OFFICIAL WORD FROM THE CAYE CAULKER LOBSTER FEST COMMITTEE- THERE WILL BE NO ANNUAL CAYE CAULKER LOBSTER FEST THIS YEAR!!! AS A RESULT OF THE DECLINE IN SUPPORT FROM THE CAYE CAULKER BUSINESS COMMUNITY THE CAYE CAULKER LOBSTER FEST COMMITTEE HAS DECIDED NOT TO HOST A FEST THIS YEAR. AGAIN, THERE WILL BE NO OFFICIAL ANNUAL CAYE CAULKER LOBSTER FEST 2011.

ANYONE OR ANY BUSINESS ATTEMPTING TO HOST ANY EVENT UNDER "CAYE CAULKER LOBSTER FEST" WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED THE OFFICIAL LOBSTER FEST OF CAYE CAULKER AND WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO HOST SUCH EVENT UNDER THE CAYE CAULKER LOBSTER FEST NAME.

THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE SAN PEDRO LOBSTER FEST IS GOING TO BE BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER. WE INVITE AND WELCOME EVERYBODY FROM OUR SISTER ISLAND TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FUN. WE WILL HAVE WONDERFUL FOOD BOOTHS, ENJOYABLE MUSIC AND MAYBE A FEW ENJOYABLE SURPRISES.........

great they tell us now. No sorry just its not on we love caye caulker but down to placencia for me

I run the Serenade Guest House in Placencia.....10% off any room for anyone that was planning on going to the CC Lobsterfest...call us at 523-3380 or 668-2260

Say the secret word for the discount - HIDEOUT

IMHO, This announcement was not well thought out.
With or without the official "FEST", we have plenty of restaurants and plenty of lobster.
Now they have pretty much told people to go somewhere else.
Others were quick to pounce on this opportunity.
This was a disservice to the local fishermen, establishment owners.
They had nothing to lose by saying nothing at all.

Agreed, not necessary at all. Sounds like sour grapes to me.

Yes, it is/was an unfortunate choice of words and form of dissemination of information.

I bet the only ones happy about this are the lobsters! Considering that tourism is a large contributor to the local economy of CC I am sure this decision was not taken lightly.

THERE WILL BEST A LOBSTER FEST AT THE SPLIT THE 1-2-3 JULLY IMMER JUST PLANNING TO DO SOMETHING WITH LOT OF EVENT....
I AM NOW LEAVING CAYE CAULKER BUT FOR SURE BE BACK TO C-C BEGINING OF JULLY WE DO NOT WANT TO MISS THAT...

QUEBELIZE

Interesting....

Aquamark and others,
Just because a small committee has decided not to bless us with their official name does in no way preclude the rest of us from eating lobster, having fun.
The island is still here, we still have the same eateries and lobster.
If you are truly going to miss the banner with the word "Lobsterfest" on it, then I guess you can take the long ride to Placencia.
It's also a nice place, but is it worth changing your plans over a name on a piece of material?

AMEN Brother ! Sing it !

artisan listen here gezzer we travel to caye caulker twice a year for the last five years from london and booked flights last year for the fest and they said its not on this week. wake up and smell the coffee i will be on caye caulker for about 4 weeks . you live on the island so it wont cost you nothing if its on or not. its not about eating lobster if they advertise its not on the caye will be short of tourists a crowd makes a better party. more money for business everyone happy . ps hope you dont get wood worm plank

ok artisan put a flyer on here of whats on music bands ect and what dates that might help tourists go to the caye.

Geezer?
How old are you?
This is simply about a little respect for many people who run businesses on this island and don't need tourism driven away.
Times are tough, the weather was bad last year, people are barely making it as it is.
Were they supposed to print the money to fund this thing, take out loans from Belizean banks at 12-15%?
People here are hard at work, building, repairing lobster traps, hoping against hope for a little break from the mess the US bankers created in 2008, they surely didn't need this bad press.
Go to Placencia by all means if you feel that strongly about it.

cant you read i said we will be there for 4 weeks my friends are fishermen there. put your money where your mouth is and set something up and dont move to a island and take peoples work when there having a hard time gringo gezzer

How is it that you come from England, but cannot spell the language?
I am taking no one's work, no one here has the equipment to do the work I do, I am simply, unlike you, trying to help the local businessmen, Why don't you find someone in Placencia to annoy?

Wow, this seems rather pointless doesn't it? Caye Caulker is a great place with or without an official Lobster Fest.

Agreed,
I hope all his fishermen friends appreciate his slamming the place when he gets here!

If there are at least 2 of us, we have Party !

Or one person with multiple personalities & two hands. Or someone with bad ADD....Hey look a chicken!

artisan like when did i slam the place read the post i was annoyed with the way the lobster fest committee canceled about a 4 weeks before the usual week its on. as a lot of people have never been there for the fest and booked months ago for it. as for my fishing friends they all know what i was on about and feel the same way about the timing and the way they worded it see you soon.

So is there an actual date for a Caye Caulker Lobsterfest?
It's not a trick question.

i think the party starts 1 july

Support whomever you wish to support! Just know that the people of Caye Caulker are always grateful and friendly to whomever comes our way!!! We might not have the crowd, but we have ALWAYS HAD THE BEST LOBSTER GRILLED and READY to be eaten!! And yes the partY will be on a weekend for sure at the SPLIT!! JULY 1st most likely!

Oh how I wish Mike and I were going to be there! Fest or no Fest...I love CC!

No Caye Caulker Lobsterfest for 2011

LINK TO SUNRISE SHOTS OF PREPARATIONS FOR THE NON-OFFICIAL PARTY.
BTW, CAYE IS NOT DESERTED, NO ONE GETS UP THIS EARLY!
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1868302424282.2093430.1142714115&l=de8cbc0316

Hey dennis, what's the charge for a palapa and are there any left?

thanks

I will find out for you today.

