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Jubilee Looky Ya! + Mango Season “A-Peels” to Visitors
The Looky Ya! Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations + Mango Season at the Museum on Goring Avenue attracted visitors keen to shop and experience cultural pursuits. The family-friendly festivities, marking the Queen’s 70-year reign and the start of mango season, were hosted by the Cayman Islands National Museum (CINM) in partnership with the Ministry of Youth, Sports, Culture & Heritage (MYSCH).
Looky Ya! opened with the traditional sounding of a conch shell, followed by brief remarks from CINM’s Director Dr. Peggy Leshikar-Denton and MYSCH Chief Officer Ms Teresa Echenique. CINM Board’s Vice Chairperson, Mrs. Susan Arch-Parsons, also addressed the crowd.
Young visitors enjoyed face painting, balloons, sweet treats stalls, and demonstrations at the crab and mango cage, expertly managed by 13-year-old Isabella Banker. Onlookers learned how to identify the gender of crabs and the connection between crab and mango seasons.
Others loaded up with mangoes while shopping for local ice creams, cakes, handmade jewellery, natural beauty products and local books. Attendees also took free tours of the Museum’s exhibits, including the newly-unveiled Miss Annie Huldah Bodden animatronic, financed by the Water Authority – Cayman. A courtesy shuttle offered transport to the Old George Town Library for visitors to see the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee exhibit, featuring rarely-seen pieces from the National Collection.
The Looky Ya! programme showcased entertainment from the UCCI Pandemix Steelpan Band, the Cayman Islands Folk Singers, and the UCCI Dancers, who performed sets and added to the celebratory atmosphere of the outdoor market event.
Thatch plaiting and turtle net-making demonstrations in the Museum’s courtyard also attracted those wanting to take in traditional skills. While the West Bay thatchers sold their baskets, fans, and hats, East End’s Mr. Jeralow Rankine taught his intergenerational audience the basics of netting.
Near the end of the event, Miss Teen, Asaiah Thomas, and her mother, Mrs. Theresa Thomas, came third and second in the Mango Eating & Peeling Contest, while reigning champion Aiyana Barnes secured first place.
