Grand Bahama offers a new culinary tour

CHEF BERNARD DAWKINS and his visiting culinary students at Junkanoo Beach Club.

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FREEPORT - Cruise ship passengers visiting Grand Bahama are being offered a new uniquely Bahamian culinary experience at Junkanoo Beach Club at Taino Beach.

The new tour is one that is expected to improve visitor experience here on the island, which has been ranked last among the various other destinations visited by Carnival Cruise Lines.

Bahamian chef Bernard Dawkins said visitors taking the tour learn to prepare three popular Bahamian dishes - cracked conch, conch fritters and peas and rice.

He said there has been a lot of positive feedback over the past six weeks.

"We are getting lots of high praise so maybe this will give Grand Bahama the impetus it needs and the turnaround because we have been hearing so much about what tourists say, that there is nothing going on in Grand Bahama," he said.

Chef Dawkins said the tour offers visitors a unique cultural experience.

In addition to preparing Bahamian dishes, visitors learn about Junkanoo, a cultural festival that is often celebrated in December and January.

Chef Dawkins said Junkanoo Club is situated at Taino Beach and visitors also have access to the beach.

He said they want to give tourists a product that will allow them to enjoy their visit to the island and improve their overall experience.

The recently released poor ratings by passengers of Carnival Cruise have put plans for a creation of a new multi-million cruise ship port on hold indefinitely.

In March, Minister of Transport Neko Grant revealed that Carnival was reluctant to partner with the government because of "unpleasant" visitor experience in Grand Bahama.

He said that of the 37 ports visited in the region, Grand Bahama ranked last based on passenger surveys.

Mr Grant said the poor rating should serve as a "wake up call" for Grand Bahama.

Majestic Crusaders declared the official winners of GB Junkanoo

By DENISE MAYCOCK
Tribune Freeport Reporter

FREEPORT, GRAND BAHAMA- The Majestic Crusaders were declared the official winners of the New Year’s Day Junkanoo Parade in Grand Bahama. It is the first win for the young group, which has been competing for less than six years.
The Grand Bahama Junkanoo Committee released the official results on Monday morning at the International Building.
For the first time, all the Division B groups – Rotary International, The Scraps, Bushwhackers and Sting – were disqualified for failing to meet the minimum group requirement for the parade.
The Crusaders won in the Division A Category, receiving 2,778 points and beating last year’s champions by 350 points.
The Swingers was second with 2,428 points, and coming in third was the Classic Dancers, with 2,360 points. The Superstar Rockers was fourth with 2,239 points, and fifth and sixth place went to the Kingdom Culture and Bayshore Warriors, respectively.
Committee chairman Derek King said the evening parade continues to grow in Grand Bahama, attracting new groups and a large spectator turnout.
“Junkanoo in Grand Bahama has grown over the years. It is not at the level as it is in Nassau, but it continues to grow,” he said.
Mr King commended the groups that participated this year, despite the economic downturn which has resulted in the loss of some corporate sponsors.
“The quality of costumes was fantastic,” he said.
The parade got off to a very late start, with the first lap beginning at 8pm. Thousands of residents and visitors lined the parade route on Pioneer’s Way and the Mall Drive.
This year, some groups had suffered significant costume damage after culprits broke into their shacks and deliberately destroyed costume pieces which had to be repaired.
Mr King noted that some groups were challenged in getting to the parade which resulted in one withdrawing at the last minute.
While there is a lot of pressure on groups to get out on time, Mr King said it all boils down to leadership and organisation.
“I think the Swingers demonstrated that and came out at the gate on time at 6pm with all of their pieces,” King reported.
Unfortunately, the Arawak Invaders pulled out of the parade at the last minute because of some difficulties.
“We want to encourage them to continue to keep the faith because we do not want group members to be discouraged.” Mr King said. “Once you miss the parade you start to see groups losing members to other groups because the junkanooers really want to rush.”
The Junior Junkanoo parade will be held next Saturday.

Experience the Sizzle of Junkanoo Summer Festival

Experience the real flavor of The Islands Of The Bahamas through our annual Junkanoo Summer Festivals. Providing natives and visitors with a taste of the Christmas Junkanoo celebrations with just a hint of sizzle, this highly anticipated summer event features the best in Bahamian music, food, art and dance.







Pictures from Summer Junkanoo 2008 :Photos by Lyndah Wells



Experience the real flavor of The Islands Of The Bahamas through our annual Junkanoo Summer Festivals. Providing natives and visitors with a taste of the Christmas Junkanoo celebrations with just a hint of sizzle, this highly anticipated summer event features the best in Bahamian music, food, art and dance.

Junkanoo is a uniquely Bahamian cultural expression dating back to the days of slavery. Today, the celebration takes the form of an annual costumed parade held on December 26 and January 1. In this celebration, thousands of Bahamians from all walks of life come together to produce artful costumes, music, and dance routines which are then displayed with great fanfare in street festivals throughout The Islands Of The Bahamas. During the summer celebrations, these parades are peppered with musical acts, art displays, culinary competitions, native food offerings, marching bands and live street .

Following the success of last year's Summer Junkanoo Festival, Ministry of Tourism officials are gearing up for another dynamic cultural experience for the entire family to enjoy.

The festival will be held every Thursday on Grand Bahama at Taino Beach from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. beginning on July 10, and will run until August 8. performances.
Although down-sized "a bit" due to the economic recession, Bethel said the festival will offer some of the same attractions and will even include new and exciting elements for visitors and residents.
On Friday, July 10, the festival will open as an official Independence Day celebration event, featuring performances by the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) pop and marching bands.
Another new element for the festival this year will be an on-site Junkanoo Museum, where visitors can view Junkanoo costumes and even make a small costume to participate in the "Rush Out."
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Summer Junkanoo