Colourful masquerades on Saturday paraded the streets of Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis and danced to brass music in celebration of Christmas.
In the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, the celebration of Christmas is never complete without the age-old tradition, largely embraced by many restaurants, who looked forward to it every year.
There was participation from other stakeholders in the event dubbed Westside Carnival and organised by Takoradi-based Skyypower FM.
This year’s event kicked off on Saturday, December 25 with a float to demonstrate what should be expected from Boxing Day December 26 and January 1, 2022.
Thousands of people gathered around Amanful, near the Takoradi Market Circle, to catch a glimpse of the masquerades and had a feel of the popular street carnival.
As part of the carnival, the various masquerade groups, after going through principal streets, mounted a stage to display their music and dancing skills.
The over 52 masquerade groups have young and elderly men and women as members.
This year’s event saw Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko- Mensah, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Takoradi and Western Regional Minister, who had been a masquerade for many years, participating in his colourful attire.
The excitement of the festival was not only in the dancing skills and colourful attire of different designs but also the masks that each masquerade wore and how they appeared in them.
Winners were selected and rewarded.
Some of the masquerade groups have existed for decades and one of the oldest in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis was the group known as Anchors, which has been around for sixty years.
The group is often financed by Ghanaians in the diaspora, who are also very active members.
The event brings together indigenes of Sekondi-Takoradi from other parts of the country and in the diaspora.
The Ghana News Agency gathered that one of the groups, Oshe W’akuma Mu, has branches outside Takoradi and transported members from Accra, Tema and other parts of the country into the Metropolis.
GNA