Fancy Dress Festival

The Fancy Dress Festival is a vibrant annual masquerade celebration held in Winneba, a town in Ghana's Central Region. This lively event, characterized by festive brass band music, begins at Christmas and continues through New Year's Day.

The festival has deep roots, dating back to the 19th century when Dutch and British traders at the Winneba seaport introduced the tradition. Janka Abraham, the festival’s founder, merged these masquerade customs with local traditions, giving rise to various groups such as the Nobles, Egyaa, Tumbo Rusu, and Red Cross.

The Nobles were the inaugural group to kick things off. They began by dressing up as different professionals and humorously mimicking Europeans, donning costumes of doctors, nurses, farmers, and even colonial officials. As the festival grew in popularity, more groups formed, each with its own membership rules. Some groups even required members to speak English and pass entrance exams.

In the 1930s, Catholic priests introduced brass band music into the mix, adding an exhilarating new element to the festivities. The festival's organization is quite structured, featuring roles such as group father, band leader, Fancy Dress leader, group mother, cowboys, scouts, stilt walkers, and general members. Scouts play a crucial role in fundraising by collecting donations from spectators.

Today, the Fancy Dress Festival remains a cherished cultural event in Winneba. It beautifully showcases the community’s creativity, traditions, and history through a dazzling display of costumes, music, and performances.