The
Eighth Annual Turks & Caicos Conch Festival will be held from November 26-28, 2010 on the tropical island of Providenciales, Turks and Caicos – home to the "World's Best Beach." This year, the culturally-rich festivities extend throughout the weekend with a pre-party on Friday evening, the Conch Festival on Saturday afternoon, and a 5/10K road race on Sunday morning.
"We're excited about how popular the Conch Festival has become with both residents and visitors. The event showcases our great chefs and celebrates the unique aspects of the Turks and Caicos. It's an ideal way for both residents and visitors to get a sense of our history, culture and diverse tourism offering," said
Dick Bain, president of the
Blue Hills Conch Festival Association. The highlight of the Conch Festival is a 'conch-etition', which pits the island's best restaurants and chefs against each other in a tasting competition judged by a panel local and celebrity chefs. An added twist this year is that a member of the public will also serve as a judge, through a contest hosted by Turks and Caicos Reservations – a centralized Turks and Caicos tourism service.
Kicking off the Conch Festival weekend will be a night of music, wine and conch-themed culinary creations on Friday at the luxurious beachfront
Somerset Resort on Grace Bay. The evening will feature local jazz musicians and a gourmet dinner presented by Lauren Callighen of The Somerset's
O'Soleil restaurant. On Saturday, November 27, the family-friendly Conch Festival will start at noon in Blue Hills. An entry fee of $25 enables a sampling of all the dishes and a vote for Best in Show. Along with conch tasting there will be a host of conch-related and kids activities, a Mojito-making contest, local entertainment and the annual Pot of Gold drawing where The
Rotary Club of Providenciales gives away $10,000 to one lucky raffle ticket purchaser. A cameo appearance by Santa Claus is also highly likely.
Rounding out the weekend is the
Wrightfully Fit Fitness Center charity road race on Sunday morning. More information can be found at
www.conchfestival.com. Special hotel packages and a chance to win a trip to the event can be found at
www.turksandcaicosreservations.com or by calling (877) 774-5486.