Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos -- The countdown is on to see who is the best conch chef, the fastest native sloop sailor, the best Mojito maker and the luckiest raffle ticket holder in Turks and Caicos, as the third annual Conch Festival prepares for one of the biggest parties in Blue Hills.
It’s all part of the fun at the third annual celebration of TCI culture, history and most important export. The event takes place from noon to 7 pm in the scenic and picturesque Blue Hills section of Providenciales, and also features live local music, games for the kids, and a variety of conch contests for all comers. All funds raised from the event go toward the development of a youth recreational facility in the Blue Hills area.
Featured performers at this year’s event include Lee Forbes & The Force, the TCI Junkanoo, and the world renowned Royal Turks & Caicos Police Force Combo Band.
The main draw of the event will be once again the chef ‘conch-etition.’ Purveyors of the local delicacy will challenge each other with creative concoctions of conch and be judged in one of three categories – conch chowder, conch salad and specialty conch, the catch-all category for the most innovative and inspired creations.
A popular vote amongst all Conch Festival attendees will decide the Grand Prize winner, who will be bestowed with a generous cash prize as well as a custom-designed ‘floating’ trophy, which can be displayed for a full year at their establishment.
Last year Hole in the Wall walked away with this honor and is back this year to defend its title. New this year is a prize for the participants, who are also voting for the winners. One lucky voter who returns a competed ballot will be entered in a draw to win an all expenses paid night’s stay at the Amanyara Resort.
Also debuting at the festival this year is the TCI Mojito Challenge, sponsored by local retailer The Wine Cellar and its partner Bacardi Rum. The TCI Mojito Challenge will pit the island’s best bartenders against each other in a tasting event to see who makes the best Mojito, a rum-based specialty drink made famous by our neighbors in Cuba, for cash and prizes.
The conch-etition isn’t limited to just land; organizers are looking forward to spirited competition on the waters as well. The TCI Maritime Heritage Federation will showcase its members’ sailing skills with a high stakes native sloop race off the shores of Blue Hills. Racing starts at 12:30PM, with up to a dozen of the islands’ finest sailing vessels. The sailors will also be on hand to give up-close demonstrations of their crafts.
The Rotary Club of Providenciales will repeat its popular $10,000 Pot o’ Gold draw, with the grand prize drawing scheduled for 6PM at the Conch Festival. Tickets are available from Rotarians throughout the islands and only 2,000 tickets will be sold.
