~Yes, Miss St. Kitts and Nevis, Shinika Mercer was crowned Miss Caribbean Diva 2009.~

Not only the title, but Mercer proudly walked away with the Miss Congeniality, Miss Intellect, Best Seller of Tickets, Best Diva Wear and Business Wear awards! What a WIN!

For those who are unaware, the Miss Caribbean Diva Pageant was held on June 29, 2009, and many are glad it came and went! It took place after a very late start, at the Sir Rupert Briercliffe Hall, ending at 2:30 am!

SKNvibes informed that the contestants were drawn from the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, British Virgin Islands, St. Lucia, Grenada, Haiti, Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and St. Kitts and Nevis.

Virgin Islands Platinum News reported that the show which featured nine contestants, started two hours late, and by the end of the show, patrons who complimented the performances of the young ladies, expressed distaste over the length of the show. “Mercer said that though the competition was tough, she is happy that she came out the winner after all her hard work.”

First Runner up went to Miss Grenada, Arianna McQuilkin, who also copped Best Ambassadorial Speech, Miss Popularity and 2nd best seller of tickets. Second runner up went to Miss BVI, Andrea Howe who also won Miss Poised.

Miss Dominican Republic, Darys Smith who secured third place also won Best Evening Wear, while fourth place went to Miss Trinidad and Tobago, Mickisha Gould-Foster who won 3rd best seller of tickets. The crowning was done by the first Miss Caribbean Diva, Krystal Maduro, who held her reign for the last three years.

Rashidi Clenance was the host for the evening while the Judges were Nadia Harrigan, Purnel Thomas, Dionne Mitchelle, Xavier Pemberton and Karia Christopher.

Miss BVI and Miss Teen Diva contestants made a special appearance.

It was a great contest and all contestants did a great job.

Nevis Lover ~ Becca Briley

Another fun event to note on your calendars is coming up next week in Charlestown Nevis! It’s all about NETBALL!

For those who aren’t familiar with the sport, it is defined by Wikipedia as “Netball is a limited-contact team sport originating from the United States similar to, and derived from, basketball. Invented in 1895 by Clara Gregory Baer,[1] a pioneer in women’s sport, netball is now pre-eminently played as a women’s team sport in Australia and New Zealand and is popular in the West Indies, Sri Lanka, and the United Kingdom. Over 20 million people play netball in more than 70 countries.”

To be held on July 2nd to the 5th, is the 2009 version of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank-sponsored Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Under-23 Netball Tournament. FUN!

The tournament will take place at 4:30pm on July 2 with a March Pass of the teams and officials from the Treasury Apron in downtown Charlestown to the Netball Complex, where the matches scheduled for the evening will be preceded by a brief opening ceremony. For the rest of the tournament, three matches would be played at 7am and three more at 6:30pm.

SKNVibes, my favorite news source, reported that Allister ‘Allie’ Thompson, Treasurer and Public Relations Officer of the Local Organising Committee said, “Everything is pretty much in place for the hosting of the tournament here on Nevis this year.”

Preparations are in the works! The Nevis Island Government is ensuring that well-needed renovation works are presently being carried out at the Grove Park Netball Complex. The stands are being repaired and painted, and restorative work is being done on the three available courts, where the tournament will be staged.

The participating islands include last year’s champions Grenada, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, St. Kitts, Antigua & Barbuda, St. Lucia, Anguilla, Dominica and host Nevis.

Thompson indicated that the netballers would have the three courts available, which is a standard requirement for the tournament. The center court and the court on the western end of the Complex, closest to the open stand, will be used for matches, while the court at the other end will be used for practice.

He also said that spectators would be allowed into the Complex free of charge for the morning matches, but would be required to pay EC$5 for the evening matches.

Meanwhile, the Nevis Cricket Association has agreed to reschedule the matches in the Women’s Community League scheduled for July 2 and July 4 in order to accommodate the netball tournament. The affected teams will be informed of the new dates today (June 25).

The competition continues today with St. Thomas’ taking on GT United and on Saturday St. James’ will be playing against St. John’s while St. George’s will tackle Highlights International.

Nevis Lover ~ Becca Briley

“An Experience Like No Other!”

Mark it on your calendars Nevis lovers, visitors and islanders! The 13th Annual St. Kitts Music Festival is three days away, and both St. Kitts and Nevis are READY TO ROCK! It will take place at the Warner Park Stadium, Basseterre, St. Kitts, the sister island of Nevis Island.

