Montserrat is known as the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean; it has an abundance of unspoiled beaches and hiking trails, blue horizon and white beaches. However, recently in June, 1995, Montserrat’s volcano erupted, which devastated the lifestyle here. Prior to this, Montserrat was a favorite vacation hang for jet setters, movie stars, and anyone who wished to escape in seclusion. Since the volcano, Montserrat lost more that 2/3 of the 12,000 locals who lived on this island. Meanwhile, the island is in the process of rebuilding, with a new capital city, new airports, and half of the island forbidden from visiting. At the same time, it is affordable with good restaurants, secluded romantic beaches and excellent diving opportunities.

Montserrat continues to be a mix of Irish, African and Caribbean heritage. Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated as a national holiday here. In addition, the Montserrat flag shows irsh folk women, Erin, playing a harp. This Irish heritage comes from when the British forced Irish to be indentured servant on this island and work with the West African slaves on the plantation fields. Since then, even the national meal, called “goat water”, has an Irish history, as a stew made of kidney and mutton with cloves and rum.

Recently Montserrat decided to throw the Calabash Festival: Explosion of Culture, which occurs in July of each year now. It offers a good perspective of Montserrat culture. The festival is named after the fruit/vegetable that historically locals used to make eating utensils and musical instruments. In the festival, the food fair shows an assortment of local . In other words, this festival shows the diverse culture of the island, with its strong musical and artistic culture, reflective of many of the Caribbean islands, as well as its Irish and African background.