NCC Flava Village Is More Than Food

Friday, January 9, 2026, Port of Spain, Trinidad: The National Carnival Commission (NCC) last evening launched Flava Village, a new Carnival initiative designed to create meaningful economic opportunities for small businesses while expanding how food, culture, and commerce are presented during Trinidad and Tobago Carnival.

Introduced for the first time as part of the national Carnival offering, Flava Village provides small and medium-sized food vendors, artisans, and entrepreneurs with a curated platform to grow their operations, reach wider audiences, and showcase the quality and creativity of locally made products within the Carnival space.

Minister of Culture and Community Development, Michelle Benjamin, said Flava Village reflects her commitment “to honouring the past and setting a stage for the future,” describing the Village as an opportunity-driven initiative that allows small businesses to show the world what they can produce.

While cuisine remains central to the experience, Flava Village is intentionally designed as more than a food court. It is a cultural marketplace that brings together food, arts and crafts, entertainment, and storytelling, connecting buyers and sellers in an environment rooted in Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival traditions.

“This is more than just cuisine,” said NCC Chairman Peter M. Kanhai. “Flava Village is an authentic Trinbagonian cultural experience, but it is also about opportunity. It gives our vendors and entrepreneurs a dedicated space to grow their businesses, build visibility, and be part of Carnival in a more structured and sustainable way.”

Flava Village officially opened on Thursday evening at the Queen’s Park Savannah, marking the first time the NCC has formally introduced a dedicated Food Village as part of its Carnival programming. The initiative also supports improved organisation within the Savannah, including better crowd flow, enhanced safety, and increased comfort for patrons.

The Village brings together many of the vendors traditionally located along the Drag at the Queen’s Park Savannah, alongside additional food and beverage operators and local artisans. Patrons can also enjoy live acoustic performances, resident and guest DJs, and appearances by traditional Carnival characters, creating an interactive space that encourages learning, liming, and cultural exchange.

Open daily from 4.00 p.m. to 11.00 p.m., Flava Village operates alongside the John Cupid Carnival Village, reinforcing the Queen’s Park Savannah as a central cultural and commercial hub throughout the Carnival season.

By integrating food, culture, and enterprise into one shared space, Flava Village reflects the NCC’s wider vision for Carnival 2026: a festival that honours tradition, supports livelihoods, and evolves to meet the needs of both patrons and producers.

Carnival 2026 continues under the theme “Yuh Go Love Dis,” with the NCC committed to delivering an experience that is inclusive, safe, and proudly local.

For more information events happening at Flava Village, please visit the NCC’s website (ncctt.org), on Facebook and Instagram, or call 622-1670, Monday to Friday, between 8 am to 4pm.