Mango Melee will be held Sunday at the St. George Village Botanical Garden from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The community event provides a day full of activities for all ages. It is the largest annual fundraiser for the St. George Village Botanical Garden. All proceeds go toward supporting the operational costs of the garden.
Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 5–12, and free for children under five years old. Bring exact change to speed up entry, or purchase your tickets in advance online at Eventbrite. Click here to purchase tickets.
“We will have parking lots designated for parking across from the St. Croix Blue House and nearby Church. Parking will be $5 per vehicle. We will have air-conditioned passenger buses available for transportation to the Garden entry gate for those that do not wish to walk from the parking area. Buses will run from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Parking for those with a handicap placard will be available inside our main gated area. Cars without a handicap placard will not be allowed entry,” Sarah Brady, SGVBG executive director, said.
There will be over 100 vendors featuring handcrafted art, jewelry, clothing, and more from local artisans. Families can enjoy activities including the Virgin Islands Children’s Museum pop-up experience, meeting and interacting with animals through the St. Croix Avian Sanctuary and Cowboy Steve with Donkey Equus Rides. Vendor lists and maps will be available at the garden information table.
New this year will be live demonstrations by blacksmith Alex Jaffurs in the recently refurbished 200-year-old blacksmith shop. Alex specializes in authentic, handmade replacement hardware for historic buildings, made to order for restorations and other items.
We Deh Yah Cultural Dancers will perform in the Great Hall at 2:45 p.m. The Guardians of Culture Moko Jumbies will be at the Great Hall at 1 p.m. Both groups will mix motion and bright costumes to delight the crowd.
Always a crowd favorite, the Guardians of Culture Moko Jumbies stand in bright costumes waiting as adults and children alike come to have their pictures taken and to admire the costumes at Mango Melee, July 7, 2024. (Source photo by Linda Morland)
Mango Tasting will take place between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. in the SGVBG Great Hall. A variety of mangoes will be available in partnership between SGVBG and My Brother’s Table. Learn more about how My Brother’s Table is supporting the community at this interactive booth.
The big final event, the Mango Eating Contests for adults and children, will kick off at 4 p.m. on the lawn of the Great Hall. This favorite event always draws a large crowd.
A raffle will offer a two-night/three-day stay in a deluxe oceanfront room at the Buccaneer Resort on St. Croix along with other exciting prizes. Tickets will be available at the garden information table. Buyers will not have to be present when the tickets are drawn.
“Mango Melee is more than a celebration of one of St Croix’s favorite tropical fruits – it’s a celebration of St Croix’s agricultural heritage, local vendor craftsmanship, and the incredible community that supports the Garden year after year to help make this event possible. We look forward to welcoming families, friends, and visitors to experience a day filled with local flavor, music, education, and fun all while helping sustain the Garden’s mission,” Brady said.
Founded in 1972, the St. George Village Botanical Garden is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation, education, and preservation of the ethnobotanical heritage of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Located on a 16-acre site in Estate St. George, the Garden features over 1,500 species and varieties of native and exotic plants, showcased among the restored ruins of a 19th-century Danish sugar plantation and an ancient Amerindian settlement dating back nearly 2,000 years.
New members and volunteers as gardeners, tour guides, nursery workers, and for special events are always needed. SGVBG will welcome them as an important part of the garden.
