FIFTH ANNUAL TURKS & CAICOS CONCH FESTIVAL SET FOR SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29; PROCEEDS TO HELP REBUILD CONCH INDUSTRY IN SOUTH CAICOS

September 1 - November 29

Top local chefs vie to represent Turks & Caicos at South Beach Food & Wine Festival; Conch contests, live music, and a chance to win $10,000 highlight annual celebration of islands’ famous delicacy.

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands – September 25, 2008 - The Fifth Annual Turks & Caicos Conch Festival kicks off at noon on Saturday, November 29 with a full line-up of events and activities to celebrate the islands’ most famous delicacy, historical icon, and number one export. The popular beachside event will be held in Blue Hills, outside of the Three Queen’s Bar & Restaurant. Major sponsors include Cable & Wireless, The Wine Cellar and PPC.

Portions of the proceeds from this year’s event will go toward helping rebuild the conch fishing industry in historic South Caicos, the islands’ fishing hub, which was badly damaged during the recent Hurricanes Hanna and Ike.

“This year the Conch Festival has an even more special significance in the wake of the hurricanes we’ve weathered. It will be an opportunity to show the world we are back on our feet and pay tribute to the resilience of our tourism and fishing industries, particularly the conch fisherman on South Caicos, which took a major hit. We’ve added even more excitement this year, with a chance for the wining chefs to represent TCI on the international stage at the South Beach Food & Wine Festival, so we expect the competition to be even more delicious than ever,” said Mike Sottak, president of the Blue Hills Conch Festival Association.

For the restaurants, this year more than pride is on the line at the annual “conch-e-tition” as the winning chefs will be invited to represent the Turks and Caicos Islands at the South Beach Food & Wine Festival in February 2009. More than 20 local restaurants will be participating in the marquee event to judge who are the best conch chefs and win big cash prizes. An entry fee of just $20 gives visitors a chance to sample all the dishes and a vote for the Best in Festival award.

Celebrity judges will select the winners in categories for best chowder, salad and specialty dishes, including Chef Dean Max from 3030 Ocean in Fort Lauderdale, Chef Clay Conley of Azul in Miami, and Jane Sigal, freelance food critic and travel writer whose articles have appeared in the New York Times, Food & Wine Magazine and other publications. Tasting begins sharply at noon and runs to 5PM.

Two-time champion, Aqua Restaurant, will be back to defend their 2006 and 2007 titles and hold on to the coveted trophy that has adorned their establishment for the past two years. But the competition will be better than ever with the likes of local Blue Hills’ favorites Boogaloo, The Conch Shack, and Horse Eye Jacks in the mix, as well as past Grand Champion - Hole in the Wall. Meanwhile the heavy hitters from the Grace Bay area will be on hand, too– Beaches, Parallel 23 (The Regent Palms), Hemingway’s (The Sands), Iguana, Club Med, Anacaona (Grace Bay Club), Simba, Sharkbite, Bay Bistro, Mango Reef and Danny Buoy’s. New comers Ambergris Cay, Nikki Beach and Opus (at Ocean Club) hope to make a strong showing as well.

Besides the always delectable restaurant competitors, this year’s event features three live bands, including live music from the Island Boyz and our own world-renowned Junk-a-Noo, with two separate rushes during the Festival.

You don’t have to be a chef to win prizes as there will be special Conch Competitions for conch blowing, conch knocking and a conch hunt in the sea. In the conch knocking contest, the winning performance will be submitted to the Guinness Book of World Records to establish a new world standard for the speed and skill of extracting the slimy creature from its beautiful shell.

The island best bartenders will be on display too, with a Mojito-making competition sponsored by Bacardi. The islands’ finest mixologists will compete to see who makes the best Mojito, that tasty Cuban concoction of rum, mint and sugar.

The Conch Festival is family-friendly event with plenty of games and activities for the kids, including the Department of Culture and Youth’s David Bowen running his famous kids games on the beach and showcasing local culture. There will be bouncy castles and cartoon characters, and maybe even a cameo appearance by “you know who” from the North Pole, who comes calling just a month after the Conch Festival.

The Rotary Club of Providenciales continues its tradition of letting one lucky Conch Festival guest walk away with $10,000. The Club is selling tickets for its annual Pot-of-Gold Draw at the event with the drawing taking place at 5:30PM. Buy your tickets early because there is only a limited number available. Tickets will be on sale the day of the event, and also available from local Rotarians all month long.

A pre-Festival party will be held Friday, November 28 at The Player’s Club Casino, with entertainment and a special Texas’ Hold ‘Em poker tournament.

More information on the Conch Festival can be found at www.conchfestival.com.

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