Hello world! There is a TON happening on island right now and I have not been able to keep up on all of it in individual posts! So I wanted to take a moment today to update you on all things happening on St. John. In one neat little Christmas package 😉
This weekend marks one of my favorite events (I have a lot of favorites 🙂 ) of the holiday season on St. John: The Bizarre Bazaar! This Saturday, December 10 from 11AM-4PM, join in the funky Coral Bay holiday celebration at Johnny Lime! What’s that you say? What is Johnny Lime? Well, it is a new BBQ food truck that opened last month at the Oasis Event location (just before Aqua Bistro on the right if you are coming from Centerline). I haven’t made it out that way yet to check it out, but I WILL be headed out on Saturday for some holiday cheer and will be sure to report back to you next week with all of the details!
Back to Bizarre Bazaar…It is a beautiful gathering of local artists, craftsmen (and women), great food, drink, live music and Coral Bay eccentric holiday cheer. It’s also an amazing way to knock out some holiday shopping for the people in your life who love St. John with tons of amazingly unique gifts. The food truck, brought to you by the owners of Lime Inn and Lime Out, will be open for BBQ and there will be a ton of options for drink and merriment making!
If you are traveling on Saturday and can’t make it to the Bizarre Bazarre, never fear! There are more ways to join in the holiday cheer! The Tap Room’s Ugly Sweater Party (another favorite!) has been moved to Tuesday, December 13 from 6PM-9PM, likely in light of the other event happening in Coral Bay on the tenth which is the day it was previously scheduled for. Don’t you love how this lil community works so well together? 🙂 If you will be here next week, make sure to pack your favorite holiday flare in order to keep up with the local crowd…We tend to turn it up a notch for any excuse to get in the holiday spirit!
Oh, and you can knock out some holiday shopping at Mongoose Junction before the party! Check out Caravan Gallery for beautiful jewelry and island-centric conversation pieces, Golden Hour for unique gifts in the feel good/look great department and Sugarbirds for the little ones in your life!
While we are on the subject of businesses and restaurants, The Longboard will be re-opening on December 19! They have been closed for a bit over a month now while they revamped some plumbing, electrical and tile work and redesigned their already amazing bar. But, soon come, we will all be enjoying our poke bowls and incredible craft cocktails again at a brand-new bar top that is expected to arrive this Monday or Tuesday for installation. Oh, and there is a new chef, new menu items and new cocktails that we can all look forward to experiencing upon the re-opening later this month.
I want to take a moment to also warn you all of a north swell that rolled in this weekend bringing sizeable waves and rip currents to St. John. When this happens, the beaches on the North Shore can get a little dicey with larger than usual waves. Sometimes the beach can be non-existent with higher-than-normal surfs. Over the next couple of weeks, we can expect pretty sizeable waves at beaches like Cinnamon and Hawksnest while the beaches at Maho and Jumbie might be a bit more sea than sand.
With these swells can also come rip currents which can make it more dangerous than usual to swim in our generally calm waters. PLEASE, exercise caution when swimming at any beach at any time! I have heard of several fatal or near fatal incidents over the past few weeks. Some with folks being irresponsible with drinks and the sea and others with folks who simply weren’t aware of their own capabilities in the water. Always, always, always swim with a buddy, know your own limitations and don’t go past waist deep water after a few beach drinks. And never go for a snorkel after you have been drinking. I know this sounds a bit preachy, but I have nothing on my mind as I type these words except for the safety of you and your loved ones. So, please, be careful out there 🙂
It has been generally peaceful in Love City over these past few weeks with enough visitor traffic to keep everyone steadily busy but not so much that you can’t find a bar stool 🙂 The crowds are a-coming though! We will likely see things picking up about the middle of next week through the first of the year. So, if you are visiting over the holidays, make sure you have your dining reservations and activities booked now! If you are ahead of the game it will save you the stress of juggling a not-so-ideal schedule once you arrive. So, book your boats. Make your dining reservations. And get down here to enjoy these incredible Caribbean breezes we are experiencing right now!
Oh, and if you are a frequent visitor, you know how much fun parking can be in town (and at the beaches) this time of year! Please try to be kind and reserve the free parking lots for folks who live here and need to run errands or go to work. Even with the light crowds, I had to pay for parking in order to go to work at The Terrace a few Saturdays ago. I don’t mind giving some cash to Slim at all, but it kinda sucks spending money in order to go to work, ya know?
Our parking situation is awful, I agree with you, but please try to keep the free spots open if you’re just headed in for happy hour or dinner. Slim Man’s parking lots are very reasonable and are open until 11PM every day. Your vehicle will be well protected and you’ll be close to all of the drinks and eats your heart could desire. And, you’re supporting an AWESOME local business in the meantime. Win, win? Also, check with your rental car provider about parking options in town OR just take a taxi to dinner. That way everyone can join in the drinks and merriment without a worry of who’s driving home 🙂
It’s currently a chilly 72 degrees at my house on Gifft Hill right now. But the water has been absolutely beautiful, and the sun is shining with only some light showers every day and the hillsides are so green that sometimes it seems like they are glowing! It’s kind of perfect. Signing off from Love City…I hope you guys and gals all have a fantastic day!
From the photo it looks like the vendors have left. Is that true? I hope so.
they packed it in right after Thanksgiving.