The organisers of the Fest, during the opening ceremony, paying tribute to organising members who have died.
Demonstrating how to make johnny cakes at the Welches Village Fest.
ANGUILLA--Hundreds of families and visitors to the island celebrated the Whit Monday holiday, May 21, by making their way throughout the day to the Welches Village Fest, held at the Fredrick O. Harrigan Park located in the east end village of Welches. This annual event showcases and celebrates Anguilla’s cultural past through the preparation and offering of traditional food, music, and skits as well as displays of household and cooking items used in the “old days.”
It is an amazing interactive history lesson. The gates opened at 8:00am for the early risers purchasing traditional breakfast foods, and continued throughout the day with a steady stream of visitors enjoying a wide selections of traditional foods, beverages and music until closing at 10:00pm.
Spokesperson for the annual fest Susan Vanterpool Smith said, “This community event began in 1997 when the Welches community decided to have a cultural activity in the park to teach their young children what life was like long ago. Community members donated a nominal amount of money used to purchase food and material for the event. Curious persons from outside the village driving by stopped to observe and participate and had a great time.
“Realising that this celebration of culture was something that Anguillians yearned for, the event became an annual one and was opened up to participation from communities across the island. The fest, held annually except for 1998, continues to grow in terms of exhibits, activities, vendors and participants with a number of private businesses and government agencies assisting with sponsorship to defray cost. It is now included in Anguilla’s national calendar of events.”
This year’s highlights included food demonstrations for the making of both fried and baked johnny cakes, a beloved Anguillian food delicacy plus a re-enactment of a traditional wedding with accompanying entertainment to include the hokey-pokey dance, and the calypso king. Sham, a traditional and much loved Anguillian sweet treat consisting of finely ground corn sweetened with sugar, was also on the menu for the first time this year.
Smith said, “The community thanks all those who have supported the event over the years, as well as the dedicated community workers who came out without pay to do all the preparation work necessary to stage the event. Funds raised from the event are re-invested into the community’s park, to include building a rock oven, park fencing and re-surfacing, and lighting installation.”
