*** AgFair Postponed Due to Inclement Weather -- The members of the STT/STJ Agriculture and Food Fair regret to announce the postponement of the 33rd annual event due to inclement weather. The members of the organizing committee will be meeting to discuss possible plans to reschedule the event pending input from our vendors and other stakeholders. The final decision will be shared with the general public. The members of the STT/STJ Agriculture and Food Fair thank you for your continued support, cooperation, and understanding.
The St. Thomas-St. John Agriculture and Food Fair Committee is an organizing group consisting of staff from the University of the Virgin Islands Cooperative Extension Service, the Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture and Fintrac along with members from the general community. ***
The 33rd Annual St. Thomas/St. John Agriculture and Food Fair, featuring “Art by the Sea” youth attractions, will be held Nov. 19 and 20, on the grounds of the Reichhold Center for the Arts. The theme for this year’s fair is “Self-Reliance, Self-Esteem for a Better Farming Community in 2016.”
The fair will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days. An official ceremony, hosted by Rashidi Clenance, will begin at 2 p.m. on Saturday and will be followed by the school costume contest and environmental awareness pitch presentations. Fruits and vegetables, nursery plants, fruit trees, vegetable seedlings, local arts and crafts, prepared food and much more will be offered for sale.
Event highlights will include live entertainment, educational displays and workshops. There will be performances by the Flambo Combo Band, MASCILYN Bamboula Dancers, Ah We Band, C.A.H.S. Hawks Concert Choir, Gladys Abraham Cultural Dancers, and the Spectrum Band with DJ Franklin “Ubba” Benjamin providing music throughout the day. There will also be tours through the UVI Cooperative Extension Service (UVI-CES) demonstration garden, a grafting demonstration, composting workshops with UVI-CES and the V.I. Waste Management Authority, as well as a coal pot lighting contest.
On both days, “Art by the Sea” youth attractions will facilitate art projects made from recycled materials, a marine debris costume contest and “Trashion Show” with students from various schools. There will be gardening demonstrations, arts and crafts stations and a marine animal touch tank exhibit. Visitors will be able to meet Gidget the Tree Boa at the Division of Fish and Wildlife’s booth. On Saturday, there will also be a cultural fashion show by NaydaCoki Designs that captures the essence of the tropics.
Other games and activities will include pony rides, face painting, hula hoops, sack racing, ring toss, marine debris games and a livestock pavilion petting zoo. Adult fairgoers may enjoy an educational game about agriculture from Fintrac, while Dr. Richard Pluke will be available for “Ask the Doctor,” an on-site clinic where visitors will be offered free advice and solutions to plant pest and disease problems – courtesy of Fintrac and UVI-CES.
Under the direction of CES staff, 4-H collegiate New Media Club students and other youth groups will collaborate with the WUVI 1090 AM/97.3 FM student radio station to conduct live interviews and go on field trips between the fairgrounds and the campus radio station. There they will learn how the station operates and get hands-on experience.
This annual event is hosted by the St. Thomas-St. John Agriculture and Food Fair Committee, in partnership with the University of the Virgin Islands Cooperative Extension Service, Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture, VI Council on the Arts and the National Endowment of the Arts, and Fintrac. The cost is only $3 for individuals 12 years and older; $2 for youth 11 and under.
For more information call the UVI-CES at (340) 693-1080 or the Department of Agriculture at (340) 774-5182. Stay connected with the Ag Fair online using the official hashtag #sttstjagfair for finding pictures, videos and the latest information, or @sttstjAgFair on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter or visit ces.uvi.edu for details.
The St. Thomas-St. John Agriculture and Food Fair Committee, Inc. is an annual organizing group consisting of staff from the University of the Virgin Islands Cooperative Extension Service, the Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture and Fintrac, along with members from the general community.