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Are You Ready For The Red Sky At Night Festival?

Watching the sun light up the night sky as it sinks into the blue sea provides memories that last a lifetime. Whether you are a sunset “junkie” or simply wish to take in more red skies in this year, this is a Cayman Islands festival you will not want to miss. Now entering its seventh consecutive year, the Red Sky At Night Festival provides tourists and locals alike with visions that will dance in their heads for months to come. Take a moment to learn what makes this festival a must during your March 2019 visit to Grand Cayman.

 

The Where, When, & Cost

 

Make your way to the F.J. Harquail Cultural Centre on Saturday, March 2nd a little before 4 pm to enjoy a truly enchanted evening. From 4 pm to midnight, this centre transforms into a festival headquarters complete with everything events of its kind should feature, including live music and local fare such as Cayman-style beef, stewed lobster and conch, fish rundown, and heavy cakes. Visit the Cayman National Culture Foundation website now to get your tickets, which cost $15 KYD for adults and $10 for seniors and children.

 

An Immersive Experience

 

Not only will you enjoy live local music and sample culinary wonders that make the taste buds dance with delight while strolling through the center’s beautiful gardens, but you will also immerse yourself in the vibrant culture that makes the Cayman Islands so unforgettable. Dancers, actors, and storytellers bring this unique culture to life while musicians play Caribbean tunes on steel pans, drums, and fiddles. Admire and purchase local art or watch films from Caribbean filmmakers at nearby theaters. There’s also plenty of booths filled with locally-made jewelry, clothes, and accessories as well as art so you have something to bring back to friends and family who will no doubt marvel at your experience.

 

Something For Children

 

Have kiddos in tow? Never fear! There is something for everyone at this celebrated festival, including supervised activities for children ages 3 to 12. There’s even food made just for kids so they too enjoy the culinary creations Grand Cayman is known for.

 

Why Wait?

 

Why wait another second–get your tickets now to give yourself the gift of a unique Grand Cayman experience. Watch the sky glow red with your favorite people and toast to a beautiful experience on one of the world’s most stunning islands.

 

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  • February 19th, 2019
Uncategorized

Things To Do For New Year’s Eve In The Cayman Islands

Caymanians love New Year’s Eve. Every year, there is a host of things to do and see for this celebratory night. As a guest of South Bay Beach Club, you have access to the best festivities and events within just minutes.

 

Here are some of the top shows, parties, and bashes for New Year’s Eve 2018 in the Cayman Islands:

 

New Year’s Eve Fireworks Grand Cayman

 

From 8 p.m. on December 31st to early morning on January 1st, Seven Mile Beach will be the place to be. A fantastic night sky filled with fireworks illuminates the sand and strip where many restaurants and bars hold their own events. Enjoy a meal at a popular dining venue and then bring your blanket onto the beach. The show is outstanding and the experience is a thrill for the young and old alike.

 

New Year’s Eve Bash at the Wharf

 

New Year’s Eve at the Wharf on Grand Cayman, at Seven Mile Beach, is likely going to be one of the biggest celebrations our island has seen in, well days maybe. There’s always something phenomenal to do on Grand Cayman, but the 2019 New Year’s Eve Bash at the Wharf will be exceptional. One World DJ will provide live entertainment and an a la carte menu awaits.

 

New Year’s Eve Party at Camana Bay

 

From 7 p.m. to midnight on New Year’s Eve, Camana Bay turns into one big party. The main action takes place at The Crescent, a popular gathering spot. The free event will offer fun for all ages along with the opportunity to discover the great shops and restaurants of Camana Bay. Welcome in the New Year with a fireworks display, live music, and superb food.

 

NYE at The Kimpton

 

Kimpton Seafire on West Bay Road is celebrating New Year’s Eve from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. (for a fee). Guests will ring in the New Year steps from the shore on Seven Mile Beach. Craft cocktails and free-flowing champagne combine with a beer truck to keep revelers happy. Kimpton Seafire chefs have an elaborate spread prepared, so plan on attending the soiree and indulging into the early morning of 2019.

 

Fireworks, the Caribbean Sea, incredible food, music, drinks and more. What else could you ask for on New Year’s Eve in the Cayman Islands?

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  • December 6th, 2018
Uncategorized

GIMISTORY: The Cayman Islands International Storytelling Festival

Since 1999, The Cayman Islands International Storytelling Festival, GIMISTORY, has aligned itself with a tradition as old as man. Celebrating the art and culture of storytelling, the event is an honor to one of the ancient acts that engages, entertains and educates.

