courtesy of: The Morning News
Recently Aruba began the month of summer vacation with one last big bash before families take off, with a government sponsored street fair in Oranjestad combining the monthly Farmer’s Market at Santa Rosa, and annual celebration and fishing tournament conducted by the Hadicurari Fishing Center in Palm Beach.
The west end of Oranjestad Harbor was literally turned into a major beach with clean, white sand, and booths featuring island specialties and native food were busy. Normally, The Santa Rosa Center of Agriculture, Livestock Husbandry and Fishing would host such an event the first Sunday of the month, but to not compete with the popular annual Hadicurari event, it was decided to combine the two, and bring it to town to handle the enormous volume of people they expected.
Those who know what the day will bring were lined up to purchase fresh fish, once the competitor’s catch was weighed in; they enjoyed lunch under shade tents of island favorites, and some new creations, such as Lionfish Soup. These beautiful but invasive creatures, native to the Indo-Pacific and Red Sea, are endangering reef habitats throughout the Caribbean, and Hadicurari continually sponsors tournaments to catch them and encourages the populace to discover it as a tasty food fish. It appears to have other highly beneficial properties as well, and was a very popular food stand.
On this occasion, as they do every year, Hadicurari honored individuals who have contributed to the continuation of fishing as an island tradition, a skill and enthusiasm handed down from one generation to the next.
This year’s honorees to receive plaques were: Juan “Por” Henriquez, Maria Tromp and Maca Flanegin with Augustin Tromp and Alejandra Sint Jago, receiving plaques from the Stichting Rancho, the foundation dedicated to maintaining the history of the area of Oranjestad where the celebration was held, and what was originally Aruba’s center of fishing.
It was a day filled with food, fun and fish, steeped in island culture and tradition.
