In over a decade, Festival Del Mar has developed from a small village fete into what is now regarded as an island-wide engagement, and a tourism marketing tool for Anguilla.
This was evidenced by the large turnout at the Easter weekend of not only milling throngs across the island, but scores of tourists, some of whom came to Anguilla specially for the Island Harbour Bay event.
The festival of the sea – featuring largely fishing, culinary and other competitions, an abundance of fish products; other food items, music by various bands and boat racing – took in two full days, Saturday and Sunday, April 20 and 21.
A committee of Island Harbour residents was mainly responsible for organising the annual evident, and was able to attract the involvement and sponsorship of other organisations. These included the Anguilla Tourist Board which uses the event as a marketing tool; the Department of Youth and Culture which has an abiding and supportive interest in preserving and furthering the cultural life of Anguilla; and Flow Anguilla and other groups and individuals who gave financial support to the organising committee.
It is a credit to the organisers, the good behavior of the vast crowd, and the careful attention to the heavy traffic, that the event was incident-free, giving all and sundry an opportunity for enjoyment and peaceful coexistence, association, fellowship and camaraderie. Even the weather and the environment – with no deposits of seaweed –cooperated.
Elsewhere in this edition of The Anguillian newspaper are the various events, the results of the various competitions and prizes.
