Every year, the quaint little village of Welches brims with enthusiasm as it invites the rest of Anguilla to its Welches Fest – every Whit Monday. This past Monday, June 9th, was no exception and, in fact, it was described as one of the most successful Welches Fest events yet.
Welches Fest is a showcase of Anguilla’s cultural past. It seeks to encapsulate the “ole time” way of life in Anguilla as it was prior to the 1967 Anguilla Revolution, and before Anguilla became exposed to a more modern era of affluence – before our people, in general, had the privilege to adapt to more well-to-do lifestyles. It particularly features the more traditional kinds of food the islanders thrived on during the early years of Anguilla’s civilization.
Welches Fest features “ole time” meals like flour pap; guinea corn porridge; stinkweed coffee; butcher bits; goat-head ‘n-foot soup; yard fowl soup; and pigeon pea soup. Other delicacies include the famous sham; potato pudding; conkie dumplings; pumpkin bread; banana bread; tarts; cherry jam; tamarind jam and more.
During the Whit Monday holiday, all roads led to the Welches Village where eager patrons descended on the Ball Field where all the action was.
They came from early in the morning to get their share of guinea-corn porridge, flour pap, buttered tank-oven johnny cakes, and, yes, stink-weed coffee. And they did not mind patiently standing in long lines to be served.
Throughout the course of the day, the crowds grew and excitement increased. There were traditional eats and drinks galore. “Took and the Boys” band provided the “ole time” music – tunes of yesteryear – mingled with a few folkloric hits which formed a welcoming ambiance for all. Then another band, “Tap and the Scratch Band”, took over later in the evening to create an atmosphere of sentimental vibes, taking the gig to a higher level into the night time. Surely, Welches Fest 2025 rated “up there” according to one of the organizers. It was one of the best years yet.
Of special note is the annual sponsorship of a delightful seniors’ luncheon made possible by the Cap Juluca Hotel. This year, a generous number of seniors turned out to benefit from the delicious meal and to enjoy the relaxing scenery.
The origin of the Welches Fest dates back to some seventeen years ago. It was initiated by the children of the late Maxwell Vanterpool, who himself was an avid community-minded, jovial character. All of his children are noted for their native cooking, and for promoting traditional games. So, naturally, they came up with the brilliant idea to put on an annual Welches Village gig.
Ideally, Welches Fest was the brainchild of Teacher Susan Vanterpool-Smith, one of the Vanterpool Sisters. At its inception, however, the purpose of Welches Fest was to simply teach the young people of the village the traditional ways of life, as it relates to past recreational norms and traditional cookery with an emphasis on upholding the old folkloric traits of village jollification.
According to Susan’s sister, Melsadis, the event began in 2008 in a very unusual manner. She explained exclusively for The Anguillian that “Several of the villagers, after deciding to share their knowledge of past customs with the village’s children, made financial contributions toward the idea in an effort to see it mobilized as an annual function.”
“Donation sheets were prepared,” she said, “and members of the public were willing to contribute towards the worthy cause. Business places, in particular, contributed by providing required goods and raw material for cooking.”
“Our first event was held here at this same site, at the Fredrick Harrigan Playing Field, on Whit Monday of 2008,” Melsadis reflected. “All the eats and drinks were prepared by the villagers. That day, the children were given the opportunity to play traditional games like board-wheel rollers, marbles, knickers and cherry-nuts, top spinning and kite flying. These were the main features among a few other activities in the beginning, back then.”
“That first Welches Fest turned out to be a great day of hearty fun and wholesome frolic,” Melsadis joyfully recalls, “so we were bound to repeat it year after year.”
The Welches Fest Committee wishes to extend sincere thanks to the Anguillian community who has supported the events over the years. They are committed to make the one-day festival even better each year for the enjoyment of all.
