Turks and Caicos Events – October 2014 – The Salt Festival
The Salt Festival: The first in a five part series about Heritage Month in the Turks and Caicos Islands
It built and destroyed empires. Gandhi used it as a tool for passive resistance. Yet there it sits on your dinner table. But during the month of October in the Turks and Caicos Islands, salt is not just an ordinary pantry staple but the honoree of an annual public festival.
Salt was the very backbone of the economy for Grand Turks Island and Salt Cay for decades. It was the reason people got out of bed in the morning. It was the prime source of income. It brought the world to the door of the island’s market. The introduction of mechanization in facilities of competitors like Great Antigua dramatically impacted the salt industry of Salt Cay. Production came to an end by the 1960’s and islanders had to find another way to survive and bounce back. It is this heritage that the people of Grand Turks and Salt Cay remember and mark on the first weekend of October during Heritage Month.
Getting from Providenciales to Grand Turk or Salt Cay
Making the short trip from Providenciales to Grand Turk is a short and scenic 30-minute flight. And regular flight service means you can leave early in the day and come back the very same day, right after the festival.
To check schedules visit: interCaribbean Airways or Caicos Express Airways.
Turks and Caicos Cultural Events – The Salt Festival
The Salt Festival kicks off with a traditional fair on Grand Turk Island and a cultural day on the island of Salt Cay.
From the late 1670’s to the 1960’s Salt Cay was the best place in the Turks and Caicos Islands to harvest salt. It was low lying and that meant much of it was underwater a couple of times a day. Seawater was directed into shallow ponds or salinas. The brine was evaporated and the residual salt or “white gold” crystallized. Island workers then raked the salt into piles and stored it in sheds. Later it was loaded onto ships and sent to hungry international customers.
The salt trade was the life blood of the islands. Production of it was central to the economy. If residents weren’t harvesting salt, they were storing it, loading it onto ships or supervising others to handle these tasks. Everyone was involved in one way or another.
While today, one of the original salt storage sheds is used as a government storage facility, during the first weekend in October the shed serves as the landmark site drawing thousands of visitors to the annual Salt Festival. Salt Cay is generally known as an extremely relaxed island where life is lived at a lovely slow pace.
“You feel disconnected from the rest of the world, in the best way, clock ticks slower, you’re feeling alive and connected to nature and the rhythm of life is like few places in the world only,” said one Trip Advisor reviewer.
National Heritage Month celebrates the Salt Festival on Grand Turks and Salt Cay as one of several Turks and Caicos events during the month of October. The islands island draws visitors to its vibrant festival featuring games, local music, entertaining performances and a beach picnic brimming with bold flavours.
Grand Turks Island extends the Salt Festival event by hosting a traditional fair. Students share skits, poetry and songs about their cultural and family roots. Local musical artists perform such as the Gospel Pioneers, the longest running gospel group in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Formed in 1985 the Gospel Pioneers travels throughout the islands to share gospel music at church services, weddings, wakes and to assist with community charitable fundraising events. Island history, culture and religion are celebrated.
The Salt Festival on Grand Turks and Salt Cay is a time to look back and cherish cultural roots and to celebrate the stories of struggle and growth. It’s a chance to raise the ordinary salt shaker and celebrate how these humble grains have added a spice to life.
Where to Stay on Providenciales
Convenient day trips from Providenciales to the various National Heritage Month events make it possible to participate in the rich history of the islands while maintaining a home base on Provo. A quick taxi ride to Providenciales Airport from Villa del Mar, along with convenient flight service to Grand Turk and Salt Cay, makes this a fun day-long excursion for the whole family.
Check out our special rates for Providenciales accommodations during the Turks and Caicos National Heritage Month.
