Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine July 2017 | Page 489

St. Eustatius JULY 1 Emancipation Day On Emancipation Day, the community - locals and visitors - come together to celebrate the abolition of slavery. Ceremonies are held and parades can be seen through the streets. This is a day when ethnic groups join forces and celebrate with fun and food fairs at the Wilhelmina Park. JULY Carnival By the island’s guitar shape one can imagine how the festive season of Carnival is celebrated. For two electrifying weeks in the month of July, Carnival wakes up the island. The line-up of activities incude a wide array of gifted artists. If you are a ‘Carnivalist’, a real ‘Bacchanalist’ you can join in the fun on parade day or attend the shows and many other festive activities held during that time. SEPTEMBER Statia Sustainable Conference The Statia Sustainable conference addresses a number of critical issues relating to the island’s sustainability. The objectives of the St. Eustatius Tourism Development Foundation (STDF) is to gather all sustainable related sectors and link as a team to additionally educate and inform the public regarding the importance of sustainable practices. By influencing the community in the right direction of sustainability, the STDF hopes to motivate Statians to engage in sustainable practices, including energy conservation/ renewable energy etc. Visitors from the neighbouing islands also participate in the conference. For additional information please contact the St. Eustatius Tourism Bureau at: [email protected] Photo Credit: Cees Timmers Photography