Blog Archives
CaribPics: 15th Annual Mango Melee and Tropical Fruit Festival-St. Croix, VI
Over the weekend (Sunday) I had the pleasure of attending the 15th Annual Mango Melee and Tropical Fruit Festival on St. Croix. This was a new experience for me as I had never attended the event or been to the botanical gardens. As I walked through the pathways of the St. George Village Botanical Gardens, I took in not only the beautiful surroundings but also the aroma of fruits and cooked food alike. Vendors lined the paths with tropical drinks, fruits for sales, pastries, local delicacies, arts and crafts, and plants all for sale. I especially enjoyed a fruit-filled smoothie by the Country Snack Stand (their located on Mahogany Road in the Rain Forest).
The event, which benefits the botanical garden, features food and craft vendors, educational workshops, culinary competitions, mango eating contests, mango and tropical fruit tastings, a mega-mini mango contest, garden tours, and a silent fruit auction. Approximatley 4,000 attendees came out this year in support of the event.
This year’s “Mango Dis, Mango Dat” Competition winners included:
Professional
Sweets – Sue Lakos, Mango Crunch
Stuff – Ralston and Eunice Ambrose, Mango Chicken Fiesta
Amateur
Sips –1st Martha Jean-Pierre- Martha’s Specialty 2nd-Zandra Petersen- Mango Liqueur
Salsa – 1st Don Bailey- Tarragon Mango Dip; 2nd Patasha Tracey- Spicy Mango Salsa
Sweets – 1st Sharon Grimes- Mangoes on Snow; 2nd Debi George- Mango Peach Crisp
Stuff – 1st Zandra Petersen- Mango Bread; 2nd Zandra Petersen- Mango Butter
Winners of the mango eating competition:
Junior Division-Adrian Pierce Encarnacion
Adult Division-Olubayo Kaza
The event concluded with a silent auction of fruits in the Great Hall and a crowd dancing to the Electric Slide on the front lawn.
Check out this video courtesy of CBS News 2 VI:
For more information on the event and St. George Village Botanical Gardens visit: www.sgvbg.org
– @JozBiz
Related articles
- Mango Melee: Takes Over Botanical Gardens Sunday (caribvue.com)
Paul Campbell: Launches New Movie on the Eve of Kingston Pon di River
INTERNATIONALLY acclaimed Jamaican actor and artist Paul Campbell, who released his new movie, Out the Gate, last Thursday in New York City, has joined the line-up of prominent Jamaicans scheduled to perform at the inaugural Kingston Pon Di River.
A festival of literary, visual, performing, and culinary arts, Kingston Pon Di River is set for Sunday, May 29 at Boone Hall Oasis, Stony Hill.
Campbell is best known for his tough-guy starring roles in Dancehall Queen, Third World Cop and Shottas, among other indigenous films which have explored the nucleus of the underbelly of Jamaican life and the streets.
His latest foray on screen will run in select cinemas in the Big Apple.
Campbell’s co-star in Out the Gate is compatriot Oliver Samuels, the king of Jamaican comedy, who is best known for his Oliver at Large series, as well as more recent theatrical productions with Jambiz.
“Out the Gate taps into real-life ideas, dreams, concerns, challenges, and victories by many immigrants in the United States,” read a statement released by the promoters. “Without boring you, the production team successfully explored the music industry, migration and the issue of donmanship, among other critical topics that will have you thinking and talking about it for a long time.”
Aside from Campbell, many other high-profile Jamaicans and expatriates will put their literary skills on display at Kingston Pon Di River. They include minister of transport and works Mike Henry, Television Jamaica’s Kay Osborne, United States Ambassador Pamela Bridgewater, Mexican Ambassador to Jamaica Leonora Rueda, public relations and advertising consultant Jean Lowrie-Chin, former government minister Aloun Assamba, Totlyn Oliver, Nadean Rawlins, and former postmaster general Blossom O’Meally-Nelson.
The arts festival will also cater to kids, as Kelly Magnus will read age-appropriate material to them, and patrons will be treated to music by Dwight Richards and Friends, the Kingston Drummers, and veteran musician Ernie Smith.
Kingston Pon Di River is the brainchild of Dynamic Event Services, a group of women with backgrounds in the tourism industry who seek to reposition Kingston, Jamaica’s capital, as the cultural centre of the Caribbean.
Part of the proceeds from the event will go towards the renovation of the Ward Theatre in downtown Kingston.
Source: JamaicaObserver.com
Check out the official trailer for “Out the Gate” below:
Bahamas: Grand Bahama’s “We Are Culture” Food & Cultural Festival
Click to enlarge
The Downtown International Food & Cultural Festival will be held on June 17th and 18th, 2011. Come and taste indigenous dishes from around the world, including unique foods from different Islands of The Bahamas. Shop for native crafts on display. Experience various cultures through song and dance and join in colorful Bahamian Junkanoo parades.
CaribVue 