Participants in the Bermuda Day Parade will be up by more than a third on last year, senators were told yesterday.

Owen Darrell, the Minister of Youth, Culture and Sport, said the event was a unique gathering to celebrate all that’s good about the island.

Mr Darrell, who is also Government Senate Leader, told the Upper House: “This parade — this day — is an experience not to be missed.

“And, in my role as the minister responsible for culture, I have an even deeper appreciation for all of the hard work and planning that goes into organising the parade as well as participating in the parade.

“This year’s Bermuda Day and heritage month theme is a Bermudian renaissance. With this theme, we invited participants to think about what an artistic rebirth might look like and mean for our community.

“We are also experiencing a bit of a renaissance in terms of participation, with approximately a 35 per cent increase in participant numbers when compared with the 37 entries we had last year.

“This statistic is a powerful testament to our resilience, reflecting the value we place on this specific tradition, which has experienced this rebound following the pandemic.

“This parade is about all of us as Bermudians, and is one of the best opportunities throughout our year to celebrate ourselves as a people.”

Mr Darrell thanked sponsors for helping people who are taking part.

He said: “The Bermuda Foundation was able to assist by creating the Bermuda Day Fund, launched last month, for the purpose of charities and other community groups benefiting from having some of the costs offset for participation.

“This includes expenses associated with music equipment, purchase of costumes, truck rental, and float construction.”

Mr Darrell urged participants and onlookers to stay safe during the parade: “Anyone who knows me on a personal level knows that Bermuda Day is absolutely my favourite holiday of the year.

“For years, I’ve kept to the tradition of watching the runners in the half-marathon derby speed past; enthusiastically enjoying the parade route and stopping along the way to catch up with friends and family; and enjoying the sights and sounds of the many dance groups, gombey troupes, floats, majorettes, music trucks and walking groups that the Bermuda Day Parade has to offer.”