As the relentless summer begins its searing assault, the island’s mango trees are bending with the weight of their bounty, as the juicy fruits go from green to gold and finally acquire that fiery red ripeness.
Like most events scheduled pre-pandemic, Mango Fest Key West was forced to “go virtual.” But unlike many others that were reduced to simple squares on a Zoom screen, the creative team from Dolce Events is serving up something as fresh and enjoyable as the island’s favorite fruit — and one need not be in Key West to partake while supporting the Key West Police Athletic/Activities League.
“We used 360-degree photography down at Key West’s Truman Waterfront to design the graphics and make our Virtual Vendor Village appear as it would have in person,” said organizer Mark Certonio, who owns Dolce Events. “The Vendor Village officially opens Monday, June 15 and runs through June 28, featuring booths from all sorts of local businesses. Visitors can click on the links at those booths to buy merchandise or order food and drink specials that, of course, feature the main ingredient — mangoes.”
“The virtual booth space is only $100 per booth, with all proceeds going to PAL,” Certonio said.
Now in its fourth year, Mango Fest Key West benefits the Key West Police Athletic/Activities League. The organization, headed by Key West Police Detective Jesse Hammers,
“provides local kids with focus and direction to help them become responsible citizens within our community. We provide quality youth sports, activities and educational programs to develop their skills, trust, discipline, self-esteem and respect. The goal is to create positive relationships among the youth, police and community.”
Members of the Key West Police Department volunteer their time to facilitate programs such as mixed martial arts, boxing, computer classes, basketball and educational camps after school, on weekends and throughout the summer. The organization is headquartered at the new PAL gym behind Key West City Hall on United Street.
In addition to the high-tech Virtual Vendor Village, Mango Fest Key West includes a photography contest that urges the public to vote for their favorite fruitful images. An online art sale splits the proceeds from the sale of each original painting between the artist and PAL.
There are also a poetry and prose contest, recipes featuring mangoes in everything from tropical drinks to tacos and guacamole, and culinary demonstrations.
Turning Mango Fest Key West into a virtual event means that people in Minnesota can participate and enjoy the fruits of our labors, while also getting a glimpse of our sunshine, water and blue sky down at Truman Waterfront, Certonio said, encouraging everyone everywhere to celebrate the sweet summer season of the mango in Key West.
