Fry, the Ultimate Cultural Experience in Provo

By Deandrea Hamilton

On any given Thursday evening, you will find that visitors and islanders in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), are bound by a superbly singular thought for an exceptional cultural cause—all roads lead to, and all able-bodied people head over to, the Island Fish Fry.

January 2023 marked a decade since a handful of culture enthusiasts mustered the momentum for the idea, which is now iconic and fully supported by the TCI Ministry of Tourism.

“I have to give a shout-out to Ralph Higgs, who was our director of tourism at the time,” said Dave Fenimore, founding organiser of the weekly event.

“We collaborated on it, and he said, ‘Dave, I task you with making it happen.’ A little more than ten years, when you think about putting it together, but here we are ten years later, and it is just fantastic.”

Fenimore is a TCI tourism ambassador to the core, growing up in an indigenous family which pioneered in the hotel industry on the island of Grand Turk. Fenimore eventually became the TCI representative for tourism in South Florida and, once at home, devoted himself to the development of the now-iconic Island Fish Fry.

“We started with twelve restaurants, the Edward Gartland Youth Center, and the Turks and Caicos National Trust; we now have forty-two vendors, so we have done a lot in the past ten years,” said Fenimore.

“It has been such a helping hand to so many people, so many Mom-and-Pop-type businesses, and it turned out better than we could have ever expected.”

A native explosion, Island Fish Fry has drawn the likes of A-list celebrities like Shaquille O’Neal, Beenie Man, Drake, and the Kardashians to its down-home setting, and has given birth to some of the most creative, indigenous products to fuel the islands’ orange economy.

“The artisans actually came out as a result of this, because they saw that there was now a place that they could display their wares,” said Fenimore, who was amongst those donning the attractive tenth anniversary T-shirt.

Hamilton

“The local stores said now I have an avenue and I can do something, and that is exactly what we were going for and it is exactly what happened. We have a waiting list so long that we could double this right now.”

The award-winning TCI Tourist Board, then under the leadership of Ralph Higgs in 2013, agreed to host the extravaganza. It started at the Bight Park, a relatively small but picturesque spot in Lower Bight on the island of Providenciales (Provo), flanking the world’s #1 Grace Bay Beach.

At the time, there were not many vendors but the ones who showed up for the inaugural open market brought with them the authentic deliciousness of TCI cuisine and undeniable creativity with a hearty helping of native charm.

Soon, the free festivity, which opens at 5:30pm every Thursday, would become the talk of the town and there were traffic jams, as taxi drivers lined the strip to ensure guests got to dine like an islander, dance like an islander, and shop with and mingle with the islanders for experiential tourism at its best.

Ten-Year Celebration Of The Fish Fry

Josephine Connolly is the TCI’s minister of tourism, and she is every bit as passionate about the event as the founders of it; on the tenth anniversary, her presence and pride were electrifying.

“It was a great night and I heard from everyone tonight that they all had a good time,” she explained. She noted that walking around and mingling with guests and vendors helped her to understand further the multifaceted value of Island Fish Fry.

“The vendors were very happy about tonight and they made some good money. You know, when we first started Island Fish Fry on January 31, 2013, there were only a few vendors. I am hoping that I can make it even bigger for the next ten years and give everybody that opportunity to sell their stuff and show off their entrepreneurial skills.

“What you see out here is talent; you saw TCI culture at its best and I am very happy!”

The consensus on that point is the anniversary night, every Thursday night, is an undeniable hit, but not just with the visitors; locals, too, are drawn to Island Fish Fry. It offers the kind of venue which has now enhanced the night-time happenings for the island of Provo.

“We lacked a cultural connection and I think this is the bridge that is bringing it back and that’s the feeling we have each week,” said Fenimore, looking onto the swarms of people delighting in the festivities.

“It’s not a hokey-pokey tourist thing. You look out here tonight, it’s a mix of tourists and a mix of locals and everyone is having a good time.”

The fragrance of seasoned fried fish cooking on an open flame; deep-fried conch fritters; the spicy, freshly prepared conch salad; and other favourites like grilled lobster, Froggie’s Lobster Mac, minced fish, rice n’ peas and baked macaroni waft on the wind and pull everyone in for the once-a-week experience.

It has become legendary, getting global attention for its innovativeness as one gets this rustic, earthy thrill amidst an uber luxurious vacation destination in the Caribbean. Dancing children from Blue Hills, who are known nationally as the Breezy Beach Dancers will plait the maypole; the colourfully clad bellers, drummers, horn and whistle blowers of the We Funk Junkanoo group bring that pulsating musical finale; and once upon a time, the official mascot of TCI, Henry the Conch, would come out of his shell to play and pose for unforgettable selfies.

A rich experience that packed the venue and demanded a larger space.

COVID-19 has the dubious reputation of being the only thing, other than inclement weather, which caused Island Fish Fry to shut down. But as with so many things we view in retrospect, the pandemic, which outlawed public gatherings in the name of public safety, was also a blessing.

Island Fish Fry now has a new location, still in the Bight, but relocated to the Stubbs Diamond Plaza parking lot. It is a space that is even closer to the Grace Bay resort strip and is at least three times the size—which means more vendors, more seating, more room for fun and more time to enjoy the entertainment line-up including the random sound of rip-saw music happily provided by “Mr. Wendall Rigby”.

On the night of the ten-year anniversary, there was the return of many of the original components including a live performance by V6, one of the country’s most sought after bands.

With the magical leadership of MC, Sweet Micky, the Island Fish Fry stretched for an extra hour to 10:30pm, but no one was ready to go home, especially not after fireworks blazed across the night sky—a spectacle that was seen and enjoyed for miles.

“I have been here for ten years, minus the two years when there has been the pandemic, but since April 2013, I have been here,” said Michaela “Sweet Micky” Clare, who has proven her versatility as the comical, edgy host of Island Fish Fry.

“From ‘Shaq’ taking over the DJ booth and other celebrities who have come out to Island Fish Fry and wanted to take over the mic, we’ve had ten years and I just want to see it grow more, making it to 50 years.”

The thought is this: when you make plans to visit TCI, ensure there is at least one Thursday within your travel date. Promoters of the destination will stand by the opinion that there is no adventure you can take or excursion you will have that gives you the Island Fish Fry experience. It remains incomparably the most fantastic place to purchase those authentically, handcrafted and often boutique-styled souvenirs; to sip on island cocktails stuffed into coconuts, pineapples, tea bags, coffee grounds, rum bottles, and a wide array of island beers in icy-cold cans. You can order up a fresh off the fire dinner for two, four, six, ten or an entire bridal party; served in biodegradable containers piled high for a belly-full of mouth-watering island cuisine made by talented chefs and home cooks.

Onsite, there’s even island-flavoured ice cream, super cool toys, and a big screen to see the happenings or see yourself and hundreds of others.

The Ministry of Tourism in tandem with the TCI Tourist Board is admittedly formulating a plan to return Island Fish Fry to the island of Grand Turk, which is a mecca for cruise visitors, and which will build similar experiences in the twin islands of North and Middle Caicos. But for now, the original Island Fish Fry is in Provo. It is hosted by the TCI Tourist Board on Thursdays from 5:30-9:30pm. Entry is free and it is the ideal happening to both support and immerse yourself in the local culture. UA