2012 Turks & Caicos Conch Festival

The Turks and Caicos Conch Festival celebrated it's 9th year in beautiful Blue Hills last Saturday. 

The crowds gather around the front stage for the conch blowing and conch knocking competitions.

 The highlight of the afternoon is always the " ‘conch-etition' which pits the island's best chefs against each other in a hotly-contested tasting competition judged by a panel of experts as well as the Festival attendees. Categories include Best Conch Salad, Best Conch Chowder, Best Specialty Conch and Best in Show. "

Micah, a friend from high school, came all the way from Austin, TX to spend Thanksgiving weekend in the Turks and Caicos and finally experience a relaxing holiday at Fleur de Lys.  She and Teresa  are pictured all smiles while enjoying the festival.

A local bartender entertains with his impressive balancing and dancing skills.

Just after sunset the We Funk Junkanoo Band took to the street party by storm.  This event lets Turks and Caicos traditions shine, be sure not to miss next 2013's 10 year celebration, sure to be the biggest and best yet!

Concha Woncha Tours

Concha Woncha Tours has arrived!  We are so excited to promote and welcome this brand new company that opened their trolley bus doors on April 2nd.  Every resident and guest visitor to the Turks and Caicos Islands must hop on this bright turquoise fun bus for a spin!  Book your tickets here

Conch Festival 2011

As these fantastic photos by tropical imaging demonstrate, the 8th Annual Conch Festival was a day full of delicious food, lively music, and  Turks and Caicos culture!  Congratulations to this years grand champions, Hemingway's who finally managed to take the title from five year running previous title holders bay-bistro.

Zimmerman Swim Behind the Scenes

 Way back last July, Turks and Caicos Productions had the pleasure of producing a photo shoot for Australian fashion design duo Zimmermann and their swim collection. 

 The sisters, Nicky and Simone, founded their label in 1991 and have been Fashion Week regulars since 1996.  The designer of the duo, Nicky, traveled to Turks and Caicos to oversee the shoot herself. 

She loved the colorful Caribbean charisma of the blue hills area, the backgrounds were  perfect backdrops for the stylish prints, both bright and feminine.

To view the entire glorious collection, please go to Zimmermann international.

All images by PepperKeyStacie

Huge thanks to Nicky Zimmerman, Art Director Louisa Gent, Tamila, Jodie, and photographer David Roemer.  This crew was a dream; fun, gracious (they even donated some of the excellent catering to local shops involved in the production), such a pleasure to work with!  Please come back and see us soon.

Blue Hills

The island I call home is Providenciales, the most populated and developed in the Turks and Caicos chain of approximately 40 islands and cays. Providenciales was formerly known as Blue Hills, and luckily this charming name is still in use for one of the most quaint and colorful areas on the island. A drive down Blue Hills road one will see traditional and contemporary architecture, large bustling churches, seaside cemeteries, and brightly painted boats and native sloops. All along the road, just feet away, lies the arching palm tree lined beach, one of the few outside the national park where you may go shelling. The people dotting the streets are just as noteworthy as the environment; schoolchildren in uniform, fisherman at work, teenagers playing hoops, men slapping down dominoes, and women walking to mass in big beautiful hats and tailored suits. Not only is it a fantastic place to take a slow drive and soak in the sights, it's highly recommended you stop into one of the restaurants and soak in some native fare and beverage. Here you may just be able to watch your conch being caught, knocked, and prepared before it sits on your plate. The photo above is one of my first portraits of Blue Hills, taken in 2004.