J’Ou­vert cel­e­bra­tions got off to a smooth start in Ch­agua­nas.

From as ear­ly as 3 am yes­ter­day, spec­ta­tors be­gan gath­er­ing along Ram­saran Street, where the stage was set up.

Chair­man of the Ch­agua­nas Bor­ough Car­ni­val Com­mit­tee, Re­nee Bai­ley, said cel­e­bra­tions were not marred by any un­to­ward in­ci­dents.

There was al­so a strong po­lice pres­ence with of­fi­cers on pa­trol.

The first of 12 bands be­gan cross­ing the stage af­ter 6 am with I Can­dy’s pre­sen­ta­tion of Life in Colour. 

Van­dana Mo­hit, the Ch­agua­nas East Mem­ber of Par­lia­ment, led her band, Vans J’Ou­vert Cre­ations, to the big stage at Ram­saran Street. She has been do­ing so for the last 10 years.

This was the first year that Mo­hit’s band took part in the com­pe­ti­tion. In pre­vi­ous years, rev­ellers chose on­ly to pa­rade with­out any in­ten­tion of com­pet­ing for prizes.

Mo­hit said, “I’m proud of my band.”

The last band to cross the stage was In­no­cent Fun FC Chi­na­town. T&T Limers had a large cross-sec­tion of Venezue­lan mi­grants, who were giv­en in­struc­tions to jump and wave in Span­ish by the dee­jay. There was al­so an en­sem­ble of Venezue­lan drum­mers in the band.

The CBCC will an­nounce the win­ners on Ash Wednes­day.