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Day: November 17, 2017

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Turks Caicos Information

Conch Festival 2017 Coming Soon

conch festival 2017 coming soon

The idea for the conch festival started simply as a way to bring more visitors to the Blue Hills, a settlement of the Turks and Caicos Islands just a few miles away from the popular Grace Bay Beach. Wanting to bring the feeling of a carnival to the area of Blue Hills, the organizers of the now-famous conch festival decided to play to their strengths and celebrate the iconic cuisine of the region: the conch. Conch Festival 2017 will be the 14th annual event, taking place on Saturday afternoon, November 25th, outside the Three Queens Bar and Restaurant.

Conch in Turks & Caicos Islands

The conch is the main export of the Turks and Caicos Islands and has been a local delicacy for centuries. Indeed, the Turks and Caicos Islands are home to the only commercial conch farm in the world, Caicos Conch farm. The farm started as a way to meet the vast demand for exported conch from the Caribbean to the rest of the world, and now has become a popular tourist destination.

Besides having a beautiful shell and holding an important place of honour in the history, culture and economy of the islands, the conch also features prominently in local cuisine. The Turks and Caicos Islands are full of gourmet restaurants offering a variety of flavourful, spicy local dishes centered around the delicious conch. The local cuisine features a variety of ways to prepare the conch. Some of the most popular dishes include conch fritters, where the sea snail is breaded and fried, or the conch salad, where the conch is served raw. The conch festival is an opportunity for local restaurants to show their most creative take on the islands’ food “mascot.” From conch wontons to conch empanadas, the festival encourages local chefs to get creative.

Judges sample each restaurant’s offerings and award prizes for the best overall conch dish, best specialty dish, best conch salad, and the best conch chowder. The overall winner of the festival is selected by a popular vote, and every visitor that opts to purchase a tasting pass can join in on the fun! While the judges are hard at work, agonizing over these tough decisions, visitors to the festival are treated to a cornucopia of local music, art and dancing. The festival also promotes itself as family-friendly (while also offering a prize for the best Mojito, for the parents), and offers fun activities for kids including face painting, competitions and games, and raffles.

Conch Festival 2017

Don’t miss out on the conch festival of the Turks and Caicos Islands on November 25, 2017.

Follow the excitement at @conchfestival on Instagram or check out the Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/TCIConchFestival

Here are some favourite images from Instagram

#conchedout #onthebeach at the #2015turksandcaicos #conchfestival #toddlertime #bluehills #turksandcaicosislands

A post shared by Stacie Steensland (@staciesteensland) on

Categories
Turks Caicos Information

“What to do on Christmas in the Caribbean?” A Look at Holiday Traditions.

Christmas in the Caribbean is celebrated in a variety of unique and interesting ways. There are special foods and celebrations, each tied to local traditions.

Puerto Rico

You’ll hear American carols, “Feliz Navidad” by Jose Feliciano and traditional posada songs.

Jamaica

Jamaicans celebrate by going to church, exchanging gifts with their families, and gathering for a large meal. Dinner on Christmas Day, the biggest feast for Jamaicans, includes (of course) curry goat, and rice and gungo peas. Gungo peas usually ripen in December, and are a Christmas specialty for Jamaica, .

Trinidad

In this country located just off South America, the Venezuelan “parang music” adds a lively beat as neighbors travel  from house to house to serenade holiday gatherings.

Dominican Republic

Like in Trinidad, in this Caribbean country that border Haiti, groups of singers stroll through the neighborhood singing traditional Dominican folk songs about Christmas.

The French Caribbean

The Christmas season continues to be celebrate until Three Kings’ Day, or Epiphany, on January 6. This day commemorates “les Rois”, or the coming of the Three Wise Men and is the day when people in the French Caribbean take down their Christmas trees.

The Bahamas

The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos’ neighbor to the northwest, is famous for celebrating Junkanoo on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas observed in many Commonwealth countries, including Turks and Caicos), where masked revelers sing, dance, and drum their way through town streets in an exuberant parade.

In fact, Turks and Caicos has its own version of Junkanoo, which we call Maskanoo.

Celebrating Christmas in Turks and Caicos

The holiday season lasts for at least a month in Turks and Caicos. This means that there is almost always something for your family to do on your vacation here.

Besides the Christmas trees and colorful lights, there are events occurring from late November to early January.

Conch Festival (November 25th)

Every November, the island of Providenciales hosts the Turks and Caicos Conch Festival – a celebration of the islands’ national symbol and top export. This large shellfish has always played an integral role in local cuisine, which they now share with the world.

This year the the Conch Festival starts on November 25th. This is the official kickoff of the Christmas season, with a visit from Santa for the children.  Learn more about the Conch Festival.

Christmas Day in Turks and Caicos

Our resort typically decorates a spectacular Christmas trees that greets you when you arrive in the resort. There will be decorations around the resort as well, adding to the festive atmosphere. Many restaurants offer a special Christmas dinner service.

Maskanoo Parade (December 26th)

Maskanoo is an annual event in the Turks and Caicos and is held “Boxing Day”, the day after Christmas (a holiday in Commonwealth countries like the Turks and Caicos).

Courtesy TCI Tourism

Maskanoo has its roots in the ‘Masses’, a masquerade tradition that fuses traditional African culture with costumed balls from the colonial era. Observed by the residents of Provo today, Maskanoo originated with enslaved people brought to work nearby salt ponds two hundred years ago.

Here on Provo, the Maskanoo parade on December 26th travels along Grace Bay Road between the Regent Village and Salt Mills Plaza. Grace Bay Road is closed to traffic for this event.

Food, drink and souvenirs are widely available from local vendors, and visitors can enjoy a street parade, local music, island food, arts, & entertainment.

Post-Christmas Beach Party

Two days after Maskanoo, Post-Christmas Beach Party is held on December 28th, right on Grace Bay Beach. This annual event features live music, stalls selling authentic local “comfort food”, and other events.

New Year’s Eve and “Old Year’s Night”

In Turks and Caicos, New Year’s Eve traditionally begins with an island tradition called Old Year’s Night. On Provo, locals typically attend church services in the evening, and church bells ring out to bring good luck into the New Year.

At midnight, fireworks are set off on the beach to welcome the New Year.