The scent of fresh dough sizzling in hot oil wafted from Juliet Braithwaite’s stall last Thursday in Carrot Bay as she and her twin grandsons, T’koy and T’kari Braithwaite, made saltfish, beef and lobster patties from scratch.
The family was among 18 vendors who came out to support the village’s first ever “Cultural Thursday.”
The event — which is to take place on the first and third Thursday of each month — is part of plans from Junior Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Dr. Karl Dawson to host more cultural activities in the First District, which he was elected in April to represent.
Last Thursday, the streets were lined with stalls selling traditional dishes, local produce, handmade crafts and other items. The event received plenty of support from the community, with several attendees describing it as a timely answer to a slow fade of traditional Virgin Islands culture over the years.
“Carrot Bay is always spoken about as a cultural village: It’s one of the last left,” vendor Jennifer Bertie said, noting that it used to supply produce to the United States VI.
‘The traditional way’
Ms. Bertie and her sister Wistaria Donovan were operating a stall selling traditional VI food and drink including Johnnycakes, fried fish, patties, pea soup, pumpkin soup, and more.
“We try to cook in the traditional way that we know about,” Ms. Bertie said of the pea soup. “We ain’t cooking it without [coconut milk and sugar]. That wouldn’t be our culture.”
The sisters weren’t the only residents feeling nostalgic for the past.
“This is the cultural hub of the BVI; it’s been lost for a while,” said Sensi Turnbull, owner of Hola Medz.
Mr. Turnbull hopes to carry on the legacy of his late grandmother, Eliza Turnbull, who was the oldest living person in the VI when she died in 2010 at age 110.
“The government needs to put more money and effort into culture, because culture is the backbone of the BVI,” Mr. Turnbull said, adding that Carrot Bay farmers need water and other supplies. “The earth is what provides our food, so we got to put more care and more emphasis into agriculture in the BVI.”
‘Back to the natural’
Mcadoo Dawson, who was selling fresh coconuts nearby, spoke similarly.
“We need to go back to the natural,” he said.
Attendee Richard Courtney DeCastro said that the bi-monthly initiative was off to a good start.
“I would like more people to come out and support it and help with the expansion of it,” Mr. DeCastro added.
Milton Creque Jr. said he is already planning to return for the next Cultural Thursday.
“I’m happy for the turnout, and aside from the vendors being able to generate revenue, just a sense of community and everyone coming together,” Mr. Creque said.
‘Power of community’
Dr. Dawson said he hopes that such support will inspire community collaboration and cultural growth.
“All the various producers — the fishermen, the farmers, the cooks — everyone that’s here is essentially from the community, so it shows the power of community when we decide to work together,” he said.
K’meeya Chung, who sold local foods and handmade items with her sister and grandmother, felt similarly.
“I want everybody to know that Carrot Bay is not just a community, but we’re more like a family,” she said.
