There’s no chill in the air, and no sign of the smell of snow. However, Christmas is on its way to Cayman none the less, and with a full calendar of Christmas events, Camana Bay looks set to be Christmas central this festive season.
The Christmas season will officially kick off with the Camana Bay tree lighting on Tuesday 23 November, as the splendour of this year’s tree is revealed on the Crescent in Camana Bay.The tree lighting will be accompanied by carolling and a Christmas Craft Market, bringing a truly festive atmosphere to the Crescent.
Of course, no Christmas tree lighting would be complete without a visit from Santa either, and the jolly man in the red suit will be there to spread joy. It is also rumoured that Santa will be bringing snow with him, which promises to be quite a feat in tropical Cayman.
Even with Santa in attendance, doing a bit of Christmas shopping at the craft market can help you work through that Christmas list just a little bit faster.
The evening will also feature a display of decorated Christmas trees along the Paseo. This is part of the annual Festival of Trees, which benefits the Central Caribbean Marine Institute and its work to protect the coral reefs of the Cayman Islands.
On Wednesday 24 November there will be a ‘drop and shop’ event, with children being kept busy with crafts while mom and dad get a moment or two to catch up on the shopping.
This will be followed by the Festival of Trees showcase on Thursday 25 November, which will feature a family night with Christmas crafts and mulled wine as well as photos with Santa, taken by a professional photographer.
The highlight of the Festival of Trees will be the gala dinner and auction on Saturday 27 November, where the gift-laden trees will be auctioned off to raise funds for the CCMI. The event will take place at Camana Bay, courtesy of the restaurants of Camana Bay, in a spectacular glass hall overlooking the harbour and decorated by Celebrations. For more information on the Festival of Trees, contact Samantha Shaxted at sshaxted@reefresearch.org.
There will be another opportunity for kids to meet Santa and have their photos taken on Tuesday 30 November on the Crescent.
On Saturday 4 December, the Barnes Dance Academy will hold its Christmas Parade at Camana Bay, along with the Cayman Hospice Light up my Life.
Then on Tuesday 7 December, it is time for 27 Days of Christmas with Cayman 27 hosting a live broadcast from Camana Bay. The event will feature fashion shows as well as special activities.
The evening market at Camana Bay will take place on Wednesday 8 December, and although the regular vendors will be there, the event will be given a Christmas flavour with the addition of Christmas steel pan music as well as Christmas crafts for the kids and photos with Santa.
One of the highlights of the Festive season is the Parade of Lights on Saturday 11 December, which will see the harbour at Camana Bay transformed as beautifully decorated boats gracefully glide through the harbour in a riot of colourful lights. This traditional event was reintroduced last year in its new venue at Camana Bay, and has quickly established itself as a crowd favourite.
The evening will also feature Christmas carols as well as food and crafts on the Crescent.
Moonlight and Movies will also be back with a special Christmas edition from Monday 20 December to Thursday 23 December at the Gardenia Court.
For all that last minute shopping, Drop and Shop will also run for the first three Fridays in December, allowing parents to do some leisurely shopping while the children are being entertained.
A full month of Christmas events scheduled, Camana Bay is certain to get you into the spirit this festive season. WH
For more information, visit
camanabay.com