MASKANOO™ Celebrates 15 Years of Culture, Community and Creativity in Turks & Caicos
Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands, December 26, 2025 – The Turks & Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association (TCHTA) proudly marked the 15th anniversary of Maskanoo™, a Turks and Caicos Islands’ signature cultural celebration, with thousands gathering along Grace Bay Road on Boxing Day to honour culture, creativity and community spirit.
Conceptualized in 2009 by cultural icon David Bowen during his tenure as the country’s Director of Culture, Maskanoo™ has become a cherished year-end tradition, blending Masquerade (Massin’) and Junkanoo influences with unique Turks and Caicos elements to create an immersive celebration of national pride and cultural heritage. Fifteen years later, Bowen’s vision remains central, uniting residents and visitors in a shared celebration of who the Turks and Caicos Islands are as a people.
“Maskanoo™ is an expression of our identity. It is vibrant, rhythmic, joyful, rooted in history and grounded in us,” said Stacy Cox, CEO of the TCHTA. “This milestone matters because 15 years later, the vision continues to grow, deepen and connect across generations. We are proud of what this event means to the Turks and Caicos Islands, and grateful to everyone who has helped sustain its legacy.”
This year’s staging placed renewed focus on cultural authenticity, highlighted through expanded programming facilitated by cultural practitioners and supported through the involvement of the Department of Culture. The programme featured cultural trivia and giveaways, a conch-shell blowing competition, maypole dancing, school dance performances, spoken word, poetry and multiple live music sets by local bands including A+ Band, Island Boys Ripsaw Band, Q Band Lynks, Gemma, and the Pro-Vision Band Boys.
One of the climactic moments of the celebration was the WeFunk Junkanoo parade, which delivered one of its most impressive presentations to date with larger numbers, striking costume displays, and high-energy movement that lit up the route and drew the usual enthusiastic support from the crowd. This high point was followed by the late-night fireworks display, bringing together music, movement and spectacle in true Maskanoo™ tradition. The TCHTA also paid tribute to the life and legacy of the late Keno Hall, whose music helped shape the sound of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
“As the custodians of culture, the Department of Culture was honoured to support a programme that highlighted Turks and Caicos Islands cultural heritage,” said Odessa Forbes, Director of Culture. “Through the Maskanoo platform, the Department is intentional about promoting Turks and Caicos Islands masquerade heritage – Massin’, the country’s authentic masquerade tradition, first documented in Grand Turk during Christmas celebrations in 1811. This heritage was made visible through Massin’ costuming, alongside rip-saw music, maypole dancing, and conch-shell blowing, ensuring that our cultural expressions are not only seen, but recognised, respected, and understood by both residents and those experiencing our culture for the first time.”
Community safety remained at the forefront of the night’s production, with the help of key partners guiding patrons safely throughout the night. “Maskanoo is a cultural festival that celebrates the rich heritage, music, and creativity of the Turks and Caicos Islands, bringing together residents and visitors in a vibrant display of community spirit and national pride.” said Denyse Renne, Media Relations Officer of the RTCIPF. “The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force took comprehensive measures to ensure a safe and enjoyable environment for all, and we are pleased to report that the event concluded with minimal disturbance throughout the night.”
Maskanoo™ 2025 was made possible through the continued support of TCHTA members, who have anchored the event for all 15 years, alongside major sponsorship from the Ministry of Tourism, Experience Turks & Caicos and the Department of Culture. Experience partners included K&T, Island Drilling and Pelican Energy TCI, with event operations supported by Emergency Medical Services, RTCIPF, TCI Regiment and Dove Security, along with Garry Saimpha and the ground crew. Technical support was provided by Lucid Illumination, Subtronic Sounds, and Genesis Next Media, while SOS Media oversaw event management and execution.
“Maskanoo is proof of what collaboration can do,” Cox added. “To every partner, every sponsor, every cultural custodian, every performer, every vendor and every member of the community who came out – thank you. Your support sustains a tradition that has brought us together for 15 years, and will continue to shape how we tell our story moving forward.”
Maskanoo™ continues to serve as a proud vehicle of Turks and Caicos cultural heritage – one that honours the past while inspiring the next generation of cultural carriers, musicians, artists and storytellers.
The TCHTA looks forward to continued collaboration with the Department of Culture to deepen Maskanoo’s cultural roots and amplify opportunities for community participation, with a renewed commitment to welcoming school groups, community groups and emerging cultural practitioners into future programmes.
After 15 years, the vision remains the same – to safeguard and celebrate the spirit of the Turks and Caicos Islands and to ensure that those who follow inherit both the legacy and the stage to carry it forward.
ENDS
About the Turks & Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association (TCHTA)
The Turk & Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association represents a wide range of members from resorts and villas to insurance companies and financial service providers, watersports operators, catering outlets, taxi drivers, artisans, and sundry tourism service providers. The Association aims to assist organizations through networking opportunities, training, promotional activities, and representation at all levels of decision-making in the Turks and Caicos Islands and the region. Through involvement and cooperation with our tourism partners, the TCHTA is dedicated to the achievement of sustainable growth in tourism for the benefit of its members and the wider community, while protecting and enhancing the unique character and environment of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Media Contact
S. Omega Simmons
SOS Media
pr@sosmediatci.com