The city of Bamenda City will from February 7-21, 2015 host the first ever Culture and Heritage Trade Fair which has as objective to expose the heritage and patrimony of the entire North West Region of Cameroon, for both national and international consumption.

The groundbreaking event which is organized by the Bamenda City Council and the Ministry of Arts and Culture in collaboration of the National Council of Traditional Rulers seeks to make Bamenda city as the Carrefour of culture and heritage and above all propagate the rich cultural diversity of the Bamenda man.

The one-week intensive from what we gathered also seeks to celebrate the cultural specificities of the seven Divisions of the North West Region as well as exhibit the socio-cultural way of the life of the region.

Major Attractions

Construction work to put in place a culture and heritage village in the form of a giant museum is near completion. This village according to what we observed is being constructed following a typical North West traditional architectural design.

According to the organizers, the event shall be rolled out in different thematic categories, such as cultural dances of traditional patrimony, traditional dresses that tell the story of the people, cultural heritage and sacred rituals. Besides, songs of customs and tradition such as incantations, dirges, birth celebrations and choral displays.

Another interesting part of the fair shall be the culinary arts of the Bamenda man and their traditional staples, like Achu, Kati-kati, fufu corn and njama njama, nantari etc. One of the fascinating aspects of the event shall be the guided tour to the heritage sites, museums and tourist sites.

The culture and heritage fair in its entirety shall consist of the exhibition of sculptures, paintings, art and craft, pictures, books as well as agro-pastoral produce.

Revamping traditional games

In a bid to revamp the culture of horse race which is a tradition of the region, a horse race shall be organized as well as a mini marathon.

Other activities linked to the animation of the event shall include amongst others musical and live band animations and carnivals, traditional games, merry go-rounds, tombola and general fanfare.