Ghetto Splash sizzles - But vendors feel left out

The vendors who sell their merchandise at the annual Ghetto Splash in Waterhouse say they are willing to pay a fee next year if it will guarantee them the opportunity to once more ply their wares inside the venue.

The event, which was held at the Waterhouse Mini Stadium on Tuesday night, saw the vendors being restricted to the areas outside the venue, a first in Ghetto Splash history according to them.

Clive, who has been selling jerked chicken at the event for the last five years, told The STAR that not being able to access the grounds inside, put a huge dent in his sales.

"Only persons weh a sell liquor usually outside because Boom sponsor and dem a sell dem things inside there. But this year everybody outside and me nah lie, we feel it," he said explaining that the difficulty securing sponsorship this year may have resulted in the changes. "Dem get a food sponsor weh a sell inside so everybody else affi out here so. We understand how the sponsorship thing go but as the small man dem coulda come to we first wid a proposal and make we sort out something  best for everybody."

For Clive, he believes vendors paying a fee to set up shop inside the venue could offer a solution to the sponsorship woes the event has been facing in recent times.

SIMILAR SENTIMENTS

"Dem can come to we and make we pay supmn fi set up a stall inside because Ghetto Splash a fi wi. If a sponsor a go give you $100,000 and dem wah come sell in return, gi we di chance fi give unu dat $100,000 through the fee. We willing fi pay because a dis nuff a we wait pan a year time fi make a likkle money," he said.

Lisa, a soup vendor, shared similar sentiments. In the six years Lisa has been selling at the event, she said this year was the slowest.

"We glad dem work out the sponsorship thing and the show get fi keep because we look forward to it every year but me wah di organiser dem find a way fi put we back inside," she said. "We a hustler innu, a dem thing yah we take and make a living so if dem even come up wid supmn and say we affi pay a fee fi go back inside we willing."

Many other vendors echoed their sentiments and are urging chief organiser Patrick Roberts to consider striking a deal with them, one they believe will prove mutually beneficial.