Easter Fest still fun, starts this weekend

Preparations are moving full speed ahead for the 51st annual staging of the Virgin Gorda Easter Festival being held from March 31 to April 2.

The festival, which is one of the signature events for the sister islands, is being considerably scaled down from its usual activities.

Chairman of the Virgin Islands Festival and Fairs Committee Trefor Grant told BVI News yesterday that despite the scale-down, the event will cater and appeal to everyone.

“Persons should want to be a part of it – it is a long weekend. The Virgin Gorda community always put on a good event even if it’s something big or small,” he said.

“We have a lot for everybody. It’s something that we are very proud of even though it is very much scaled down.”

The festival will have a cultural food fair and kids day on day-one, a hat parade and Easter egg hunt on day-two, and a beach picnic and family fun day on day three.

Preparations well underway

He also said preparations are coming along well.

“Everything is pretty much finalized. The set up starts to kick off into high gear from Thursday but it is in pretty much high gear.”

The festival is expected to cost no more than $45,000, Grant said. 

The scaledown

Back in February, the Culture Minister Myron Walwyn announced that the usual Easter festival village will be excluded from this year’s event.

He said the event is being held this year to ensure the territory’s culture is preserved despite the two major hurricanes.

Walwyn said the remaining funds from the $100,000 initially allocated for the event would now go towards settling outstanding bills owed to last year’s festival vendors.