Enjoyed a trip to Happy Beach last week. It's called secluded but has a lot of people. It's a half mile walk to get there which makes it secluded to some people. There were 60 people on the 1000 foot long beach. Three catamarans anchored off shore including one with a dozen people jumping in the water and a drone hovering overhead. A motor vessel anchors to allow the pick up of twenty chicken dinners from Danny's Bar on the beach. A dozen personal watercraft stop by as well as kayaks and small sailboats. Per foot of shoreline it's as busy as any beach.
Now construction is underway for the SXM Festival. Grass is being cut, Buildings erected, Generators with wiring to two stages etc. A fence is being erected cutting the beach off from the inland property. This will cut off access from the Grand Case side. The Friars Bay path will still be open. The Festival has events all over the island but its main event is at Happy Beach every nite from 7 pm to 5 am. It's DJs playing music all nite. One of the other venues is Rainbow Cafe which I heard was closed last week due to noise issues.
Festival is March 11 to 18. Tickets $55 to $850.
This is now the 7th year. I haven't heard a lot about prior years.
My questions:
Is the beach open to the public during the festival?
Does the fence keep festival goers from the beach?
Aren't there a lot of bugs in the grass, bushes and bogs at nite?
Are there buses to take partiers to the different events or are they driving around the island 24/7 chugging red bull?

I just left there, the pavilion and bar area is being built as we speak. I will agree, busy area. I thought it was an out of the way Beach. Non stop sailboats, rhino riders and jet skis. Everyone having a great time.

20 some years ago that was our go to beach. My wife and I would be the only one on the beach all day with maybe another one or two couples most days. Maybe a cow would wonder down onto the beach. The only sounds were the goats on the hillside and the waves. Social media changed all that. Hopefully the construction did not chase away Danny.