People from all walks of life gathered at the Island Harbour bay front on the Easter weekend, April 16th and 17th, to savour the celebrative ambiance of another Festival del Mar. Festival del Mar 2022 ushered in a great sigh of relief for those who were bogged down under Covid restrictions for the past two years.
Now with such restrictions relaxed, and virtually lifted, locals and visitors alike were free to participate and revel as they observed the 15th Festival del Mar – Festival of the Sea.
It is only befitting that Festival del Mar be held in Island Harbour each year. Everyone looks forward to getting a piece of the action in the little quaint fishing village, where the scent of roasted crayfish and fried snapper pervades the air and calls the taste buds to attention – and where music galore sets the stage for merrymaking.
And when dusk falls and the nights are still young, that bustling weekend sees long streams of vehicle headlights heading inbound, from the west, to the village that comes alive with brimming excitement each Easter. Festival del Mar: there is no other local holiday like it.
The festival’s opening ceremony took place at about 5:30 on Saturday afternoon. Even so, hundreds of people were already on hand ‘bobbing’ to the captivating music coming from the DJ on stage and enjoying delicacies from the many booths and bars that were busy filling orders. In his opening address, former elected representative for Island Harbour, Mr. Othlyn Vanterpool, welcomed the large crowd:
“I want to thank all of you for coming out and being a part of this festival,” he said. “Fifteen years ago when we started, here in Island Harbour, we had no idea that we would be this big at this point in time.
“I am so happy to see that we are having a good time here. I notice that we have quite a number of visiting friends. Let me welcome you to Festival del Mar 2022.” After recognising the valuable sponsors and thanking key contributors to the event, Mr. Vanterpool Introduced Premier Webster who is a resident of the village:
“Good evening, everyone – and welcome to Island Harbour. It’s a pleasure to be still here after fifteen years, which have gone in a flash. It is good to have all of you here. Certainly, it is a pleasure for me to stand here, not only as the representative for Island Harbour, but as the Premier of Anguilla. I would ask that you all have a great time, and do it responsibly and safely. Enjoy yourselves the Island Harbour way – the Anguilla way.”
The Premier made mention of a special presentation that was to be made by the Anguilla Enhancement Project during the opening ceremony. It would be a unique stone carving awarded to Island Harbour for winning the recently held ‘Best Village Contest’. “As usual, Island Harbour leads,” the Premier said.
He continued: “I want to thank all of the organisers of this event who have put so much into it this year. I thank all the sponsors as well, who have given willingly to make this happen. So, to Anguillians and visitors alike, I want to say that we are one people. Let us, therefore, enjoy ourselves together.”
From neighbouring St. Martin, President of the Collectivite, Mr. Lois Mussington, spoke to the large crowd on Sunday (17th April). He was introduced by the honourable Premier: “Today it is my pleasure to introduce to you, Mr. Lois Mussington, the President of the Collectivite in St. Martin. He is here with his entire delegation. Let’s give them a warm Anguilla welcome,” said the Premier.
“Thank you, Mr. Webster. Indeed I am a true Anguillian,” Mr. Mussigton boasted. “My grandparents are from here. I wish to recognize the Governor and the Deputy Governor. It was a honour to meet you both. I thank the Premier for extending to us, from St. Martin, an invitation to this great event. It is indeed a great pleasure to be here today to celebrate Festival del Mar with you all. Let me say here that this is only the beginning. We intend to be here annually, and we will bring a larger delegation each year.”
“Anguillians and St. Martiners are one,” he said. “There are so many Anguillian brothers and sisters in St. Martin, and there are many St. Martin families on Anguilla. This makes us one people. Let’s live this at all levels. I believe that it would be normal for the Governments of Anguilla and St. Martin to sit every now and then and dialogue in wholesome conversation, speaking on various issues of national interest, and discussing areas of cooperation with one another.”
“The world is a global village, and the connection is already there,” he said. “It would take some collective effort to make our partnership become a reality. I am committing myself, on behalf of the newly elected government of St. Martin, to say ‘yes, there will be meaningful cooperation between The Valley and Marigot.’ This cooperation is necessary and it is urgent.
“So thank you so much for having us in Anguilla today… Let’s continue to build our future together as one family in this region. Thank you so much for your warm welcome. I am really enjoying my time spent with you. I am looking forward to be back. God bless you, and enjoy the rest of the event.”
Visitors to Festival del Mar also came in from the neighbouring islands of Saba and St. Eustatius. They travelled on the ferry Makana, which had offered special fares for the grand event.
