The highlights of Antigua Carnival and a history-making sojourn to space with Virgin Galactic are among the topics featured in this month’s newsletter. Our latest edition also gives you the very latest on the Moon Gate Hotel & Spa development. We also put the spotlight on Elkhorn Marine Conservancy's pioneering project that aims to protect the country’s prized coral reefs.
All this and more to come – in Issue 23 of our Moon Gate newsletter.
From the outset Moon Gate has been committed to supporting important and on-going environmental awareness efforts in Antigua & Barbuda, particularly in the Half Moon Bay Area. Moon Gate is proud to maintain affiliation and support for the A&B Environmental Awareness Group (EAG) and other important community conservation initiatives. These organisations are deeply committed to reviving and maintaining our natural resources and environment.
As our construction work continues apace and we remain focused on our opening later in 2024, we remain committed to responsible stewardship of the stunning world within which Moon Gate Hotel & Spa exists.
From the Construction Desk. This month construction efforts were concentrated on Buildings 2 and 4. On Building Two, slab form work continues in order to lay the fourth floor. We have reached completion of the third floor block work on Building Four. The columns, stairs and landings have all been cast, and the fourth floor form work has commenced in preparation for pouring.
Antigua's Carnival season ends on a high note. From the electrifying atmosphere of the street parades and fetes to the rousing live music competitions, Antiguans and Barbudans once again proved their mettle as some of the most energetic revellers in the region.
This year’s Carnival festivities which culminated on August 8 were a panoply of pageantry, vibrancy and flair – with a sweeping victory for one tenacious young woman among the highlights. Fresh from her success at the Ms Antigua and Barbuda queen show, Ischikelle Corbin went on to clean up at the regional Jaycees event, winning each of the five judged segments over eight fellow competitors from across the Caribbean.
On the music scene, veteran steelpan orchestra Hells Gate secured their fourth consecutive win in the hotly contested Panorama competition. The orchestra which was founded in 1945, wowed judges with a rendition of local soca star Tian Winter’s hit song ‘No Weapon’ featuring an onstage appearance by Winter himself.
Carnival may be over for another year but the clock is already ticking for the 2024 event; organisers have confirmed the next instalment of the ‘Caribbean’s greatest summer festival’ will run from July 26 to August 6.
Shoot for the stars: Antiguan mother-daughter duo hail historic trip to space
Seeing the Earth’s curvature from space is something most of us can only dream of. For Keisha Schahaff and Anastatia Mayers, observing our planet from a height of 85 kilometres and experiencing four minutes of weightlessness was the manifestation of a lifelong ambition.
The trailblazing pair, who hail from Antigua and were not only the first people from the Caribbean to visit space but the first mother-daughter duo too, described their cosmic voyage as “just amazing”.
Visit the Virgin Galactic site for news from outer space.
Elkhorn Marine’s Coral Reef Nursery
Coral reefs help protect our coastline from storms and erosion, provide a critical source of income for many local people and are home to numerous species of marine life. Those are just some of the reasons that helping ensure their survival is an environmental priority.
Elkhorn Marine Conservancy (EMC), is the non-profit body behind the country’s pioneering coral nurseries. Named after the iconic and important reef-building Elkorn coral that once characterised Caribbean reefs, the organisation brings together ocean users, scientists and teachers in a bid to revive our marine ecosystems.
