NEW STRAW AND CRAFT MARKET TO OPEN ON BAY STREET IN NASSAU/PARADISE ISLAND

Visitors in Nassau can now explore Bahamian culture in the new $12 million Straw and Craft Market. Set to open its doors on Dec. 21, 2011 the new Bay Street establishment will house over 450 vendors, making it easy for visitors to bring pieces of authentic island crafts home.

Designed by Patrick Rahming & Associates, the market contains two sections allowing for hundreds of vendors. The 37,000 square foot ground level space showcases straw vendors and accommodates 34 specialty booths designed to encourage experiences such as authentic Bahamian music, dance and fashion. Shoppers can also enjoy ATM access, public washrooms and wireless technology for the processing of credit card sales.

Due to the straw market fires in 1974 and 2001, extensive fire safety measures have been taken for vendors and tourists protection at the new venue including a sprinkler system with on-site water storage and fire hoses. There is also a full-service generator for use in case of emergency. For more information and images of The Islands Of The Bahamas or the Straw and Craft Market please visit www.Bahamas.com or The Bahamas Media Center.

Bahamas Speed Week Revival Winner - $100 Million Worth of Vintage Cars Raced Alongside Award Winning Beaches

Stephen Bond races his Lister Bristol around the 1.1 mile Arawak Cay Circuit during the Bahamas Speed Week Revival this past weekend, where he took home the top honors as the race winner. The event revved up the engines of more than 30 vintage racing cars, worth an estimated $100 million, that made their way through the streets of Nassau to revive the open-wheel racing event that was popular in the 1950s and 1960s. *Photo by Derek Smith.

MARATHON BAHAMAS 2012 TO LEAD THE WAY IN NASSAU

Running is simply better in The Bahamas. For the 3^rd consecutive year marathoners and fans of running will have the opportunity to stretch their legs while taking in the most beautiful of settings, thanks to the Sunshine Insurance Race Weekend, taking place in Nassau, Bahamas Jan. 14-15, 2012. The centerpiece of the weekend will be Marathon Bahamas, a 26.2 mile race taking place on Sunday Jan. 15 that will take participants through a course that has been designed to showcase the diversity the island has to offer.

Not ready to take on a 26.2 mile run but still want to dash through The Bahamas? Not to worry there are races suited for every fitness level. Runners can choose to participate in other events including the Susan G. Komen Bahamas Race for the Cure® 5K, a 4-Person Relay, or Half Marathon. In addition a Health and Fitness Expo open to the public will be held on Jan. 14, 2012 featuring healthy lifestyle demonstrations, nutritional items, the latest in running gear and more.

Interested marathoners and runners can register for the race online, by mail or in person at the Sunshine Insurance’s East Shirley Street Office in Nassau. There will be no day-of-race registrations permitted. Details regarding fees can be found on MarathonBahamas.com. Online registration closes midnight Jan. 10, 2012.

BAHAMAS SPEED WEEK REVIVAL LURES CAR ENTHUSIASTS TO THE ISLANDS WITH $100 MILLION WORTH OF VINTAGE RACING CARS

Classic racing cars that once made the circuit at Le Mans or Sebring will make their way through the streets of Nassau Paradise Island for Bahamas Speed Week, Nov. 30 thru Dec. 4, 2011. A popular racing event in the 1950s and 1960s, Bahamas Speed Week will revive the glamour and competition of open-wheel racing in the destination’s capital.

The featured event of Bahamas Speed Week will be the official race on the Arawak Cay Circuit, where a paddock “car pit” pass is $75 and general entrance into the race is just $20.

Highlights of Bahamas Speed Week will include an opening day barbeque at Arawak Cay, a social gathering place known to locals as the “Fish Fry;” dinner at Graycliff Hotel & Cigar Factory, boasting the third largest privately owned wine cellar in the world; a 007 island tour and lunch at Lyford Cay Golf Club, the exclusive neighborhood of Sir Sean Connery; and a black tie charity gala at the famed Atlantis Paradise Island resort.

Tickets to the events can be purchased individually at www.bahamasspeedweekrevival.com and spectators can also access special rates for a six-night stay at Atlantis, starting at $1,215 per person, including airport transfers.  Spectators can also sail from West Palm Beach, Fla. to Nassau for affordable rates starting at $139 per person, plus a $59.97 tax/port fees.

THE ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS ARE BACK TO BUSINESS

Update #6: 12:00 PM EDT, Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011

NASSAU, Bahamas – The Islands of The Bahamas are back to business following Hurricane Irene, which made its way out of Bahamian waters Thursday evening, Aug. 25. Visitors began arriving to Nassau by plane and cruise ship yesterday, Friday, Aug. 26, and activities in the major tourism areas in Nassau and Grand Bahama Island have resumed as normal. The country’s first destination wedding took place this afternoon, Saturday, Aug. 27 at the Radisson Our Lucaya Resort in Grand Bahama Island.

All 28 government run airports throughout the country are back in operation, including the airport in Grand Bahama Island.

Cruise ports in Nassau and Grand Bahama Island are open. The first cruise ship operated by Disney returned to Nassau Friday morning, Aug. 26, and other ships resumed calls today, Saturday, Aug. 27. Calls to Grand Bahama Island are expected to resume tomorrow, Sunday, Aug. 28.

Hotels, resorts and attractions throughout The Bahamas are open and accepting arrivals, including the country’s largest resort, Atlantis. Some closures remain, as many Out Island properties normally close at this time of year. Consumers are being advised to contact their prospective hotel for information.

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*All times are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)