Junkanoo is the most widely practiced folk art form in the Bahamas. It was a Pan Caribbean Festival conducted in the Bahamas by slaves throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. The origins of Junkanoo are a source of much debate. The most widely recognized theory is that the word "Junkanoo" comes from the name John Canoe, an African ruler and slave trader who lived in the seventeenth century on the Gold Coast of Africa.

Junkanoo is now mostly a street procession held in the Bahamas and the Turks & Caicos Islands. Music, dance, and art and craft are three parts of the parade's performing arts.

Nassau, the capital, has the largest Junkanoo parade. There are also Junkanoo celebrations in June and October in Miami and Key West, where the local Afro-American populations have ties to the Bahamas.

Date: December, January, and July

According to a trustworthy source on Central Andros, the annual Crab Fest held in June in Fresh Creek, Andros has improved the local economy.

On the Andros Crab Festival, thousands of individuals attend the weekend events, the majority of whom are from New Providence's capital. Ferryboat trips and charters are the only ways to get to the island. This is one of the most famous festivals in the Bahamas.

Crab enterprises have flourished on the island of Andros. Crabs are caught and maintained in pens when they are in large numbers or "walking." They are fed coconuts, vegetables, and berries. Crabs can be kept for up to a year by certain intelligent Androsians. A white crab can sell for up to $5 in the off-season, and a smaller black crab for $4. The three-day Craft Fest has promised to boost heritage tourism in a big way.

Date: Beginning of June

The word "freedom" comes to mind when thinking of Fox Hill Day Festival. This is the oldest celebration, which takes place around the second weekend in August. Next to Junkanoo, it is regarded as the largest festival. It's also connected to the end of slavery. It marks the liberation of enslaved Africans in the Bahamas. Church services, Bahamian food and drinks, singing, and dancing are held on Fox Hill to commemorate their ancestors' release from slavery by the British in 1838.

The Fox Hill Congo Junkanoo ensemble and a band performance are among the cultural acts held at this festival. Delicious Bahamian meals and sweets, as well as other entertainment, are offered. The Emancipation Day Memorial Service is an essential feature of the festivities.

Date: 2nd Monday in August

One of the most famous festivals in the Bahamas - Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF) isn't a usual "off-season" event on a tropical island. This festival runs from December to January and includes screenings, panel discussions, and gala events. BIFF is a non-profit film festival that takes place in the Bahamas. Leslie Vanderpool started the festival in 2004 and it is open to both locals and international tourists.

The Bahamas International Film Festival is a well-known film festival that draws stars such as Nicolas Cage and Sean Connery. Up-and-coming filmmakers are welcome to attend and display their work.

BIFF also organizes a youth film workshop with the goal of providing information and resources on filmmaking to young Bahamians. Carol and Janis: Little Girl Blue were among the women-driven films shown at the 2015 BIFF. Movie Maker Magazine named BIFF one of the top 25 trendiest film festivals in the world.

Date: December

In the first week of June, Gregory Town on the island of Eleuthera comes to life with this festival. The celebrations take place over four days. The event was first held in Gregory Town in 1988 by the local tourist office. The pineapple is the Bahamians' symbol of welcome. The symbolism of the pineapple comes from a long heritage of Northern seafaring commanders. When the captains returned home, they would set a pineapple on their gatepost to announce their arrival.

The pineapple industry was booming at the time, with annual shipments exceeding 50,000 pineapples. Eleuthera pineapples kicked off the pineapple business in Jensen Beach, Florida. Every year, around 5000 people attend the pineapple festival. For many, it is an opportunity to spend a weekend at home with family.

Date: First week of June

Over the years, the E. Clement Bethel National Arts Festival has expanded in size. Lady Arthur, the then-royal governor's wife, started the Festival movement in 1959. The family islands were added two years later, in 1961. Mrs. Meta Davis Cumberbatch, a concert pianist of Trinidadian descent, founded the Arts and Craft Festival to complement the Music Festival at this period.

The Bahamas Arts and Crafts Exhibition and the Music Festival were both added into the programs by E Clement Bethel, the first Director of Culture, in 1971. The Drama Festival was added in 1972. With the re-addition of the National Arts and Crafts Exhibition at the Central Bank, this institution has now extended to include the visual and performing arts.

On the E. Clement Bethel National Arts Festival, there have also been a number of successful spin-off events. A gospel concert, a final concert, a National Pride Day Performance, and a grand Independence Day celebration are all planned. A workshop for a small number of festival winners affiliated with the Washington Jazz Institute in Washington, D.C. is also included.

Date: February

The first Coconut Festival - one of the most famous festivals in the Bahamas, was held in 1998. Cathy Laing, a descendant of Pelican Point, Grand Bahama, created it. The celebration, like Eleuthera's Pineapple Festival and Andros' Crab Fest, was intended to be a homecoming event. It seemed only natural, given the settlement's abundance of coconut.

During Coconut Festival, coconut is used to make culinary meals, drinks, and crafts. A coconut barking contest is held, as well as dancing to the beat of Bahamian musicians. Hundreds of visitors go to the eastern end of the island each year for the event, which offers an endless variety of coconut sculptures.

The art of the coconut will be showcased in items such as coconut jimmy, coconut dessert, jams and preserves, and the Bahamian delicacy, Gully Wash! There will also be Bahamian arts and crafts, as well as coconut jewelry.

Date: Easter Monday

Conch Festival is yearly homecoming event, which began in 1972, draws both local and international visitors who compete for the prized and genuinely Bahamian-designed conch trophy, which is presented to the country's greatest Conch Cracker. Contestants compete to see who can remove and clean the meat from the most conchs in the shortest amount of time.

There's a competition for men, women, residents, and visitors alike! Other games, food, music, and live entertainment are available in addition to the conch cracking competitions.

The event includes a variety of conch-themed meals, as well as other foods and beverages, locally manufactured souvenirs, competitions, and a full day of activities for both adults and children. McLean's Town on East Grand Bahama is the location.

Date: October