"Free" Kente for tourists at 2010 Agbamevorza

Ho, Aug. 29, GNA - Tourists at this year's Kente Festival (Agbamevorza) of the chiefs and people of Agotime Traditional Area would be given various kinds of quality kente at very moderate prices that could be said to be "free".

This is to give local and foreign tourists the opportunity own quality Kente from Agotime, Mr Elvis Ativoe, Spokesperson of the Festival Planning Committee said on Sunday.

He said this in an interaction with the media in Ho on the preparations of the traditional area for the Festival on the theme; "Kente, Our Heritage for Wealth Creation".

Mr Ativoe said the traditional area wanted to honour tourists in this year's celebration and could only do that by offering "creative, new and various quality kente at affordable prices as free gifts".

He said though Kente was prestigious internationally, the traditional area wanted to demystify it as the preserve of the rich so that anyone who admired Kente could own one at the festival.

Mr Ativoe thus urged all tourists to join the celebration early to be able to acquire a Kente piece and enjoy every part of the celebration including cultural displays and lectures on the various types and uses of Kente.

Mr Gabriel Kofi Katamani, Festival Planning Committee Chairman, said this year's festival promised to be big.

He said about 1,500 local and foreign tourists were expected to grace the festival.

Mr Katamani said the traditional area was ready for the festival and could not wait for the grand durbar.

"Activities such as fetching of water by the witches, beauty pageant and procession of warlords in palanquins would be interesting but we cannot wait for the grand durbar," he said.

The festival starts on Monday August 30 with the commissioning of an Eco-Tourism Centre at a grand durbar on Saturday, September 4, 2010.