New Venue for Holiday Reveling Lures Locals
By Barbara Birt
Dec. 22, 2007 — The holiday spirit was just beginning to percolate Friday afternoon at Crown Bay Center, where the Port Authority was luring locals and wooing tourists with its second annual Sea-Side Christmas Fiesta.
"This is fantastic," declared Luceele Smith, of Maryland who was visiting her mother and enjoying the dramatic change that the new retail and business center has made to Crown Bay.
"When I was here last, they didn't have all this," marveled her aunt, Helen Peets Phillip, visiting from Brooklyn. "It's very impressive."
The Port Authority, which owns the property, boasts 80 percent occupancy of its 46 rental units for retailers, offices, kiosk vendors and restaurants. The center opened in October 2006 and features berthing space for two cruise ships. While tourists were clearly enjoying Friday's festive atmosphere, the Port Authority sponsored the celebration particularly with locals in mind. Stores, which typically close in the late afternoon, were staying open until 9 p.m.
"All Port Authority properties are run in the public interest, and during the holiday season, we believe the Crown Bay Center, given its waterside location, is really going to be one of the nicest venues in the territory," said Port Authority Public Information Officer Marc Stridiron. "Having this during the holiday season gives our local families an opportunity to relax and enjoy the venue."
That's precisely what former senator and local attorney Arturo Watlington, Jr. was doing as he made sure some iguanas enjoyed the holiday spirit by offering them banana peels.
"It's Christmas time, a festive time, so I'm taking it all in, relaxing. And yes — I like to feed the iguanas," said Watlington cheerfully.
The fiesta kicked off at 10 a.m. with a Cruzan Rum tasting cart, and soon afterwards, local food and craft vendors began setting up shop.
"It's early still," said Juliana Osuji, as she tended her jewelry stand mid-afternoon. "I've been here since 8 this morning but I had a couple sales."
The fiesta's schedule also included the Bertha C. Boschulte Burning Blazers Steel Band, the Ulla Muller Steel Band, the Gladys Abraham Elementary School Choir, the Rising Stars "Pan Around the Neck" Steel Band, Sweeta Band, and capping off the festivities was a Cultural Parade scheduled for 8 p.m.
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