6TH ANNUAL TURKS & CAICOS CONCH FESTIVAL A KNOCKOUT:
DRAWS RECORD CROWDS, CROWNS NEW CHAMPIONS
PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands – December 2, 2009 – The Sixth Annual Turks and Caicos Conch Festival attracted record crowds of conch lovers and fun seekers to its scenic Blue Hills venue Saturday November 28. The event featured a variety of music, live entertainment, a celebrity appearance by world heavyweight boxing champ Michael Moorer, conch contests and the showcase event – the restaurant conch-e-tition, which saw 25 restaurants compete and some new champions crowned in the competition to come up with the tastiest and most creative conch dishes.

The Saturday afternoon festivities were part of an event-filled weekend, including a special Conch Festival pre-party at The Somerset on Friday evening that featured a special Jazz on the Lawn concert. Sunday morning, nearly 100 runners took to the streets of Provo in the first annual Wrigthfully Fit Charity Run, with proceeds going to the Provo Children’s Home.

“It was a great Conch Festival and a great weekend. The weather cooperated, people showed up in record numbers, and we had tremendous support from all the restaurants, hotels and local businesses.   This is becoming a true community event that we can all be proud of,” said Conch Festival president Mike Sottak. “The mix of people and the energy were both at an all time high, and it’s great to see how the whole weekend is really becoming a signature event for the Turks and Caicos for both tourists and residents. ”

Entertainment highlights included the Haitian Brass Marching Band kicking of the festivities, followed by The Five Cays Under The Tree Ripsaw Band.  An appearance by three-time world heavyweight boxing champ Michael Moorer thrilled the crowds, and things reached a fever pitch during the conch knocking contest that pitted the island’s best conch fishermen in a head to head battle.  Tanker’s Junk-a-Noo then revved up the on-lookers with their high-octane rush, as festival goers danced merrily in the streets of Blue Hills.

And the winners are…

As always, conch culinary creations were at the center of the Festival’s main tent. Winning the overall Best in Festival prize, as determined by popular vote, was Bay Bistro Restaurant, with the delectable conch crepes.  They impressed the majority of the voters who cast ballots at the festive event, and Clive Whent and his team will hold on to the coveted trophy for another year.

In the category competitions, the following were deemed tops in the TCI by a team of guest judges (see list of judges below):

Best Conch Salad
1st Place Joyride (Eleuthrera. Bahamas)
2nd Place    tie Froggie’s
O’Soleil (The Somerset)
3rd Place  Bay Bistro (Sibonne)

Best Conch Chowder
1st Place  Salt Mills Diner
2nd Place  Hole in the Wall
3rd Place  Opus

Best Specialty Conch
1st Place  Seaside (Ocean Club) Conch Burgers
2nd Place  Caicos Dishes  Butter/Pepper conch
3rd Place      tie Bay Bistro  Conch Wontons
Simba   Conch Hash

In the always popular Bacardi Mojito making contest, three mixologists rose to the top:

1st Place  Kamario Smith   (Ocean Club)
2nd Place  Norywn Guthrie    (The Somerset)
3rd Place  Mario Kidd   (Grace Bay Club)

Head of TCI Culture David Bowen officiated the conch blowing and conch knocking contests with the result as follows:

Conch Blowing Contest
Longest Blow:  Dan Petrovitch
Best  Melody:  Phil Robinson Jr.

Conch Knocking Contest
1st Place:  Latran Handfield
2nd Place:  Handee “Gubby” Joseph

More information and can be found on www.conchfestival.com and additional information is below.
The Judges

Jim Baker
President, Caicos Pride Seafood, South Caicos

Wesley Clerveaux
Director, Dept of Environment & Coastal Resources (DECR), Providenciales

Clay Conley
Head Chef, Azul (Mandarin Oriental Hotel), Miami, Fla.

James Dean
Legendary boat builder and fisherman. Blue Hills, TCI

Jason Francis
Fisherman. Restauranteur. Providenciales

Dean James Max
Owner/chef, 3030 Ocean Restaurant, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Michael Moorer
Three-time world heavyweight boxing champion. Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Art Pickering
Owner, After Five Concierge Services, Providenciales

Previous Grand Champions

2004 – Nikki of South Caicos
2005 – Hole in the Wall
2006 – Aqua
2007 – Aqua
2008 – Aqua
2009 –  Bay Bistro
The 2009 Restaurant Competitors

Grace Bay Resorts Joyride   Salt Mills
Anchorage Las Brisas  Graceway Gourmet
Kissing Fish Seaside (Ocean Club)
Bagatelle Caicos Dishes  Harbour Kitchen Orchid  Seven Stars
Bay Bistro Danny Buoy’s  Hemingay’s
Opus  Simba
Beaches  Froggie’s
Hole in the Wall
O’Soleil  TC Hotel School      Parallel 23

Recap of Events
Time   Main Stage    Beach/Kids Area

12:00   Main Tasting Tent Opens

12:30   Tempest TCI Marching Brass Band
Parade of Queens

1:30   The Five Cays Under the Tree Rip Saw Band

2:45   Conch Blowing Contest

3:00   Bacardi Mojito Contest

3:45   Conch Knocking Contest

4:00   Bambarra Rum Junk A Noo Rush  Santa Claus

4:30   Lee Forbes & The Force

5:30   Tasting closes

6:00   Announce Festival Winners
Pot of Gold Draw