August 1st is Emancipation Day in Trinidad and Tobago, a public holiday. Trinidad and Tobago was the first country in the world to commemorate the abolition of slavery with a national observance, and since that time several other countries (mostly in the Caribbean) have followed suit.
For quite a few years now the last week in July, building up to the holiday (August 1), has been set aside for a series of festivals, lectures, films and fairs  in honour of the occasion.
This year the African Food Festival is being held on the Sunday before the actual holiday – (click here for my writeup of the 2010 Fair !)
Emancipation Day Display 2007, Piarco International Airport, Trinidad
TriniGourmet’s 2010 Emancipation Day Menu
For more information on Emancipation Day visit:
This post was originally published August 1, 2007. It has been updated twice since then.