New Festival Bill Sparks Debate Over Saturation and Economic Viability

Lawmakers express concerns over festival saturation and potential financial strain as Sen. Capehart's bill proposing an annual Beer, Wine, and Spirits Festival faces pushback; some suggest merging with existing events to prevent diminishing returns

After much debate and some hesitation from members of the Committee on Economic Development and Agriculture, lawmakers voted in favor of Bill 35-0257, an act to develop and produce an annual U.S. Virgin Islands Beer, Wine, and Spirits Festival. “This is a revenue generator. This is for economic stimulation,” said Senator Diane Capehart as she introduced the bill. She said the bill “aims to enhance the Department of Tourism efforts to rejuvenate St. Croix” with a primary goal of showcasing the island. Noting that similar had been done on St. Thomas, Capeheart asserted that “St. Croix is more than ready to receive tourists.”

The bill indicates a date of July to host the festival, but Capehart’s comments suggest that there are opportunities for amendment. St. Patrick’s Day and the Agriculture Food Fair were among her suggestions. “Hotel rooms may be a challenge so we can integrate this beer and wine and spirits festival into the Crucian festival activities,” she suggested. In the end, she told her fellow legislators that “the growth of the USVI festival events positively affects the territory's overall commerce and fund balance of the tourism advertising revolving fund.”