Harbour Nights expands to Reid and Queen Street

Harbour Nights is growing bigger as both Front and parts of Reid Street will be closed to traffic.

The Bermuda Chamber of Commerce announced that change along with several others for the popular Wednesday night series which begins on May 1.

Harbour Nights will run through until August 28^th.

Joanne MacPhee, chamber executive director, said: “The Chamber is pleased to announce a number of exciting changes to Harbour Nights. The most significant is the new route. Historically, the event has always been restricted to Front Street, but this year it will also incorporate Reid and Queen Streets.

“Front and Reid Street will both be pedestrianized between Burnaby Hill and Queen Street, and Queen will be closed between Front and Church Street. This will give all merchants within the new footprint the opportunity to participate and in doing so bring the entire City to life.”

Harbour nights is going to become more ‘Bermudianized” as well.

Mrs. MacPhee said: “Harbour Nights is the place where Bermudians and visitors connect and we want everyone to enjoy a truly authentic Bermudian experience, so we are going to focus even more attention on our rich heritage and culture. We are delighted to be collaborating with the Department of Community & Cultural Affairs this year and with their support, each week we will be showcasing local ‘Tradition Bearers’, the men and women who keep our heritage alive. 

“We will also be picking up on the Department’s theme for Heritage Month the ‘Sights Sounds and Colours of Bermuda’ and carrying this forward throughout the season.

“Similarly, our vendors have been asked to stay true to the spirit of the event and we will only be allowing them to sell goods which have been made in or for Bermuda.  We even have a new food vendor who will focus entirely on Bermudian fare.”

The entertainment will change which will feature street buskers rather than a big production number at the end of the evening. The entertainers will be spread out along Front and Reid Streets.

The Chamber’s executive director said there were doubts that Harbour Nights would even return for 2013.

 “At the end of last season we were not even sure we would continue with Harbour Nights; after 20 years some felt the event had run its course, but after talking to the key stakeholders, including our sponsors, it was agreed that the signature event must go on, but we also agreed that in order to do so it needed to change. 

“So an executive committee, chaired by our President Ronnie Viera, was formed and we have been working behind the scenes for months to determine the best way forward. We truly believe that the new approach is what is needed to revitalize the event but in the end it will be up to the public to decide.”

The Chamber will be holding a press conference nearer to the launch date, to outline the various changes in more detail.