A day set to commemorate the contribution that our national hero, the Right Most Honourable James Alexander George Smith (JAGS) McCartney, made to these islands. JAGS McCartney Day, formerly National Heroes Day, is recognised and celebrated annually on the last Monday in May with a host of events. Celebrations this year have been coordinated by the Department of Culture under the theme Rebuilding the Dream – A Unified Nation. From heritage site visits to float parades, here are six ways you can celebrate JAGS McCartney day this year:
1. Quiz Competition
Join the Department of Culture and Heritage at 6:00pm today (Thursday, May 27th) for a quiz competition that will be held live on RTC FM and the Culture Department’s Facebook page. Tune in to answer questions and boast of your knowledge of our history and national hero!
2. Cheshire Hall Open Days
The Turks and Caicos National Trust is hosting open days at the Cheshire Hall Plantation from May 24th – 28th. Visitation during this period will be free for all primary and secondary schools. The National Trust is welcoming school visits to allow students to learn about our history and heroic ancestors with guided tours and straw-work demonstrations. To attend the open day with your school, appointments must be made for a time between 9:00am and 2:00pm.
You can make an appointment by calling the National Trust on +1(649) 941-5710 or emailing info@tcnationaltrust.org.
3. Float Parade
There will be a float parade in South Caicos on Saturday, May 29th organised by the Department of Culture and Heritage together with the Department of Education and the National Trust. So, if you are in the Big South, be sure to fill your tanks to join in the parade celebrations from 6:00pm on Saturday!
4. Turks and Caicos National Trust (TCNT) Heritage Sites
On May 31st, National Trust heritage sites will be open for public visits at a reduced fee of $2.00. Cheshire Hall Plantation will be open from 9:00am to 3:00pm for guided tours with local food vendors and craft makers selling throughout the day. There will also be storytelling and poetry being performed to highlight our history and culture. These will cover the life and contributions of the Honourable JAGS McCartney as well as others who displayed heroism and were forebearers of our country.
The following other TCNT-managed heritage sites will also be open for guided tours at a reduced fee for local residents:
- ‘Hiker’s Paradise’ Bird Rock Point in Long Bay Providenciales;
- Wade’s Green Plantation in Kew, North Caicos;
- Little Water Cay (also called ‘Iguana Island’); and
- Conch Bar Caves in Middle Caicos.
5. Virtual Trivia Night
If you and your family are well versed on our National Hero facts, then this activity may be right up your alley. Being held on Monday, May 31st at 4:00pm, eight families will vie for first place competing in hero jeopardy and wheel of fun. Virtual Events by Elaine will be hosting this live on their Facebook page.
6. Ceremony and Float Parade
Celebrations will culminate with a wreath laying ceremony in Grand Turk on May 31st at 10:00am followed by a float parade at 4:00pm. The parade will start from the Parade Grounds and end at the J.A.G.S McCartney memorial site. Local bands will be on deck to end the day with musical celebrations.
