July in Grand Bahama is all about the Goombay Festival which is usually held at Taino Beach. It was launched in 1974 as a Ministry of Tourism initiative on Grand Bahama to attract visitors in the slower summer season.

The Goombay Festival is one of the best expressions of Bahamian culture, and Grand Bahama has a special claim to it. Many Bahamians regard Grand Bahama as the birthplace of the modern Goombay Summer Festival, which was developed to give visitors—and just as importantly, Bahamians themselves—a chance to experience authentic island culture beyond the resorts. Today the festival is celebrated throughout The Bahamas, but Grand Bahama remains especially proud of its role in its creation.

WHY IS IT CALLED GOOMBAY?

Most people think it’s simply the name of a festival when in fact it almost certainly began as the name of an African drum, a goatskin drum made by stretching goatskin tightly over a keg. The word originated in the Bantu language. This kind of drum is still used in traditional Bahamian music which incorporates the musical traditions of African and European music.

WHAT WILL YOU SEE AND DO?

Junkanoo “rush-outs” with vibrant costumes and pounding drums.

Goombay music and modern Bahamian bands.

Rake-and-scrape performances using saws, goatskin drums, and accordions.Quadrille dancing and other traditional folk dances.

Demonstrations of coconut husking, conch cracking, and bush medicine.

Local artisans selling straw work, wood carving, shell crafts, and paintings.

Plenty of Bahamian food—conch salad, cracked conch, peas ‘n’ rice, guava duff, johnnycake, and much more.