Check out all of the Awesome Artists that will performing live throughout the two day event. Below is the helpful event schedule of the fun to be had.

Their mission statement is:

To establish a world renowned (annual) festival of different genres of music, that would attract broad based international participation, expose artistic excellence and promote St Kitts and Nevis as a major tourist destination.

In fulfilling the mission the following important goals will also be achieved:

1. The enhancement of the Tourism Product.
2. The creation of a unique product which will be of economic benefit to the people of the Federation.
3. To expose local and regional audiences to international musical forms and culture.
4. Create an environment to provide a stimulus for the growth and development of local artistic talent.

Their goal is to entice visitors to extend their trip beyond the festival period or at the very least ensure that their experience in St Kitts and Nevis is unforgettable.

One vital ingredient that was and is necessary to accomplish this task is that of Fringe Activities. These are intended to compliment the activities of the Main Stage during the festival. Though the Fringe commenced very early in the history of the festival it was organized in a limited way. Today, however the Fringe includes Lunchtime Concerts that primarily feature the talent of local musicians and other cultural performers, Caribbean Beach Parties, Scenic Railway Tours, Boat Rides, Slam Dunk Contests and Official After Parties. It is our view that these activities are best organized by the Private Sector and should be encouraged to flourish as these are integral to the effort to encourage festival goers to visit earlier or remain on island later than the festival period. The increase visitor arrivals (patrons of the festival) generate additional income and serves to stimulate the economy.

Read more about the festival from stkittsmusicfestival.com!

ZIZ NEW from St. Johns, Antigua, reported that Regional airline LIAT, announced yesterday that it was partnering with the St. Kitts and Nevis Tourism Authority as a Gold Sponsor of the 13th Annual St. Kitts Music Festival.

As part of the sponsorship LIAT is providing transportation for regional artistes, press and other personnel to the three-day celebration which takes place from June 25 to 27.

LIAT, designated as the regional airline of the festival, has also announced that it will add extra flights to/from St. Kitts to facilitate the expected increased passenger loads during the period of the festival.

LIAT Marketing Manager Derrick Frederick stated that “we are pleased to be able to partner with the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis in this way to showcase this regional festival and ensure its success. LIAT has been working very closely with the Tourism Boards in St. Kitts and Nevis on several projects and we are hoping to have more partnerships like this in the future.”

The St. Kitts Music Festival which was launched in 1996 has earned the reputation of being the most diversified musical show in the Caribbean by blending rich exciting music with exhilarating performances.

Feel free to by TICKETS HERE, directly from there website! Otherwise, the Admission Fee for each Concert night is EC$135.00 or US$50.00.

~Tickets can be purchased from select ticket outlets including:

-The Festival’s Office at the Pelican Mall
-Tony Berry (Wigley Avenue)
-NR Sales And Services (Fort Street Location)
-Island Hopper St Kitts (The Circus, Basseterre)
-Island Hopper Nevis (Main Street, Nevis)
-St Kitts Marriott Resort

~Tickets will also be available at the Festival Site, Warner Park from 6pm on Concert days.

Read a Press Release about it, check out some Past Performers, as well as the Sponsors too. Don’t miss out if you can make it!

Nevis Lover ~ Becca Briley

Mmmmmm… What’s better than sweet, crisp, juicy Caribbean fruit on a warm summer day!? Time is flying by! It would be nice to slow down the pace on beautiful Nevis Island to really appreciate the fruits of life.

So, if you are like me and planning for another Nevis Vacation in the near future, plan ahead and have some fun activities to partake in. There is so much to do in delightful Nevis West Indies.

It is said to be an essence of a healthy diet! Something we can all appreciate. Coming up in the beginning of July is the 5th Annual Nevis Fruit Festival. The Fruit Festival is held mainly to educate residents about the different kinds of fruits produced on the island as well as their importance. Any visitor should not miss out.

There you can sample a wide range of delicious dishes and drinks tastefully prepared in the most creative ways from locally grown tropical fruits. For more details contact the Department of Agriculture: 469–5603 or 469-7302.

Feel free to read up on last year’s events from the Nevis Government Information Service. It’s nice to see that they really do care!

The date of the Festival is still to be announced, so check back in to stay posted!

Events never end in Nevis, so check out the fun Nevis Activities to experience on your adventurous getaway. There are many beautiful Nevis Hotels, Nevis Resorts and Nevis Villas in Nevis, West Indies where you can stay.

Nevis Lover ~ Becca Briley