ANGUILLA GETS READY FOR THE SUMMER FESTIVAL
May 30, 2019
Photo: Summer Festival in Anguilla in August is a boatload of island fun, Credit: ATB
The Valley, Anguilla, June 2019….. Anguilla enjoyed an impressive 2019 winter season with record breaking numbers of tourist arrivals, and to sustain the momentum, Anguilla is offering visitors ever more compelling reasons to visit this amazing destination. Anguilla Summer Festival is a cultural extravaganza of carnival activities by night, and boat racing, beach parties, concerts and street dancing by day. The ten day celebration from August 3 – 11, 2019 marks a forty-five year tradition of Beach, Boats and Bacchanal that takes over the island of Anguilla each August.
A highlight of Summer Festival is the Grand Parade of Troupes, on Friday, August 9th, an exquisite display of glorious costumes as revelers jam around the capital, The Valley, creating a kaleidoscope of color. This year visitors and residents are invited to select and purchase their costumes online, collect them on island, and join in the Grand Parade that starts at 11:30AM.
The Anguilla Tourist Board (ATB) has created a special series of costumes, themed “Rainbow City”, whose cascading hues are reflected in Anguilla’s people, experiences, flora, fauna and vibrant culture. The many pillars of the “Rainbow City” experience are depicted in three uniquely Anguillian sections – Spellbound, Hanami and Enchanted.
Spellbound reflects the infectious spirit of Anguilla. In the realm of Rainbow City, the Cerise Solstice marks the period when the Sun reaches its highest point, revealing the full beauty and vibrancy reflected in the Summer Festival Mas Experience.
Hanami affirms the strength and pride of the Rainbow City people. The vermillion colour represents the resilience of Anguillians, who have been tried and tested with some of life’s toughest challenges. It is this resilience that has allowed Anguilla to triumph over all obstacles.
Enchanted signifies the strength, power and the royalty of the people. When the summer sun finally sets, illuminating our skies with vibrant yellow and violet tones, we pause to reflect on the grandeur of the evening sky.
Summer Festival’s August Monday (the first Monday in August, celebrated as Emancipation Day) kicks off with the J”ouvert Morning Sunrise Street Jam on August 5th, a showcase for the talents of local musicians and artists who compete for the title of ‘Road March Champion’. Then comes the fabulous August Monday Caribbean Beach Party with local and international artists gracing the stage for over 12 hours of partying on Sandy Ground beach. The combination of street jam and beach party equals a 24 hour rave which attracts thousands of revelers to the island.
Billed as Anguilla’s ultimate daybreak fete, Eyes Wide Shut on August 8 is another highlight of Summer Festival. This spectacular, early morning beach party and concert at Sandy Ground features leading regional and international artists.
The Poker Run – scheduled this year for August 10 – is an exciting, all day Summer Festival event that attracts up to 100 boats. There are 4 stops between the start and finish – Da Vida’s, Island Harbour, Rendezvous Bay and Meads Bay. At each stop there is a beach party, and a host of games and competitions — beer drinking contests, dance contests, games, music and lots of great food. The winning poker hand gets US$5,000 – but most important is that a great time is had by all!
No Anguillian celebration is complete without the national sport and pastime, boat racing. A series of races take place during Summer Festival, ending with the Champion of Champions Race on August 11, marking the official end of the boat racing calendar for the year, and bestowing bragging rights on the winner until the next season.
A complete schedule of events for Summer Festival is available on the ATB website at https://festivals.ivisitanguilla.com/. Here visitors and residents can order and purchase their costumes, book special summer packages, arrange for villa or car rentals, and plan every detail of their Anguilla Summer Festival experience.
For information on Anguilla, please visit the official website of the Anguilla Tourist Board: www.IvisitAnguilla.com; follow us on Facebook: Facebook.com/AnguillaOfficial; Instagram: @Anguilla_Tourism; Twitter: @Anguilla_Trsm, Hashtag: #MyAnguilla.
About Anguilla
Tucked away in the northern Caribbean, Anguilla is a shy beauty with a warm smile. A slender length of coral and limestone fringed with green, the island is ringed with 33 beaches, considered by savvy travelers and top travel magazines, to be the most beautiful in the world.
Anguilla lies just off the beaten path, so it has retained a charming character and appeal. Yet because it can be conveniently reached from two major gateways: Puerto Rico and St. Martin, and by private air, it’s a hop and a skip away
