Festival schedule
Because of the August Emancipation Festival holiday, the Beacon won’t publish a print edition next Thursday. Advertising and editorial deadlines will return to normal for the Aug. 15 edition. In the meantime, check the Beacon’s webpage and social media channels for regular updates and holiday coverage. Beaconites wish everyone a joyous Festival season.
Tough questions
So the 1970’s rang and asked the territory if they could have their beauty pageants back, please. But, not giving in without a fight and with a fig leaf of faux feminism, the Miss BVI Pageant made a bizarre bid to try and sound all modern by asking a “weighty” question of contestants this year. Indeed, it was so weighty that a Beaconite was not the only one to note it nearly crushed a couple of the contenders. Not surprisingly, few of the competitors had prepared to answer this zinger: “In what ways can the BVI enhance its regulatory framework to remain competitive in the global financial services market?” Indeed, one of the women appeared close to tears when trying, and visibly struggling to bat away the unexpected curveball question. The Beaconite doesn’t blame her. To him, asking that question seemed as obtuse as expecting United States Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen or International Monetary Fund Chief Christine Lagarde to take part in a swimwear contest while fielding questions on macroeconomics in order to get their prestigious jobs. Maybe in a parallel multiverse somewhere they did, but not in the Real World. Which brings to mind the policewoman pageant. For, yes, there is such a thing, and the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force has chosen a lucky lady to represent the territory in a Caribbean-wide competition in Antigua. Funny how there is seemingly not a Mr. Hot Cop equivalent. Did somebody say sexist?
Fast slow season
Though tourism has slowed as the temperatures in the Virgin Islands started to rise, a Beaconite noticed that summer is not necessarily a time to slow down in this territory any longer. Events like Christmas in July, which brought hundreds of boats from Puerto Rico, and the highly anticipated August Emancipation Festival, which is celebrating its 70th year, fill the VI with life and buzzing activity. On July 20, for instance, the reporter attended a Christmas in July event on Virgin Gorda’s Savannah Bay. She enjoyed the live music, dancing and splashing on the beach. So many people had come to enjoy the festivities — either by bringing a boat near shore or, like her, taking a taxi from the Virgin Gorda ferry dock — that event organisers eventually run out of tumbler cups to sell. As for the Festival events, which have already begun, the reporter has enjoyed speaking to residents and visitors alike about the excitement surrounding the occasion. She’s also noticed that many Virgin Islanders living abroad are back to celebrate.
Streamers
A Beaconite returned from vacation to find Road Town connected with streamers waving in the wind. Streets are now striated with the shadows of thousands of multicoloured pennants. This, he believes, should be a year-round thing. Sure, far more durable streamers would need to be purchased, but think about the sense of wonder you feel whenever first seeing them. He imagines that cruise tourists would enter the town with their eyes cast upwards to Road Town’s historic architecture, rather than downwards, to its horrific roads and sidewalks. Residents, too, might even become inspired to fight harder for a better capital city.