Calendar of Events

January

Junkanoo, island-wide. Junkanoo is held throughout the year for public holidays and local events, but the biggest Junkanoo celebrations are on Emancipation Day, Boxing Day, and the early morning of New Year's Day. Groups compete against each other for the most outrageous costumes, the best drummers, the best rhythm section, and more. Midnight to sunrise, New Year's Day morning.

February

Valentine's Day Cup, Bambarra Beach, Middle Caicos. Traditional Model Sailboat Race, with trophies and other prizes, is followed by music, dancing, food, a domino tournament, and other festivities on the beach. The model sailboats are built in Bambarra from branches of the gum-elemi tree, constructed to scale with the actual rigging found on a full-size sloop. For more information, contact tel. 649/941-7639 or middlecaicos@tciway.tc. Saturday closest to Valentine's Day.

March

St. Patrick's Day Pub Crawl, Providenciales. Last year's crawl started at the Tiki Hut and ended up at Danny Buoy's, with lots of suds along the way. Contact tel. 649/946-2801. March 17.

April

Annual Kite-Flying Competition, the Children's Park, Lower Bight Road, Providenciales. The 16th Annual Kite-Flying Competition features kites made in the Turks & Caicos, a beach party, an Easter egg hunt, and food and music. Contact tel. 649/946-4970. Easter Monday.

May

Big South Regatta, South Caicos. The Big South Regatta, now in its 42nd year, features boat races, concerts, food, and entertainers. Call tel. 649/946-4970. May 25 through May 29.

June

The Famous Fools Regatta, Providenciales. This beach party celebrating all things maritime features native sloops in sailing races, a sand-castle competition, and more. The regatta is held to raise funds for the Turks & Caicos Maritime Heritage Foundation for maritime educational projects for kids. Held at the Children's Park in the Bight. For details, go to http://maritimeheritage.tc. June 14.

Grand Turk Heineken Game Fishing Tournament, Grand Turk. Fish tourney at Governor's Beach features big cash prizes, music, barbecue, volleyball, and, of course, dominoes. For more information, call the Turks & Caicos Tourist Board at tel. 649/946-2321. June 23 through June 25.

July

Turks & Caicos Music and Cultural Festival, Providenciales. This 8-day affair is only in its fifth year, but it's already become a big deal, attracting big-name talent; the 2007 festival featured Alicia Keys and John Legend, among other musicians, and performances were aired on BET. It also features pageants, parades, and regattas. For more information, go to www.musicfestival.tc or call tel. 649/946-4970. July 31 through August 7.

August

Emancipation Day, island-wide. Celebrating the freeing of the slaves, declared from Oddfellows Lodge in Grand Turk in 1834. August 1.

MC Expo, Middle Caicos. Parades, beauty pageants, music, food, and an all-day beach party at Bambarra Beach. For more information, contact tel. 649/941-7639 or middlecaicos@tciway.tc. Last weekend in August.

September

National Youth Day, island-wide. This public holiday celebrates the youth of the island. September 29.

October

TCI Amateur Open, Providenciales. Pricewaterhouse Coopers Limited sponsors this 3-day 36-hole championship for both men and women, now in its 14th year, at the Provo Golf & Country Club. For more information, go to www.provogolfclub.com. October 7, 8, and 9.

Columbus Day, island-wide. This public holiday celebrates Columbus's "discovery" of the New World. Some historians believe that the explorer first came ashore at Grand Turk. October 9.

Turks & Caicos International Film Festival, Providenciales. This film festival, now in its fourth year, celebrates movies that marry music to film. For details, go to www.turksandcaicosfilmfestival.com. Third weekend in October.

November

Museum Day, Grand Turk. The Turks & Caicos National Museum celebrates the anniversary of its opening with lots of activities, including song and dance performances by local schoolchildren. For more information, go to www.tcmuseum.org or call tel. 649/946-2160. Saturday closest to November 21 (which is the day the museum opened in 1991).

Turks & Caicos Conch Festival, Providenciales. The conch-etition gets fiercer every year as local restaurants vie to win top honors for best conch concoctions, including conch chowder, conch curry, and conch salad, to name just a few of the contested dishes. Just in its third year, the conch festival is a popular celebration, with music, food, conch-blowing, and a great seaside Blue Hills location. For more information, go to www.conchfestival.com. Last Saturday in November.

December

Christmas Tree-Lighting Ceremony, Providenciales. The Providenciales Kiwanis Club invites the public to the Downtown Ball Park for Christmas festivities, including a choir and a visit from Santa Claus. Mid-December.

Island Thyme Annual Xmas Tree Ornament Competition, Salt Cay. The best handmade ornaments are judged (and prizes given) at this popular and always festive restaurant. For more information, call tel. 649/946-6977. Call for exact date.

Old Year's Night, island-wide. Services at churches all over the country ring out the old and ring in the new. December 31.