WESTERN BUREAU – The sixth annual coconut festival, which promises entertainment for the entire family, is to take place at the Elysium Forrest Sanctuary at Ellis Piece in Lethe, St James, tomorrow.

The event is being put on by the Lethe-based Mercon Limited. The company began in 1982 to cultivate and sell horticultural crops both locally and overseas. The crops produced include a variety of ginger, heliconias, anthuriums and local foliage. Over the years, their operations have been expanded to include eco-tourism, with the expansive farm serving as a nature tour attraction.

Persons attending this year’s coconut festival can expect the usual exposure to a variety of coconut craft and demonstrations as well as an opportunity to enjoy poetry readings, rubber tube rafting and picnic lunches by the river.

The coconut festival began, in November 1999, to provide the residents of St James and neighbouring parishes with an opportunity to buy craft items, even as it exposed them to the making and development of coconut craft in the island.

The festival has grown over the years to include offerings of literary works and a range of other fun and educational activities.

“This year we are still providing a festival under coconut trees and some coconut activities but we are increasing the literary aspect of the festival by providing a fuller written/spoken word programme,” said Merle Dixon, who manages Mercon Limited.

“It is our belief that we can eventually recreate our history and chart our future with meaningful communion with nature. We are providing the atmosphere for the interested and the unaware to create,” she added.

At the same time, she has encouraged those attending this year’s festival to come prepared to experience rubber tube rafting.

“Come equipped with the right shoes and bring towels and a change of clothes if you want to do rubber tube rafting. The experience is completely different from the bamboo rafting. It (rubber tube rafting) provides excitement and some thrills whereas the other is calming and meditative,” Dixon said.

Admission to this year’s festival is $100 per child and $200 per adult.