The community festival coincides with the grand re-opening of two well-known St. George’s businesses
Women-owned businesses based in St. George’s will be part of a showcase at a special community event this weekend.
HERstory Women’s History Month Festival is branded by organisers as a vibrant celebration of women’s history, culture, and entrepreneurship.
Sponsored by the Women’s Resource Centre and curated by Long Story Short, the event opens at The Arcades at 12pm on Saturday, with a speech by St. George’s Mayor Quinell Francis.
Following that, the day will be filled with storytelling, entertainment, historical site visits and tours with various artisans. Area MP Renee Ming will speak at the close of the cultural activities at 4pm.
The Festival coincides with the grand re-opening of two well-known St. George’s businesses in their new spaces at The Arcades—Long Story Short, a tour company and retail store owned by Kristin White, and Frequency Café and Hub, owned by Rolisa Camille.
The building, located on the western end of Water Street and also accessible from Duke of York Street, also houses Lacquered Lounge, East End Variety, and St. George’s Dance Studio.
“Rolisa and I are so excited about our new locations and eager to welcome the community to The Arcades! On Saturday, guests can enjoy incredible food and drinks, browse for books and gifts, take a tour and see the remarkable potential of the space for future events,” Kristin White explained.
Long Story Short’s story began in 1979 in the cellar of the 18th-century Bermuda National Trust property, Tucker House. At that time it was a small bookshop called The Book Cellar. In 2012, to save it from closing down, Kristin White purchased it, and over the last 12 years, she has rebranded the business, expanded into gifts and other products, as well as tours that have gained international media attention.
“Over the years, my history tours have turned into lots of other cultural offerings, including lectures, food and cocktail experiences, and scavenger hunts. My team and I also curate larger events, like group trip itineraries, corporate dinners and community festivals,” Ms White explained.
“Now, I’m repositioning the brand to focus more on these, with a full tour centre and expanded tour calendar. Our new fleet of electric bicycles will be arriving soon, just in time for the height of the summer visitor season! And, though we’ll be putting more focus on tours, my retail store will continue to be a mainstay. The space has been beautifully designed and merchandised by my friend Nicole Golden, owner of Urban Cottage. And we will continue offering a thoughtful selection of books, particularly those that feature Black and female authors, and eco-friendly, fair trade, and local goods. Soon, we’ll be adding a gourmet pantry, with wine & spirits for purchase as part of our partnership with Gosling’s. We will also have a new section of our own designed merchandise and souvenirs.”
Frequency Café and Hub started in February 2022, born from Rolisa’s vision of a café where impact mattered; you left feeling on a higher frequency than you came in, with hopes that would then ripple to the next person and so on.
Her return to The Arcades is a full circle moment.
“I worked at Café Latte when I was 14 years old, a café that was right here in The Arcades where my café is now,” Rolisa Camille explained. “This space holds a great deal of meaning for me, and I am overwhelmed with happiness to have this beautiful new space.”
The vibrant café, designed by St. George’s-based multidisciplinary artist and entrepreneur Tara Sapien, features several eating nooks, window seating, bright murals and a full kitchen.
Rolisa’s plans for Frequency Café & Hub include an expansion of food and beverage offerings, growing the catering services, and she intends to obtain a liquor licence to offer wine and beer.
She described, “Now that the brand is established, the goal is to introduce my grander vision for Frequency, which includes community kindness and connection initiatives, including a Café Conversations podcast geared to uplifting, connecting and inspiring Bermuda as a whole.”
Rolisa and Kristin said, “We are so excited to welcome new faces to our businesses, see familiar customers and friends, and just celebrate being in our new space. We are thankful to everyone who made this possible.”
