soca King of the World Alphonsus “Arrow” Cassell MBE in September, the Montserrat Festival Committee (MonFest) renamed the annual cultural festival ArrowFest, to honor the legacy of an artist, businessman and friend who placed Montserrat on the world stage.

The Festival consists of calypso and soca competitions, beauty pageants, parades of costumed troupes, and masquerade. One highlight of the festival is “Jump up”, dancing in the street behind trucks blasting music.

Two main attractions during festival are Masquerade and Miss Goosey, which have both been engraved in the culture of the Island. The tradition of masquerading is a both ritual and celebratory element of Montserratian folk culture. Groups of dancers in intricately made traditional bright costumes, masked tall head dresses and their infamous whips, which are used to strike the floor. It is said that this is done to scare away evil spirits but also to send signals to the other dancers. The masqueraders travel effortlessly from door to door doing set dancing consisting of the heel-and-toe polka and the five quadrilles to the sound of fife and drum.

Miss Goosey is a doll like structure that someone goes inside off, while standing on stilts and dancing. Miss Goosey is well loved as it is ‘the spirit of festival’ in Montserrat.