Storytelling is a way of communicating. It prompts listening and understanding. Stories convey information and help heal communities. Whether profound or lighthearted, storytelling changes mankind and illuminates the world.

GIMISTORY, The Cayman Islands International Storytelling Festival, brings professional storytellers from around the globe together to shed light on their heritage, explore legend and myth, provide drama and laughter, create a sense of wonder and stimulate the imagination in a captive audience.

On Saturday, December 1st, Cayman Islands residents and visitors can attend GIMISTORY storytelling events in each of the districts in Grand Cayman as well as on Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. Free stories take place on beautiful beaches, beneath stunning sea trees, in open fields under a moon-lit sky and in various parks.

 

Local storytellers and those from overseas take to the stage to deliver tales while crackling fire pits steam fresh fare for attendees to eat after the lore. Come experience the culture of the Cayman Islands as well as some outstanding food and drinks.

 

The Cayman National Cultural Foundation presents GIMISTORY as a complimentary event for the community, made possible because of the support of many Cayman Islands small and large businesses.

 

The festival sees more than 2,500 people annually from all generations, nationalities, and backgrounds on the Cayman Islands. The main goal of GIMISTORY, The Cayman Islands International Storytelling Festival is to revitalize the art of storytelling, which has been a form of community engagement in some sort or another since the beginning of our islands’ history.

 

Through storytelling, our ancestors transferred morals and important information before the age of television and radio. The Cayman Islands have long incorporated storytelling workshops into schools and they frequently have events focused on stories.

 

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  • November 15th, 2018
Blog, Uncategorized

Is There A Best Time Of Year For A Trip To The Cayman Islands?

Many potential visitors to the Cayman Islands ask us about the best time to visit. In response to this question, we always like to ask in return, “What is most important to you about traveling to the Cayman Islands?”

 

For some visitors, the weather is most critical as they either want to sun on the beach in warm temperatures or visit when it’s nice but not so hot. Other travelers find that their ideal trip to the Cayman Islands is in the non-peak season when they have more of a “run of the island” and there are less crowds.

 

Some plan trips to the Cayman Islands around the lowest airfares and accommodation rates. Others want to work around school schedules and even the fun annual events that take place on the Cayman Islands.

 

So, if you’re wondering when the best time of year is to visit the Cayman Islands, consider the following:

 

The Weather is Warm Year-Round

 

Our islands are warm nearly any time of the year, with average highs holding in the 80s F. January and February are the coolest months on the Cayman Islands and you’ll usually enjoy temperatures in the high 60s or mid-70s then. It rains between May and October, but showers typically only last for a few hours at a time. The western islands are generally sheltered from hurricanes, which usually run through the Caribbean from June to November.

 

This means that if you want to sunbathe on the beach, swim in our gorgeous waters, enjoy dinners on the beach and hit the pool all afternoon, you can probably participate in these activities no matter when you come to the Cayman Islands. Snorkeling, taking part in water sports, hiking and other outdoor adventures are part of the year-round culture in the Cayman Islands.

 

Air and Accommodation Rates Drop in the Off-Season

 

You’ll find the best deals on accommodation rates in the Cayman Islands between March and June. This is our “off-season” if you want to call it that because it’s really always “on” on our islands. If you’re looking to get to our islands for a reasonable price and stay in the ultimate lodging for a great deal, plan your trip for a stay between March and June.

 

You may be able to book a first-class plane seat and a spacious, residence-style accommodation at unheard-of prices during these months. Then, you’ll have more budget money to spend on our cool island cocktails and special souvenirs to take back home with you.

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  • September 18th, 2018
Uncategorized

It’s Carnival Month In The Cayman Islands

You can never have too many carnivals. This is why Cayman residents and visitors can now celebrate island life and culture at the CayMAS Carnival, an event that includes a Pan Explosion, Soca, Carnival Saturday gathering and more.

Make an entry in your calendar to attend CayMAS Carnival from May 17th to the 21st, and come together with locals and tourists to experience J’ouvert, Las Lap Celebration and activities that are unlike those at any other Cayman Carnival. People from different cultures and backgrounds discover Cayman in a new way at CayMAS Carnival, which is billed as a carnival bumped up to a whole other level.

There will be a host of parties and parades that extend the joy of carnivals held earlier in the month, and that usher in the holidays leading up to and taking place in summertime. The weather will be pleasant and the music will set the rhythm for fun.

