ST. CROIX — Following Hurricane Maria’s ravaging of St. Croix in September, the Botanical Gardens looked like someone had dropped a nuclear missile on the property; it was devastated. But the stewards of the beloved location worked hard and fast to restore its beauty, knowing how many activities are held there, and assuring that come July 2018 the grounds would be ready for the facility’s feature annual event: Mango Melee.
This year, the highly anticipated event — celebrating 22 years — will be held on July 8, according to Botanical Gardens. The all-day affair includes food craft and vendors, music and other entertainment, the Mango Dis, Mango Dat contest, a dunk tank, educational opportunities, and of course, the mango eating competition.
Two years ago, a video posted on The Consortium’s Facebook page showing the adult mango eating competition garnered over 362,000 views — one of The Consortium’s most popular videos thus far.
Viewers hailed from all over the Caribbean and the world, including Jamaica, Trinidad and Antigua, among others, as well as people in Europe and even Japan — putting the territory in a rather cool light on the global map.
“What a lovely competition. The mangoes look sweet too,” said Lynessa Williams from Grenada.
Feature Image: Last year’s winner Mango Melee winner, Olubayo Aaza.
Tags: mango melee, us virgin islands, usvi
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