Montserrat Calabash Festival
Calabash 2006 - "Calabash - An
Explosion of Culture"
July 18th - 23rd 2006
The Montserrat Hospitality
Association presents the
Montserrat Calabash Festival
“Calabash- An Explosion of
Culture” from July 18 to 23,
2006.
The event will be held in the
Emerald Isle of Montserrat.
The festival is intended to
provide many things.
1) A summer festival to add
another activity filled package
for the visitor
2) Stimulating economic activity
during the slow summer months
3) An opportunity to use an
indigenous craft item as a
revenue earner
(Poverty reduction)
4) Opportunity to celebrate our
culture and be proud to show it
to others
5) New initiative to let the
region know we are on the move
6) Opportunity to offer
relaxation in an unhurried and
calm atmosphere
8) Opportunity to give away
mangoes that are just falling
off
the trees
9) Opportunity to let more
people see the unique and
fascinating
natural wonder given to us by
the volcano
10) Opportunity to promote
Montserrat as an eco-tourism
paradise
11) Celebrate 25 years OESC
unity and integration
In a nutshell:
Our vision of the Montserrat
Calabash Festival includes
providing an interesting holiday
package to increase visitor
arrivals during the slower
summer months, and the promotion
of the local craft industry,
thus providing another means of
sustaining livelihoods and
contributing to the elimination
of poverty
THE SCHEDULE
A packed schedule of activities
is planned with a heavy emphasis
on culture, entertainment,
wellness and relaxation
Ecumenical Service - Tuesday,
July 18, 2006
The Festival will commence with
an Ecumenical Service at the
Brades Pentecostal Church on
Tuesday July 18 at 6:00pm. This
Service will not only mark the
beginning of “A Cultural
Explosion”, but will also do the
following:
1 Celebrate the opening of the
inaugural MCF
2 Mark 11 years of volcanic
activity and the resilience of
the people
of Montserrat
3 Celebrate 25 years of OECS
solidarity.
Opening Ceremony and Calabash
Exhibition - Thursday, July 20th
This takes place Thursday July
20th at 10:00am The Montserrat
National Trust, one of our
historical sites and home of our
botanical garden. Some of the
speakers scheduled to speak
include our Chief Minister
Honourable Dr Lowell Lewis, and
Professor Dr George Irish
educator and historian. The
winner of the calabash short
story competition will read and
a musical interlude will be
played using calabash
instruments.
The Exhibition will include
exhibits from Montserrat,
Guadeloupe, Trinidad, and
Dominica. A slide show
presentation on the
demonstration of calabash
preparation will play at
scheduled intervals during the
exhibition.
The exhibition continues daily,
so everyone should take the
opportunity to see it.
Calabash Food Fair - Friday
July 21st
No Festival is worth its salt
without the food. We plan a
sumptuous Fair on the grounds of
the Tropical Mansion Suites
Hotel beginning at 11:00 am.
Vendors representing different
islands and cultures will dish
out your choice of delicacies,
served on a calabash if you
wish.
Calabash Nite Lime - Friday
July 21st
Friday night comes alive with
Calabash Nite Lime. A live band,
backing local and overseas
entertainers at Festival
Village. Party people this is
your night, 9:00pm onwards.
Adeventure Hike - Saturday
July 22nd
The Adventure Hike to Rendezvous
Circle starts at 6:00am at the
Gerald’s Water Tank. This trail
snakes through the Silver Hills
and takes you past mangoes and
guavas just waiting to be
picked. Experienced tour guides
will point out several things of
interest along the way but
hikers will do well to take
along a camera.
Calabash Breakfast - Saturday
July 22nd
Hot, sumptuous Caribbean
breakfast will be sold to hikers
on their return to Geralds.
Calabash Cultural Expo -
Saturday July 22nd
The week continues with a
Calabash Cultural Expo at Good
Life Restaurant beginning at
8:00pm The Expo will be an
explosion of talent and culture.
There will be calypso, dancing,
comedy, dramatization,
saxophone, steel pan and
masquerades. King Andy and
Scrappy are among the
entertainers for the night.
Tickets for this show are only
$50.00 and includes cocktails.
Round De Island Calabash
Ferry Tour - Sunday July 22nd
This Tour has a cruise like
atmosphere can only be described
as awesome, to look at the
spectacular views of the once
thriving town of Plymouth. It
poses to be both educational and
interesting. Boarding 11:00am-
12noon
Beach Splash and Barbecue -
Sunday July 22ND - 1:00pm
On return to Little Bay after
the cruise, the Beach Splash and
Barbecue awaits. The Green
Monkey Dive Shop on Little Bay
rents all sorts of fun equipment
and swimming gear. There are
rubber boats for the children
and fins, snorkels, kayaks are
available.
“Cricket glorious cricket” It’s
part of our culture. A soft ball
cricket match will be played
with a mixed team.
This will be quite entertaining
and fun and will have the crowd
cheering for the team of their
choice. Contestants will be
striving to win the special
Golden Calabash as a trophy.
At 6:00 PM there will be a short
prize giving and Closing
Ceremony for the Montserrat
Calabash Festival.
Other Activities
Bus tours can be arranged
throughout the day and is highly
recommended for visitors so that
they can have a guided tour of
our island paradise.
Tour rates are US$120.00 for 4
persons, and negotiable for
larger groups. Contact person is
Jadine Glitzenhirn, and she is
reached at 1 664 491 2752
Pub crawls are popular and this
is another adventure starting at
Salem, where a group will make
several stops with the
opportunity to purchase food at
one of the bars and includes
stopping at the Friday nite Lime
on a guided tour from
6.30pm-10.30pm on July 21.
Contact person is Harriet, and
she can be reached at 1 664 491
5371
In addition, visitors may also
shop till they drop at the now
famous Arrow’s Man Shop “Ten to
One Murda” Sale. Be listening to
the radio for more information.
High quality items can be
purchased at ridiculous prices
much to the delight of serious
shoppers. Telephone # 1 664 491
6355
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