History

Historically, Emancipation celebrations have been centered around the Annual Cup Match Cricket Classic event, beginning on Thursday and ending on Friday. The game has traditionally been flanked by concert events and other activities in the evenings. The first day of Cup Match has always been the slow day at the Cup Match Cricket Classic game with many people choosing to spend the day outside with family and friends. Younger generations, in recent years, have used this holiday as a community gathering event at Horseshoe Bay; catching up with friends on Thursday on the beach and attending the game on its second day to support their favorite team. Due to this “new” tradition, Horseshoe Bay receives its largest unprompted attendance for the year, attracting thousands of locals and tourists alike, all out to enjoy the day and have a good time on the beach. The Chewstick Foundation has worked for the past 5 years towards reinforcing this tradition with Chewstick’s Annual Beachfest Emancipation Celebration held at Horseshoe Bay.