GONE FISHIN’ at the St. Thomas St. John Agriculture and Food Fair! Video Link
So if you haven’t heard, on Saturday, November 19, 2016, the 33rd Annual St. Thomas – St. John Agriculture, Food Fair was flash flooded out! This video shows how it was so bad that the Department of Planning and Natural Resources used the opportunity to teach how to cast a fishing line! During the downpour, the National Weather Service sent out mass texts to all mobile phones stating that the USVI was under a flash flood watch and that everyone should avoid low lying areas.
The official statement from AgFair President Dr. Louis E. Petersen, Jr. after the rain stated that, “The members of the STT/STJ Agriculture and Food Fair regret to announce the postponement of the 33rd annual event due to inclement weather. The members of the organizing committee will be meeting to discuss possible plans to reschedule the event pending input from our vendors and other stakeholders. The final decision will be shared with the general public. The members of the STT/STJ Agriculture and Food Fair thank you for your continued support, cooperation, and understanding.”
A committee meeting was held on Monday, November 21, 2016 to consider the options on how to move forward. An update will be posted once confirmed. Suggestions and support were offered, with the public instructed to please contact the committee before 2 p.m. on Monday.
FYI: Here is what some of the responses have been regarding suggestions etc.
1. This event need to be move to a different venue and date, it always rain at that time of year which makes it a bad experience for us all. Also, try to schedule on a government pay weekend.
2. Has that area flooded in the past? It couldn’t have been the first time. Why couldn’t the event been cancelled or taken inside?
3. Change the month or and a inside location
4. Put them in the government parking lot, and stretch all the way to emancipation garden all the way and down main street
5. Alternate location suggestions:
• IEKHS Field;
• Gomez School Field (park at Four Winds)
6. Pay back the vendors at least partially. There is no date/time to reschedule because of so many other events this time of year.
7. I would like to suggest for future fairs to have the dates changed to late may or June. reason being November is with in our rainy season. It always rains for ag fair. June gives vendors to recover form carnival during April and it is the beginning of our dry season.
The St. Thomas-St. John Agriculture and Food Fair Committee is an organizing group consisting of staff from the University of the Virgin Islands Cooperative Extension Service, the Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture and Fintrac along with members from the general community.
For more information, call (340) 774-5182 or (340) 693-1080. Email us here at sttstjagfair@gmail.com or connect via social media @sttstjagfair on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Search for info using the hashtag #sttstjagfair or visit ces.uvi.edu
