Slideshow: ‘Campers’ Gather For Bermuda Day
[Updated with slideshow] As is traditional, crowds are starting to line the streets ahead of tomorrow’s [May 24] Bermuda Day festivities.
The City of Hamilton issued an advisory saying that camps “can be set up from 1am on May 24,” which is not exactly being adhered to as enthusiastic locals set out in advance to secure the prime viewing areas.
Bermudian spectators traditionally go out all for Bermuda Day, and tape and chalk started appearing earlier this week as people marked out their “spots” along the route.
Slideshow showing some of the spectators at 6.45am on May 24th:
The morning will kick off with the Sinclair Packwood Memorial Cycling Race at 8.50am, with riders setting off for the 11.9 mile sprint from Somerset to Hamilton.
Over 700 runners will take part in the Half Marathon, which gets underway at 9am in Somerset, with the top runners expected to take just over an hour to finish the race.
The Parade is scheduled to begin at 1:30pm at Bernard Park. It will move along Dutton Avenue on to Marsh Folly Road, to Cedar Avenue, Church St, Court St, Front St, Queen St and finish at the City Hall Car Park. A map of the route is here [PDF].
Over 50 groups are scheduled to take part in the parade including H & H Gombeys, Vasco Da Gama Club Dancers, The Bermuda African Dance Company, Warwick Gombeys, Take The Lead Dance Group, Xquisite Styles Dance Group, Sandys Secondary Middle School Showtime Drumline, DanceSations, Men On A Mission, PCC Majorettes and Dancers, Places New Generation Gombeys, Bermuda Latin Vibes, Dynamic Revolution Dance Group, No Limit Star Crew, Diverse Conception, The Dragon Girl Dancers, The Chewstick Foundation, St. George’s Original Dancerettes, The Carnival Revellers, Gombey Warriors and many more.
According to the Bermuda Weather Service, tomorrow’s weather will be a “mix of sun & cloud, becoming mostly cloudy overnight. Winds south-southeasterly moderate, increasing moderate overnight. High near 24°C/76°F.”
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A great money maker for the COH. If you want to mark out a spot, you pay for a permit to be there. Otherwise if somebody moves in & stands in front of you, TOO BAD.
OH YEAH, You would also be responsible to leave the area as clean as you found it otherwise the COH could impose a $500 clean up fee.
Thats what they should have done 14 years ago — made it $ 50 for the day.
Try this to day and there will be one hell of an outcry – also the PLP will rawl the people up
with propaganda thus the OBA will be made to look like the bad guys.
COH is going to do it anyway – possibly next year because the Night Mayor is looking for $$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
The COH is for the most part the PLP. I agree, pay to rent a spot and leave a clean up deposit.
OMG Give it a Fuxing break! Let people enjoy the day without politics. you fools don’t get tired?
LMAO if it rains overnight and washes all the chalk away !!!
Bermuda Day Parade…sorry, I would be there, but I’m trimming my nasal hair I think.
Mark the pavement for 2014, desperate people.
only your nasal hair?
Oh buzz off
Bunch of idiots!
Why are they idiots? care to explain?
Where else but in Bermuda would people camp out and mark “their” spot for a parade that starts the next day???
At least when people camp out on Black Friday they’re getting something back in return. Although I find that ludicrous as well…….
God forbid if someone should happen upon “their spot” if weren’t there.
@John: What’s even worse is if someone gets there early and picks out a spot someone has laid claim to in previous years-then you see some fireworks! People actually get territorial and get angry if you try and take ‘their’ spot. It’s crazy!
There’s more than enough room on the route-there’s no need for all this ridiculous behaviour!
It is a pretty good example of those who feel entitled to do whatever they please. Rules & laws be damned. They don’t apply to these folks.
Why is it that some people can show up a day early for a parade, but can’t seem to make it to work on time?
lol, so true.
Very true, very true. Priorities are sometimes confused!
Where’s Jinx? I don’t see no pics of him. Lol
@John U are entitled to your opinion, but it sure makes U look idiotic the call these people idots because they are doing something that U don’t know to be done anywhere else in the world.
With all due respect, can you name somewhere else in the world where people stake their territory, as is done here, days in advance for a public parade?
ITS BERMUDA DAY, why are we comoparing to the rest of the word………………who is the idiot again?
No I can’t and I would venture to say that it is unique to Bermuda. But my point is that whilst it is unique to Bermuda does not make the persons who do it idiots. Why should it not be done, because other people around the world don’t do it? SMH
Triangle Drifter is right. Where do these people get their sense of entitlement? Their “markings” mean nothing to me or anyone else. So if we all want to go and stand in their “spot” we can and should! And if they try to get us to move by using verbal profanity or, worse, physical altercation THEY can get arrested. Perhaps the COH should install tiered seating for the event and sell seats. That would solve a lot of problems and help pay for the clean up.
I love this unique Bermuda tradition! I would rather see people sitting out early to get a prime viewing spot for an event that celebrates their culture than camping for tickets to some movie, concert, or (even worse) the over-hyped consumerism of Black Friday.
What I don’t understand is why it bothers other people so much?! To call someone an idiot because this is important to them, and not you, is beyond confusing. Some people’s families have been in the same spot for decades! I don’t agree with spray-painting side walks, being mean/aggressive about the spot or leaving the space messy, and I personally wouldn’t be interested in spending the night to get a spot. But why get so riled up about the fact that these Bermudians want to do this? Just celebrate Bermuda and Bermuda Day!