The Laborie/Augier constituency celebrated a historic milestone with the launch of its first-ever music festival, an event designed to showcase local talent, celebrate cultural heritage, and attract visitors to the region.
Held at the Papel Craft Centre on Sunday, the festival marked the beginning of what organisers hope will become an annual tradition that strengthens community ties and promotes economic growth.
Festival-goers enjoyed a vibrant mix of local food, drinks, and handcrafted items alongside performances by folk bands, stilt walkers, and face painters.
More than just entertainment, the event aimed to revitalise Laborie’s tourism industry and provide opportunities for small businesses and artisans.
The festival was made possible through a partnership between the Taiwan Technical Mission, local crafters, and the Member of Parliament for Laborie/Augier, Alva Baptiste. The collaboration is part of a broader strategy to support community-driven growth through rehabilitation, capacity building, and stronger tourism linkages.
Taiwanese Ambassador, Her Excellency Nicole Su expressed her excitement about the festival, noting the significance of the event as part of a broader bilateral cooperation project.
“This project aims to support local, small and medium-sized enterprises by integrating communities, existing businesses, tourism resources, and cultural heritage with modern marketing strategies,” she stated.
Drawing from successful models like the Dasheen Festival in Fond St Jacques, Ambassador Su highlighted how such initiatives help communities capitalise on their unique offerings.
“We try to bring in ideas, encouraging the community to explore their own specialty and capitalise on it, to transform it into an attraction, so that tourists could go there, not only to try the delicious local produce but also at the same time explore,” she said.
Revealing the long-term vision for the constituency, Baptiste stressed the importance of the music festival not just as an entertainment event but as a way to foster social cohesion and community spirit.
“I think this is the inaugural one, which we shall make a yearly event because we want it to be part of the fabric of our community. Undoubtedly, it fosters the community spirit, fosters in a very big way social cohesion and a sense of great pride for us as Laborians,” the MP said.
Looking ahead, Baptiste revealed plans for major development projects in Laborie, including a new hotel at Majomel and upgrades to Morne Le Blanc, to enhance tourism and cultural experiences.
“We are going to develop a very important hotel plant at Majomel, which we shall call the Upper Laborie Village. We will be developing the Morne Le Blanc site so that we create interest in our community,” he added.
The goal is to create a space that connects the past with the future, drawing on the region’s rich heritage and natural beauty.
WOW. It looks very nice!! tks for sharing it very interesting.
Laborie is ahead of all those districts because of their mindset. It’s different. The place has low crime and strong cohesion. I am not from the area but I have visited the place numerous times. I wish them well.