CayMAS Carnival Schedule

The people of Cayman and our visitors are in for a treat at CayMAS. The carnival will include:

● Thursday Night – Pan Explosion with Earl La Pierre
● Friday Night – CayMas Friday Flaunt
● Saturday – It’s Carnival Saturday!
● Sunday – Run Point & Soca

Why You Should Attend CayMAS Carnival

CayMAS Carnival is the people of Cayman’s answer to the need for fun, sun, sea, sand and Soca! It’s a great way to enjoy island life in an authentic and vibrant style. This carnival is created to unveil the jewel of Cayman to the world, and to give all who attend a complete Caribbean experience.

Make your way to CayMAS Carnival and parade down the streets of beautiful Grand Cayman in colorful costume. Join the people from all over the islands. No matter what differences we may have, we all are one on Discovery Day holiday weekend when CayMAS Carnival livens up the mood with fantastic festivities.

Take in the stunning scenery of Seven Mile Beach including the crystal clear water and soft white sand. No one will be able to leave these shores after CayMAS Carnival without fabulous memories to take with them.

Find out more at Caymas.ky and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/caymascarnival.

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  • May 15th, 2018
Uncategorized

Celebrate Life In The Caribbean At The Batabano Cayman Carnival

Take part in the explosion of music, color and people at the Batabano Cayman Carnival, an annual event in the Cayman Islands that takes place every year during the first week of May. The Batabano Cayman Carnival is a festival that fills the streets of George Town with floats, steel pan bands and thousands of residents and tourists dressed up in flamboyant costumes. There are bouncy castles and face painting for kids, a teen jam, food booths, a song competition and a T-shirt contest to enjoy, among other activities for the entire family.

This event gets its name, Batabano, from Cayman’s turtling heritage and the tracks the turtles leave behind as they come onto the beach to nest. This year’s Batabano Cayman Carnival begins on May 5th and offers a full weekend of vibrant island culture. Enjoy an atmosphere of togetherness at an event that has welcomed all for the past 35 years.

Batabano Cayman Carnival Highlights

Entertainment and merriment last for more than a week straight at this carnival that offers visitors incredible views of Seven Mile Beach. The Batabano Cayman Carnival is considered the premier boutique carnival of the Caribbean. Everyone who attends feels part of the experience and is welcomed to dress in colorful costumes to show their island spirit. Celebrate Cayman by learning the history of the carnival while you’re at the event and participating in the pageantry of it all. Dance, sing, attend the parades (one of which takes place the week before the carnival begins) and revel in good company.

The costumes worn at the carnival reflect the diverse, colorful and vibrant landscapes, cultures and heritages of the people of Cayman. The music is the lifeblood of our island. Everything about the Batabano Cayman Carnival offers a distinct flavor of the Caribbean, in particular the Cayman Islands. We have more than 100 nationalities to celebrate in the Cayman Islands, and this carnival is a symbol of our melting pot.

Batabano Cayman Carnival History

The Rotary Club of Grand Cayman put the first Batabano Cayman Carnival together back in 1983. Since then, the event has become our island’s national carnival and it’s still run by an entire team of volunteers. The carnival board finds fun and unique ways to grow the carnival each year.

To learn more about the schedule for the Batabano Cayman Carnival and to purchase tickets, visit CaymanCarnival.com.

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  • May 1st, 2018
Uncategorized

The History of Seven Mile Beach

Called one of the best beaches in the Caribbean by “Travel + Leisure” magazine as well as “U S News and World Report,” Seven Mile Beach (also known as West bay Beach) sits on the west side of Grand Cayman Island. This 6.3-mile continuous stretch of sand (despite its name) is one of the most developed areas of the island and home to many of the resort destination’s top hotels.

The History of Seven Mile Beach

Grand Cayman Island and Seven Mile Beach were originally home to the Carib tribe. Christopher Columbus and his crew brought Europeans to the island’s shores in 1503 on his fourth voyage to the New World. Subsequent slavery and the introduction of European diseases for which the native tribe had little immunity erased the indigenous population. All that remains today is the lovely topography of the islands and the name, Cayman, which is derived from the Carib word for “crocodile.”

The Cayman Islands were ruled by Jamaica between 1863 and 1962. When Jamaica won her independence from Britain in 1962, the Cayman Islands elected to remain a protectorate of the United Kingdom. A governor administers the island nation today.

The structure of Seven Mile Beach continues to evolve and the stretch loses a little bit in length each year to erosion. Still, the beach is one of the most lovely and most beguiling in the region. Seven Mile Beach is known for its colorful coral reefs just offshore and the excellent snorkeling and diving found there. As with all beaches in the Cayman Islands, access is open to the public. In addition to the many luxury hotels, the beach is home to multiple seaside restaurants.

To book your own idyllic vacation along Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach, contact South Bay Beach Club at soutbaybeachclub.com or by calling 407 992-2844.

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  • February 15th, 2016