Cayman: Coco Fest raises funds for wheelchair accessible walkway
The six-hour event on Saturday 13th February saw just under eighteen hundred people visiting the national attraction to partake in the celebration of all-things-coconut. The festival serves to raise funds to support the preservation of the Great House and to give back to other non-profit organizations.
“This year we have allocated the funds toward the development of a wheelchair friendly walkway which will provide ease of access to the Great House for those persons with difficulty walking or who require a wheelchair,” explained Tourism Attraction Board Director, Patrick Thompson.
Coco Fest was borne out of the idea that Cayman has a Bright Spot which was the coconut industry in the early 20th Century; a treasure that was once forgotten highlighted in a film of the same name, produced by holistic nutritionist Tamer Soliman and local filmmaker Rob Tyler. The film was shown during previous events and over the past six years Coco Fest grew in popularity as visitors realized the ingenuity of local crafters, artists, cooks, and cottage industry businesses.
Fidelity Bank (Cayman) Ltd. signed on as the main sponsor for the third year as a show of support to the walkway project, participating, and artisans. “Once again Fidelity was proud to be the lead sponsor of Coco Fest in keeping with the ongoing commitment to our community. We are pleased to contribute to the proposed walkway and look forward to future opportunities with the Tourism Attraction Board,” said Fidelity Bank Senior Business Analyst, Linval Johnson.
“We wish to offer our sincere gratitude to Fidelity Bank for sponsoring Coco Fest for the third year in a row, it is with the financial and in-kind support from Fidelity and our other sponsors that we are able to continue hosting these types of cultural events,” commented Mr. Thompson.
“We want to also thank the RCIPS, Ms. Heather Bodden and the Cayman Islands Baptist Church for their assistance with additional parking and crowd control,” he added.
Other Coco Fest sponsors include Pepsi, the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Tourism, the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, Foster’s IGA, Grape Tree Café, It’s Your Party, Vigoro Nursery, One World Entertainment, Big Fish Radio, High Impact Media, and the Visual Arts Society.
The next Coco Fest is set for February 26th, 2022, where the event hopes to bring back the popular Coconut Cake Competition and will be in support of another local charity.
For information on Pedro St. James’ location rentals, photoshoot opportunities and other bespoke event offerings, contact Adriana Turner on 947-3329 or email [email protected].
Find the Bright Spot film here https://youtu.be/AjmevQ2w4J8
All photo credits to Sonita Malan: https://we.tl/t-TWStp0PNWS
Photo 1: Cayman Craft Market vendor, Melba Miller shows off her coconut wood and shell products.
Photo 2: Freshly cut coconuts are one of Cayman’s healthiest treats.
Photo 3: Moises Sevilla of Cayman Spirits Company showcases his latest creation, The Coco Colada.
Photo 4: One of the many coconut creations showcased at Coco Fest 2021.
Photo 5: Locally made Coconut Flour was a vegan favourite.
Photo 6: Coconut Tarts are a traditional Cayman dessert.
Photo 7: Coconut limb art can be found at the Visual Arts Society booth.
Photo 8: Homemade coconut hot sauce.
NOTE:
The Cayman Islands Tourism Attraction Board (TAB) is responsible for managing the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park; the National Historic Site, Pedro St. James; the Cayman Craft Market and the Hell Geological Site. For information on the TAB or its agencies please email [email protected], call 949-6999 or visit the website www.tab.ky and its social media sites.
