This is to invite all Nairaladers to Calabar, Cross River State this holiday season.

The Christmas Carnival activities scheduled for this year includes:–

• Switching on of Christmas Lights at the Millenim Square.(Majority of the streets in Calabar will be beautifully decorated with nicely designed Christmas street lights & decorations. When lit at night, its amazing!!)

• Boat Race/ Parade, Boat Regatta, (A mix of the rich riverine cultures of CRS & Rivers State. (Mrs Duke is from Bonny, Rivers State)

• There will also be a street parade of competitive floats about 12km long, made up of a Trinidad & Tobago themed carnival floats including traditional dances and masquerades, Trinidad & Tobago Steel Band, Calypso Music and loads more!! Pure fun & thrill I can assure you! The cross section of the state will be massively represented in the carnival float. It will be fun galore and Mr Duke and his wife led the Carnival Procession last year and will do the same again this year!!

• City Walk & Campaign against HIV/AIDS. I have participated in several of these walks myself in past years.

• Christmas Village & Shopping Arcade showcasing our culture and various foods. Lots of Ekpang Nkwukwo, Edikang Ikong, Afang, Ukang Ukom, Afia Efere, Usung Abia as well as 404!! LOL!! Well not only food will be served there but there will be lots of artifacts and other cultural products for sale.

• Xmas Festival Raffle Draw

• Carol Night

• Musical Show ushering in the new year and a fireworks display to bring on the new year. This will also serve as an avenue to discover new talents as well as showcase old ones. Governor Duke plays the Saxaphone and is sure to give a performance during the variety night!! Other musicians will be there also and those lined up for this year include: Wyclef Jean, Chris Brown, Sunny Neji, Sammy Okposo, Tuface Idibia, Blackky and a whole lot of others. Mighty Sparrow and Maxi Priest were around last Xmas and may put in a repeat appearance this year.

• Of course, there’s the wonderful Obudu Cattle Ranch to relax in. Its a tourist's haven!! Mr Duke has been organising carnivals like these since 1999 and as this is going to be his last Xmas as CRS Governor, he is leaving with a bang so its bound to be even more fun than all the previous years.

The Calabar Christmas Carnival is a month long International festival and creates an enabling environment for tourism as well as allowing Nigerians at home and in the diaspora to wind down after a whole year of working hard. So make it a date in December cos its going to be FUN, FUN, FUN!! I have participated in several carnivals myself and I can attest to the excitement as well as the cheerful atmosphere released upon the state by the carnival every christmas!! All the activities will be interesting and entertaining!! I personally look forward to every forthcoming activity each December.

I am inviting you all to come and participate in this Christmas festival in December 2006. This is the time to plan ahead towards participating in the festival. For those who intend to spend Christmas & the New Year in Nigeria - Please do make out time and visit Cross River State!! You are all very welcome!!

For further enquiries, schedule of events, hotel resevations, logistics e.t.c. mail me sani_finestone@yahoo.com

I wish I could be there.

Ok i will be in Calaber this Chrismas to cath the fun.

The problem is that there are not enough Hotels in Calabar to accommodate and match the teeming influx of visitors during this festive period. Apart from Metro,Mirage,Pyramid & Channel View Hotels there is  very big dearth of decent Hotels in Calabar to match the hype


How much will the festival cost the CR State Govt? Why force Civil Servants to take compulsory Annual leave during the month of December just to celebrate a carnival ? After the whole carnival, the civil servants still get owed 2 months salary.