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HomeNewsLocal newsTrashion Show Makes A Splash At Reef Fest 2019

Trashion Show Makes A Splash At Reef Fest 2019

People attending Reef Fest 2019 were greeted by 20 booths, a band and other activities.
People attending Reef Fest 2019 were greeted by 20 booths, a band and other activities.

A Trashion Show – in which local children made and modeled outfits from trash and recyclables – highlighted Reef Fest 2019, a six-hour event that provided entertainment and education at Yacht Haven Grande.

More than 20 booths offered demonstrations presentations and hands-on activities about the importance of reefs to the V.I ecosystem.

The free event boasted live music, two bounce houses, the Trashion Show put on by local school children, and a Reef Rap. In between the scheduled festivities the community was free to roam the displays put up by organizations like Eco-Schools USA, the V.I. Bat Team and the Virgin Islands Conservation Society.

The Trashion Show pulled the largest crowds to the front of the event, where the stage was located. Children wearing homemade outfits created from trash and recyclables presented their ensembles while 9-year-old J’Vante Harrigan, took the role of master of ceremonies, announcing each participant while giving the crowd important maritime facts.

Harrigan said he was very nervous to be in front of the audience but was glad he could come and support.

The event was sponsored by the Virgin Islands Marine Advisory Service, the Department of Planning and Natural Resources and other public and private agencies.

Festival attendees Semaya Smith, Mia Tucker and Cherise Tucker pose as mermaids using a booth created by entertainer, Mermaid Kelly, which taught guests about the harmful of affect plastics on aquatic creatures. Kristen Grimes, research assistant professor of watershed ecology at the University of the Virgin Islands, dressed as a shark and jumped in with the three mermaids in celebration of the event.
Festival attendees Semaya Smith, Mia Tucker and Cherise Tucker pose as mermaids using a booth created by entertainer, Mermaid Kelly, which taught guests about the harmful of affect plastics on aquatic creatures. Kristen Grimes, research assistant professor of watershed ecology at the University of the Virgin Islands, dressed as a shark and jumped in with the three mermaids in celebration of the event.
Wearing a ruffled dress made of magazines, newspapers and grocery bags, Kelyssa Kelley, graced the stage of the Trashion Show with a smile and panache. The 9-year-old represented Lockhart Elementary School and completed her outfit with a handbag and full head piece made from recycled materials.
Wearing a ruffled dress made of magazines, newspapers and grocery bags, Kelyssa Kelley, graced the stage of the Trashion Show with a smile and panache. The 9-year-old represented Lockhart Elementary School and completed her outfit with a handbag and full head piece made from recycled materials.
The band Cat 3, consisting of a drummer, bass guitar and singer/lead guitar, entertained festival goers with music from a central stage in Yacht Haven Grande.
The band Cat 3, consisting of a drummer, bass guitar and singer/lead guitar, entertained festival goers with music from a central stage in Yacht Haven Grande.
One booth for guests to interact with displayed a bin full of sand to sift through with a sign that asked if attendees know what lives on sandy beaches, while another prompted guests to try sediment coring using metal tubes. On display were data results from the 2016 Territory Beach Cleanups and the 2018 Great Mangrove Cleanup, which concluded metal bottle caps and plastic pieces to be the most frequent debris collected.
One booth for guests to interact with displayed a bin full of sand to sift through with a sign that asked if attendees know what lives on sandy beaches, while another prompted guests to try sediment coring using metal tubes. On display were data results from the 2016 Territory Beach Cleanups and the 2018 Great Mangrove Cleanup, which concluded metal bottle caps and plastic pieces to be the most frequent debris collected.
Martin Emanuel Jr. said he was happy to see his hard work pay off while sporting his fashion look for the Trashion Show. The 9-year-old represented All Saints Cathedral School and said the idea for his costume came from staying up all night and thinking really hard about it.
Martin Emanuel Jr. said he was happy to see his hard work pay off while sporting his fashion look for the Trashion Show. The 9-year-old represented All Saints Cathedral School and said the idea for his costume came from staying up all night and thinking really hard about it.
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