Enjoy the Last Beach Festivals

August 24 brings the Patron Saint Feast Day, the Festival of St Barthélémy. He’s certainly my favorite saint! Church and official ceremonies will be held as well as regattas, music, dancing and fireworks in Gustavia. A special event this year, hosted by the Ouanalo Association in collaboration with the Collectivity of St Barthélémy, is a contest to vote for “Little Miss and Mister St Barth 2007” for children aged 6 to 9 years.

And last but not least, is the final beach festival: the 44th celebration of the Festival of St Louis in the quaint fishing village of Corossol on Saturday, August 25. The festival kicks off at 6:30 am when the boats depart for the fishing contest of orphies. The day is packed full of events, culminating at 8:30 pm with fireworks followed by music and dancing on “le Pont de la Jeunesse.” Here’s the full schedule. As usual, food and drink will be available during the day and evening.

8:00 am Mass at the base of the rock of Saint-Louis
9:00 am Bélote competition
10:00 am Departure of two regattas: Optimists sailboats and traditional canoes
10:30 am ‘Baby-foot” competition and beach volleyball tournament
11:00 am Various games on the beach
12:30 pm Honorary wine and music; awarding of the prizes for the competitions
2:00 pm Canoe and kayak classes
3:30 pm Various games
6:30 pm Dance exhibition presented by Kim
7:30 pm Raffle drawing. First prize if a 7-day cruise on the Costa cruise line for two people; second prize if a computer and HP printer; third prize if a Samsung digital DVD camcorder; fourth prize is a weed blower; fifth prize is a teak coffee table. Remaining prizes include a vacuum cleaner, DVD player, man’s watch and a portable air compressor. Tickets are 5 €.
8:00 pm Skit portraying the years of yore
8:30 pm Fireworks followed by music and dancing

Allô! St Barths – Check Out this New Web Site!

A new, feature-rich, interactive website about St Barth is now operational and open for business. With a free membership, members can post news items, add events to the events calendar, rate content, add comments, buy or sell items, participate in discussion forums, and write personal weblogs. Fun, informative, and insightful content is available for tourists with an easy-to-navigate interface.

Tom Kapanka (left in photo) has been working over the last nine months to bring the latest online tools to the local community, businesses, and tourist industry on St Barth. The site is designed to serve the needs of these three sectors. Visitors are encouraged to sign up and participate in the site directly. Content is being added and updated daily, and can be quickly searched. All island businesses are listed, free of charge, in the Guide section. Business listings provide photos, contact information, hours of operation, and more. Residents can use the free tools such as classifieds and events calendars to save time and money. Tourists can find the information they need to have a safe, smooth, and unforgettable experience.

For additional information, visit http://www.allostbarths.com or contact Tom Kapanka at sales@st.barths.com. Advertising space is available.

Keeping Traditions Alive

A pirogue, similar to a canoe, has been used since the arrival of the first St Barths. However, this traditional canoe was at risk of disappearing. Fortunately, the Unesco club is involved in the building of a true St Barth pirogue, following the traditional methods. The pirogue is 18 feet long and is made from the trunk of a gommier tree that arrived from Dominica last April 26. The gommier is native to St Barth, but most were destroyed by Hurricane Luis in 1995. The pirogue is awaiting its last coat of paint and will be inaugurated on August 15. It will be on display, but will also be put into the water for events such as the arrival of the Transat Ag2r, the summer beach festivals and regattas, to name a few.

A Day at the Hotel St Barth Isle de France

Until August 31, you can spend a day of pampered bliss at the Hotel St Barth Isle de France in Flamands for only 95 €. This special offer includes a fruit cocktail, either an appetizer and main dish or a main dish and dessert at the hotel’s restaurant, a discount at the boutique and your choice of the following three treatments at The Spa: a massage, a facial and other face care treatments, or a body polish and surprise gift. The Hotel St Barth Isle de France is a beautiful, posh hotel located directly on the spectacular beach of Flamands. Subscribers to Condé Nast Traveler magazine judged this hotel the #1 hotel in the Caribbean and #16 worldwide based on rooms, service, restaurant and location. Be sure to take advantage of this offering for a memorable experience!

French Gypsy Music at the Carl Gustaf

From July 19 until August 21, the Carl Gustaf Hotel in Gustavia is hosting musician Richard Manetti on Thursday and Fridays evenings at its Sunset Bar, starting at 6:00 pm. Manetti plays jazz manouche, “Gypsy jazz”, and was heavily influenced by guitarist Django Reinhardt, who was popular in the 1930s. Reinhardt combined the dark, chromatic Gypsy flavor with the Swing music that was popular at the time. The combination of Gypsy music with swing is critical to the style of “jazz manouche.” In this style of music, the rhythm guitar is playing using a percussive technique, “la pompe”, that serves to replace drums.
Manetti has been playing the guitar since age 10 and will be accompanied by Christophe Lagane or Natacha Lockwood.

Summer Evenings at Le Ti St-Barth

Le Ti St-Barth, a Caribbean tavern and restaurant located in Pointe Milou, has a different event planned for each day of the week throughout August.

On Mondays, you’re invited to the Marrakech Party with belly dancers, shopping at “Ti Souk”, and fresh mint tea. Couscous Royal is served for dinner along with traditional accompaniments for 59 €. The theme every Tuesday is “Night Fever.” Dress code is “wigs and colors.” Wednesday nights go a little retro with the “Plastic Boots Party” mixed by Carole, the owner. The dress code, of course, is plastic boots. Thursday is “Angel Night” when everyone is asked to wear white. “The Crazy Nights” take place on Friday and Saturday. It is almost certain that you’ll see people dancing on the tables and…well, you’ll just have to find out for yourself!

Reservations are recommended: 05 90 27 97 71 or info@ksplaces.com. Closed on Sundays.

Premium IV Now Offers Wedding Planning Services

Premium IV, whose office is located in St Jean, provides VIP concierge services including assistance with arrival and departure, yacht and villa provisioning and special events. They have contracted over 120 companies to provide the best products and services available. Now, in addition to their already broad array of services, they are offering assistance with planning a wedding and/or honeymoon on beautiful St Barth. Assistance is available with catering, decorations, fireworks, flowers, musicians, photographers, transportation, hotels, lighting, and more.

For a complete list of their wedding planning services, including required legal documentation, visit their web site or call them at 011 590 590 290 007. (Please note that 011 is required when calling from the United States.) Since Premium IV’s very amiable management comes from Canada, Britain and France, you’ll be able to communicate easily in English or French. Bon mariage!