Food Fair Attendees Celebrate Culture, Dance Through Downpours at Crown Bay

Despite the torrential downpours which punctuated the day, those in attendance at the 2025 St. Thomas Food Fair were in high spirits.“I think the Lieutenant Governor set the tone for today,” said Alani Henneman, Assistant Commissioner of Tourism, as she welcomed attendees to Wednesday's event at Crown Bay. “In all the rain he was dancing at the end of the stage.”The event, according to Senate President Milton Potter, went far beyond a mere celebration of delicious food. “We are really celebrating the very soul of the U.S. Virgin Islands,” he declared. “We’re surrounded by the booths and the tables where recipes handed down through generations will literally come alive once again.”Senator Potter noted that “each dish tells a story about African ancestors who brought their culinary wisdom through the middle passage.” That food tradition was tempered by European influences “that mingled with the indigenous traditions of triumph over hardship and of celebration despite struggle,” Mr. Potte...