Anguilla is a land of festivals! The wide range of festivals and events celebrated in Anguilla is a true representation of its rich culture and traditions. There are many Anguillan festivals and celebrations, the most exciting of which are Anguillan’s Festival Del Mar and Moonspah Festival.
Anguilla’s Festival Del Mar
Are you looking to experience Anguillan culture and want to rub your shoulder with the locals? For those of you who don’t know, Anguilla does offer an amazing festival that lets you do it. Surprisingly, it falls at a time when most people are on Easter and Springs break. The Festival del Mar is celebrated at Island Harbour, which is located in the eastern part of Anguilla. It offers you an array of local cuisines such as fried fish, shark, salads, johnnycakes, and much more. And if you want to look like more locals, try some bush tea, and there is also a wide range of ice-cold beverages to try out. And the best thing about Festival del Mar is that you are served cocktails and beer all day long. However, you can get the chance to drink native drinks like homemade lemonade, which is usually refreshing and very tasty. When it comes to lunch, they leave no stone unturned to impress you, with super delicious cuisines made from the seafood: crayfish, lobster, grilled fish, fish balls, and last but not least johnnycakes and fruits. With lots of enjoyment and tasty bites and mingling with locals, there is something for everyone in Festival del Mar. Some prefer resting and relaxing on the white sand, and for those, there are plenty of tented seating areas. Locals gather on the beach to play dominos and sit all day. You can walk down the beach smelling the aroma of pleasant cuisines and noticing vending tables which offer everything, including t-shirts, local paintings, and souvenir bottle openers that say “Anguilla”.
Anguilla’s Moonsplah
Anguilla’s Moonspash festival is a weekend music event that was started way back in 19991 by Sheriff Bob Saidenberg and Bankie Banx. Moonsplash is usually celebrated during the island’s March festival and it’s a time when most people are taking spring breaks. The actual reason behind this festival was to create a moving music festival that can be held in several places year to year. With this plan in mind, the very first one was held at Sandy Island, where every participant had to get to and from the event by boat. St. Barths and Pinel Cay have also hosted the Moonsplash festival for once. In 1995 Moonsplash has also been celebrated at its official home, none other than Bankie Banx’s The Dune Preserve. As the location changed over the years, Moonspash remained the same: outdoors party, music-filled beach party at night under the stars, and full moon. Moonsplash voluntaries have committed to keeping it bigger and better every year. It’s really great to see an event that was started by a small group of musicians and some spectators hanging out, to have turned into a festival fit for a concert by Jimmy Buffett one year! While the number of spectators increased, the Moonsplah festival has never disappointed anyone.