Hello Mathieu,
Palapa booth rental is $125 BZ for the 3 day event this week-end.
Cover charge a whopping $3 BZ! Donated to the school.
Contact Emir at 620-0539

The lobsterfest committee offered to let the people of Caye Caulker use the name Lobsterfest one time for $5000. This is all about one guy. When asked if he Owned the Word, he said he thought of it so it is his.Don't pay him and he announces there is no party.
Note: Lobsterfests have been going on in Louisiana, Fla. and Texas since I was kid.

If Caye Caulker has a lobster fest, seafood fest, jam session, jump up etc people will come and enjoy. If there is one thing we love to do in Belize it is have fun and party.

I was dismayed that the Lobster Fest committee decided to opt out this year and then to refuse to allow willing participants to advertise a lobster fest party on the island was simply ludicrous. Aren't the willing participants that people that the committee deemed uninterested.

From an outside observation it is clearly obvious that this is some petty personal battle that has embroiled and sullied the whole event.

What a crying shame.

If anybody is going to own the "name" Caye Caulker Losterfest it should probably be the village council.

What is in a name?
How about Lobster luao...no too hawaiian, lobster bash....no that could be crelty to animals, caye caulker crustacean celebration....too wordy, what the heck just have a party and invite everyone to celebrate!

No offense to those who have placed their comments in regards to what has happened, but for those who are living on the island of Caye Caulker and know what the current situation is in regards to the festival have the right to speak their minds and for those who don't live here need to get the facts straight.

The name "Caye Caulker Lobster Fest" is owned by a committee who came up with the idea of SUCH festival. If the island wanted to have a festival, the business community ESPECIALLY, WHO ARE THE ONES WHO BENEFIT FROM THIS FESTIVITY MOST OF ALL, WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS. Now that there wasn't any there were complaints after complaints about not having the festival yet they still failed to realized the main reason for this... this is a non-profit organization and the aim is to always provide 50% OR MORE directly back to the community; each and every year. Let's see who all will get up and give their part to next years festival and help to make it even better instead of only talking trash.

WHAT'S DONE IS DONE! AND INSTEAD OF TALKING ABOUT THE PAST LET'S MAKE THE FUTURE BETTER!

I live here and I still maintain that announcing on a public forum that there will be no Lobsterfest on Caye Caulker this year was a disservice to the community.
Oh yeah, the future, please don't do it again.

It was done for the community to realize that they are the ones who benefit from the event and that without the help of the community itself it can't be done.

I was not there to witness the festivities, but reportedly the fun was plentiful throughout the weekend in spite of the "committee" refusing to acknowledge an official lobster fest. This year the organizers were able to gather a significant crowd in spite of some uncooperative weather. Cheers to the Lazy Lizard and everyone else involved for their work on this year's events. I'm happy to see that the spirit of Caye Caulker could not be stopped by the interest of a "committee" that refused to (for whatever reason) "host" a lobsterfest. Perhaps next year we will be there to celebrate this important time with you!

All you did with that announcement was drive people away from CC.
With that kind of help, good luck with further cooperation.
I'd like to see the document that entitles you to "Ownership" of any Lobsterfest.

So would I. Seems like some egos in play.

For sure there will be a legal paper but only for a registred name like millions of other legal registred name..
i was witnees of one member of the legal lobsterfest community first asking for big money from local businessman and after he refuse treathning him if he use the famous name after arguing the businessman as to call the police for him to leave the property ...

I again am confused. As a business owner here that always gives what I can to fundraisers and other organizations. I heard of no meetings regarding this years lobster-fest. I heard the committee actually had no leadership to organize anything this year. I have some experience on a smaller scale of putting together fundraisers etc. Its alot of work even on a small scale. I saw absolutely no effort on the committees part to drum up donations, have public meetings etc. So I am wondering if blaming the community is at all fair. I heard also the festival at the Split was a great success, very well done and organized on rather short notice.

Hi Debbie,
I don't think anyone is blaming anything on the community except for the self-appointed "Official Committee" who didn't get enough donations, and called the whole thing off publicly.
They drove people to other destinations, I questioned their right to do this?

For future reference:

http://www.belipo.bz/e_library.php#3

It seems to me that it is unlikely anyone has exclusive right to the use of "Caye Caulker Lobsterfest", but I have only skimmed the website.

Obtaining any legitimate "ownership" of an event like this would be cost-prohibitive and beyond the diligence of most entrepreneurs I have observed around here, if legally doable at all?
I pulled some punches in my initial comment, stating the announcement was not well thought out.
They continue to defend their position, claiming to teach us what's good for the community, in spite of much stronger words I have heard others use to describe their actions.

I have heard some comments made stating too bad the Island business people did not support the Lobsterfest. So what I was saying is its mostly up to the committee to be organized enough to get the community to support such functions, and I saw nothing happening along those lines. People usually dont seek out who and where to donate time, money..etc.
If the name Lobsterfest has been registered in Belmopan there is a legal standing. I dont think it has because that would mean San Pedro and Placencia could not use it as well.

Then call it Lobsterfeast instead.

Lobsterama? Lobstermania? Lobsterapaloosa? Maybe I should register and copyright these names now...

Hi Deb,
I think what happened is due to the lack of tourism in this recession, the relative decline in numbers at last year's event, and the general lack of money on the Caye, people were reluctant to donate again.
This however did not warrant the public announcement which immediately caused people to go elsewhere.
You're right about the donation solicitation not being too well organized also.
In fairness, this was perhaps like I said, just simply not well thought out, but continuing to defend it is IMHO uncalled for.