Anancy Festival 2025 Recap
More than 250 attendees gathered at Island SPACE Caribbean Museum on the afternoon of Saturday, June 28, 2025, for the fourth annual Anancy Festival. This energetic celebration of Caribbean storytelling and culture brought families together for an afternoon of laughter, learning, and immersive cultural experiences. Presented in partnership with Jamaicans.com and supported by the División Cultural del Condado de Broward, the Fundación comunitaria de Broward, the Children’s Services Council, Schuman Feathers, Grace Foods, and a team of dedicated community volunteers, the event offered an unforgettable tribute to Caribbean heritage.
Spinning Stories and Smiles
The 2025 Anancy Festival delighted guests with a festive lineup of live storytelling, traditional ring games, arts and crafts, cultural exchanges, and rhythmic music—each rooted in the spirit and soul of the Caribbean. At the heart of it all was the beloved folkloric character Anancy the Spider, whose legendary tales of wit and wisdom have connected generations across the African and Caribbean diasporas.
Serving as host and this year’s Mrs. Anancy, Denise Taylor—author of Miss Delightful and Friends—brought the character to life with her infectious energy, leading story readings, dances, and ring games that kept children and parents equally engaged throughout the day.
Storytelling sessions were a crowd favorite, drawing fascinated attention from young listeners. Xavier Murphy, founder of Jamaicans.com, got the audience involved in a lively reenactment of a comical Anancy and Turtle tale, casting kids from the audience as the voices of the main characters and filling the room with laughter. Christina Gonsalves, the author of Alzheimer’s Book for Kids, shared a deeply moving true story about a little girl named Viola (inspired by Christina herself) who finds a touching way to reconnect with her ever-more forgetful grandmother through the power of song. The book highlighted the importance of patience, presence, and creating lasting memories with loved ones. Other readings were done by child volunteers from the audience.
Crafting, Culture and Creativity
Guests also enjoyed animated videos of Anancy’s mischievous antics and dove into a variety of interactive stations in the craft room—designing Carnival headbands, masks and waist-pieces, coloring folklore-themed pages, and decorating with glitter tattoos. These hands-on activities gave children a chance to express themselves artistically while learning about Caribbean traditions.
Ring games brought the energy up another level, with Mrs. Anancy leading a spirited crowd through classic Caribbean favorites like Brown Girl in the Ring, Those Who Born In January, and Punchinello Little Fellow. The games transitioned into a high-energy dance party and talent showcase, culminating in a Junior Carnival fashion show. In a dazzling finale, dancer Trudy Holder performed as Trinidad’s Dame Lorraine, Nina Simone, Ms. Jamaica Women Entrepreneur 2025, and two teenage revelers donned feathered headdresses and colorful attire, filling the museum with the sights and sounds of a miniature Carnival Caribbean.
Attendees left the festival with bright smiles, handmade keepsakes, new friends and a deeper sense of cultural pride. The 2025 Anancy Festival reinforced the power of storytelling as a bridge between generations and communities—celebrating not only where we come from, but also how we carry those stories forward.
Enjoy this gallery of photos showing some of our favorite moments:
Photos by Hannah Gulics
