Families gathered at the Armapavie ball field Sunday to celebrate the mingling of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rican cultures, one of the final events in the annual Virgin Islands-Puerto Rico Friendship celebration.
“I love this – It’s a combination of Virgin Islands and Puerto Rican culture and you can’t get any better than this,” said Sen. Sammuel Sanes as he greeted friends and constituents.
“Fiesta en el batey,” is about family fun, according to Karole Ovesen McGregor, president of the VIPR Friendship committee.
“Basically we invite the community and present various cultural activities,” she said.
Activities included quadrille and bambola dancing, a cock fighting exhibit and a fire prevention demonstration with “Smokey the Bear” and “Sparky.”
Of course, music played a big part of the celebration. Stanley and the 10 Sleepless Nights played during the afternoon and Siglo 21 played salsa in the evening. In between DJ “Poppy Pops” kept the tunes lively.
T
he crowd warmed up early with a bambola demonstration led by Dr. Chenzira Kahina. The lively drumming and dancing enticed men, women and children from the audience to join in the fun. There was a lot of cheering and hand clapping.
Food from both cultures was another important part of the festivities. The culinary delights spanned the cultures with pates, fried chicken, pork, rice and beans, alcupurria and bacalaitos. There were cakes of all flavors, ice cream and everybody’s favorite drinks.
This year government funding and sponsorships for VIPR Friendship month decreased and several activities had to be eliminated, McGregor said, including the cultural exchange, the school workshops, and a visiting band from Puerto Rico.
“We still have a good turnout, but we couldn’t have as many activities. So we extended this activity,” McGregor said, predicting the crowd would grow into the evening as the music played.
The Friendship parade will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in Christiansted. That evening, Gov. John P. deJongh, Jr. will host a reception for the business people being honored for contributions to the community and/or children and keeping the culture alive. The four honorees are: Wanda Belardo of J & W Grocery; Etheldred “Sonny” Christopher, owner of Cristal Springs Water; Carmen Ibon Villegas of Flamboyant Restaurant, and Jose Nieves, owner of Epok Graphics.
