Fodor's Expert Review Discovery Day Festival

Though October 12 is now known as National Heroes Day across The Bahamas, it was not too long ago commemorated as "Discovery Day." However, the island of San Salvador continues to recognize the day Christopher Columbus arrived in the new world for he landed right on one of their beaches. The Discovery Day Homecoming Festival is a week-long event that takes places at various venues across the island, including Graham’s Harbour on the far north of the island and Long Bay, where memorials mark the spot that Columbus landed. Festival days depend on when the public holiday falls, but always include food, drink, craft, a mix of live bands, DJs, and fun games such as sack race, coconut barking, pineapple eating, beer drinking, and a staged cultural dancing show. An evening ecumenical service and gospel concert usually kicks things off while a Beach Bash closes the festivities out.