Summertime in St. Croix means many things.
School is out for summer, the Sahara dust blows in, and then, just like that, big, heavy fruit starts hanging from the trees that produce them in droves. Those with the trees in their yard start selling those fruits by the truckload along the roadside.
That’s right, summertime means mangos.
To commemorate the sweet, juicy harvest that is nearly synonymous with the tropics, the St. George Village Botanical Garden will host the 18th annual Mango Melee and Tropical Fruit Festival, which will take place from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Sponsored by the St. George Village Botanical Garden, Innovative, UVI’s cooperative extension service and the V.I. departments of Agriculture and Tourism, all organizers agree the event is one for the entire family.
Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for children aged six to 12 years. Children five and younger are admitted free.
There will be a mango and tropical fruit display, the fabulous “Mango Dis, Mango Dat” food competition, mango, banana and juice tasting, a fruit identification contest, food and craft vendors, farmers, nursery sales, a fruit auction, and as always – the ever-popular mango eating contest.
Live entertainment will be provided by DJ Swain and DJ SuperFly and a dunk tank is also being planned.
There will also be educational workshops on the production and nutritional values of bananas and plantains and invasive pests of tropical fruits, according to a UVI press release.
More information is available by calling 1-340-692-2874 or 1-340-692-4060.
