The straw market on Paradise Island was officially reopened on Thursday following extensive renovations. Minister of Works and Family Island Affairs, the Hon. Clay Sweeting and other ministry officials toured the facilities.
Sweeting told reporters, “in our Blueprint for Change we spoke about how we’re going to reimagine how we help with the orange economy, how persons who create things out of straw or other raw materials, Bahamian raw materials, are able to expand on that. So today is an exciting date because an holistic approach to small business development in our country. It’s not just reopening the Straw Market, it’s also reimagining with the Junkanoo exhibit that will be open in a few months. This location is now on the agenda for Atlantis when they do their stops, their tour stops. So now we don’t have to worry about or be concerned about whether or not persons will come here because the busses and the tour will bring them here everyday or every other day when they start their tours.”
Atlantis Executive Vice President of Administration and Strategic Initiatives, Vaughn Roberts said Atlantis is looking to enhance the Straw Market experience. “So we think the combination of traditional straw vendors and crafts with local food vendors and with Junkanoo could be a very compelling model for Straw Markets going forward.”
The Straw Market is opened daily.
