Saipan Tribune

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Monday, January 14, 2013

9TH TINIAN HOT PEPPER FESTIVAL

New site but still the same fun

It's a new location, but the same great fun for the 9th Annual Tinian Hot Pepper Festival on Feb. 16-17, 2013.

The annual President's Day weekend celebration held in honor of donni sali, a small but potent hot pepper that is indigenous to the island, offers the perfect blend of island partying at the festival grounds and quiet escape at isolated beaches and backroads. The Northern Marianas signature event is organized by the Marianas Visitors Authority and co-sponsored by the Tinian Mayor's Office and Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino.

Activities will move this year to a new location at Kammer Beach main pavilion but will again include cooking competitions, indigenous craft sales, and live entertainment including cultural dances, and Hapi the clown. Sample a variety of local dishes, catch the umang (hermit crab) races, join numerous sports activities (including beach volleyball and dragon boat races), or join the donni sali eating competition, itself.

“The Tinian Hot Pepper Festival is the perfect excuse to escape for a holiday weekend in Tinian with family and friends,” said MVA Community Projects manager Martin Duenas. “We're looking forward to another big turnout this year, and we encourage people to make their reservations early.”

Festival times will be from 1pm to 10pm on Feb. 16 and from 10am to 10pm on Feb. 17.

The historical treasures of Tinian include ancient Chamorro limestone pillars called Taga stones (within walking distance of the festival), to relics from the Japanese era of administration of the islands, to WWII ruins.

Tinian is accessible within minutes of Saipan via airplane or via connecting flights from Rota and Guam. For more information, contact the MVA Tinian office at (670) 433-9365 or email at vborja@mymarianas.com. (MVA)