People of all ages came out to participate in this year’s Anancy Festival which took place on Saturday June 11, 2011 at the Kingston and St. Andrew Parish Library.

Caribbean Author and Journalist Kellie Magnus, the organizer was there to ensure that things went smoothly for the event.

The Jamaicans.com sponsored event, which was held simultaneously in Pembroke Pines, Fl., served as a cultural attraction for all age groups. Everyone at the Tomredcam Avenue location, especially the children, was enticed by the live story telling by Joan Andrea Hutchinson, Adziko Simba, Amina Blackwood Meeks and Joanne Simpson. They were also treated to short films on Anancy and his trickery.

“ It’s nice,” said Tattyana Francis of Trench Town Reading Centre, “wonderful, they told the stories nice.”

Between story breaks the children got their faces painted, made Anancy spiders out of plastic cups and sticks and checked out the spider exhibits from the Institute of Jamaica. The display featured items from the Natural History Museum and Museum of History and Ethnography.
Booksellers and publishers like Carlong Publishers and Trailblazer Ink offered books for sale. Books by Author/Publisher Joanne Simpson and Joan Andrea Hutchinson were featured at the bookstands.

The main attraction of the event was, of course, the storytellers. The children were excited to hear about Anancy from Hutchison. She, at the end of her session, encouraged teachers and parents to teach the children about Anancy as much as they can. The very animated Adziko Simba caught the room’s attention with a song. Simba then kept the children interested and in high spirits with her story “Tiki Tiki Boom Boom”.
The Kingston event attracted many from as far as Manchester.

Lucille Pennant, a teacher from Mt. St Joseph Preparatory, Manchester said, “we were actually going to the Green Expo and the principal told us there would be an Anancy Festival so we could stop here after the festival.”

The festival was free for all who came out. Other sponsors included Book Industry Association of Jamaica (BIAJ), Dental offices of Dr. Conrad V. Hibbert, Goldson Spine Rehabilitation Centre, Irie Isle Jamaican Restaurant, Jamaica National Building Society and Western Union.