Caribana is going to have a presence at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, which open on Friday.

Word is that a 13 member contingent from Caribana have been sent to participate in something called a “Cultural Olympiad”, which will be held in the Olympic Village, and which highlights a number of different cultural components of Canada.

The Cultural Olympiad will run for five days, The Camera was told, with the Caribana group doing several performances daily choreographed by the celebrated dancer Martin Scott-Pascall.

The Caribana contingent is being headed by Denise Herrera-Jackson, the woman named as the replacement for Festival Management Committee head Joe Halstead, in her first official role for the festival.

Masqueraders chosen to go represent two mas bands – Marcus Eustace’s Carnival Nationz and Louis Saldenah Mas-K Club.

Caribana’s presence won’t be only at the Cultural Olympiad, as the festival is also featured in a project undertaken by the Canadian Tourism Commission, which will showcase 24 “video postcards” from Canada which are being provided to over 200 Olympic Games broadcasters around the world.

Caribana was chosen to be featured in one of the “postcards” after the festival was listed as the fourth most popular destination in Canada. The Carnival was the only event listed in the Top 10 destinations, with the other nine being natural attractions.