BVI Culture Showcased at Carrot Bay

By Paul Carrell

Once you lose your culture you lose your heritage. When you lose your heritage, you lose your soul. Carrot Bay has an abundance of both culture and soul which enables it to be a cultural icon of the British Virgin Islands.

Located between Apple Bay and Cane Garden Bay on the northern shore of Tortola, this village is home to a handful of farmers who cling to the steep hills overlooking the town. Rain is a blessing and without it their crops of banana, pineapple, casava, breadfruit, okra, and leafy greens would wither and die.

_{The village pier of Carrot Bay is the place to get your pot fish and lobster from the local fishermen.}

Recent rains have produced a good crop, and the farmers are in this quaint north shore fishing village with bags of fresh organic vegetables and fruits for sale. The village pier located at the north end of Carrot Bay is the place to get your pot fish and lobster from the local fishermen who can always be seen cleaning their catch on the ramp just as generations of fishermen had done before them. Their colorful wooden fishing boats are pulled up onto the shore’s edge.

Carrot Bay is a prime example of old time Tortola. It is brimming with a tradition and charm that can be seen along the roadside. The North Shore Shell Museum is run by Egbert Donovan who is a major force in preserving the BVI’s traditions and cultures. Piles of conch shells and hand painted signs with quaint local sayings are on display.

*_{Carrot Bay’s North Shore Shell Museum is run by Egbert Donovan}*.

Small locally run shops sell plantains and ginger root; mangos and papayas when in season. Outside bars sell beer and rum and snap with the sound of domino games; restaurants, churches and people of the town add to its village atmosphere. A colorful mural on the popular restaurant, D’ Coal Pot depicts a woman cooking on a coal pot, a page from yesteryear.

Each August at the culmination of the BVI’s Emancipation Festival, Carrot Bay hosts its own grand cultural fest with music and old-time games including donkey races, a crowd favorite. There is abundant local food and drink and big name reggae bands headline the event.

*_{The Coal Pot at Carrot Bay features a mural depicting a scene from old time Tortola.}*

Recently Carrot Bay has been showcasing its heritage with a monthly cultural event. The idea that Carrot Bay should host a regular cultural fete year-round had been promoted by Dr. Hon Karl Dawson, the government’s first district representative. Local food, drink, craft and gift vendors line the area near the Carrot Bay recreation grounds. The event is generally held on the first and third Thursday of the month, although the frequency may change depending on circumstances.

*_{A family walks along the road at Carrot Bay near where the community holds regular cultural events.}*

At these community fetes, the townspeople share stories, poems, music and their cottage industries with one another. It is a concept that the village embraces. Laughter and applause are abundant after speakers share a story or song which embellishes the colorful history of Tortola’s past. This fun event reinforces the area’s cultural backgrounds and fosters a stronger sense of community within their village by the sea.

So, visit Carrot Bay to get a taste of some good ole Tortolian pride, culture and colorful history and meet with the locals to share a story of your own. You won’t regret it.

Learn more about Egbert Donovan and the North Shore Shell Museum at:

Read about the Carrot Bay Fiesta in August at: