Picture of Agrigest 2019. Photo Credit: ERNICE GILBERT FOR VI CONSORTIUM.
The Board of Directors of the V.I. Agriculture and Food Fair announced Friday that due to the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on community health and wellbeing, the 2021 Agriculture and Food Fair (AgriFest) has been postponed from its traditional month of February and rescheduled to the Memorial Day Weekend of 2021. The fair will take place May 29-31, according to the board.
The 2021 event will be the 50th anniversary celebration, however, it was not clear as to how it will be executed in the Covid-19 era. The annual fair sees tens of thousands of individuals — both local and abroad — descending on the fair grounds in Estate Lower Love during the three days of activities. It would be extremely difficult to prevent the spread of the coronavirus with the limited resources available in the territory. The release did not provide details on how the board intends to ascertain safety, though there may be some live-streaming involved, which suggests a curtailed affair being brought to the world through technology.
If a Covid-19 vaccine becomes available in the U.S. early next month as expected, the vaccine's availability in the U.S. Virgin Islands could be possible early next year. And depending on how many individuals actually take the vaccine, the territory could be on track to normalcy in 2021, allowing for activities banned throughout 2020 to take place.
The Consortium was unable to reach the board on Friday.
The board said applications for vendors and exhibitors will be available starting Monday, February 1, 2021 from the Department of Agriculture's Rudolph E. Schulterbrandt Agriculture Complex in Estate Lower.
Applications for livestock will be available at a later date: March 15, 2021.
The following are the fees for the 2021 Ag Fair, according to the baord:
- Crop Exhibit — $125
- Exhibitors — $200
- Food Booths — $400
- Government — $125
- Livestock Exhibition — No Fee
- Livestock Sales — $125
- Refreshments Booths — $250 (plus Dept. of Health and V.I. Fire Service fees)
- Youth Activities — No Fee
