Celebrating 70 Years of St. Thomas Carnival in The U.S. Virgin Islands
People are dancing in the streets while wearing elaborate costumes and listening to steel pan drums. It is a celebration of freedom with parades and calypso performances. There are three events to pick from in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and each island celebrates them at a different period of the year.
Mocko jumbies, or colourfully dressed dancers on stilts, are a mainstay of many U.S. Virgin Islands occasions, from one of the loveliest Valentine’s Day celebrations in the world to the customary Caribbean Carnival celebrations. While every U.S. Virgin Island hosts a colourful Carnival celebration, St. John’s is the best at fusing the Caribbean’s most well-known holiday with American Independence Day. On July 4, St. John’s Carnival’s final parade day happens to take place.
A radio host by the name of Ron De Lugo recalled old festival customs in 1952. De Lugo announced that a Carnival should take place. Since there was no social interaction between the classes and many people in the community did not believe it was a good idea, several individuals in the community did not agree. De Lugo stated in an interview many years later that he thought nobody would show up on the day of the Carnival parade. However, attendance was high, and Carnival continued to take place every year thereafter. Additional components have been added throughout time.
The USVI conducted its last significant carnival or festival events in 2019 in St. Thomas
Prior to the Covid-19 epidemic, which began in March 2020, the USVI conducted its last significant carnival or festival events in 2019 in St. Thomas (VI Carnival) and in late 2019 and early 2020 in St. Croix (the Crucian Christmas Festival).
After two years of online festivities, Carnival made a physical return to St. Thomas for a condensed five-day celebration of cuisine, music, and culture. a contrast between time-honored customs like calypso music, J’ouvert, and Parade and a fresh, contemporary roster of performers and events. The Department of Tourism’s Division of Festivals organized daily free events for kids, adults, and families of all ages under the theme “A New Cultural Roogadoo for Carnival 2022” this year.
Ian Turnbull, director of the Division of Festivals, says, “St. Thomas Carnival was a labor of love and a step in the right way to recovering to pre-pandemic levels.” “We wanted to be daring and incorporate some of the more traditional cultural components for our older generations, such as live bands and calypso, while also catering to the younger age with some contemporary, modern, local acts. It was amazing to see the community’s reaction and support, and it was obvious that people were eager for Carnival to come back in person.Â
The event occurred after the “Fête.Vibe.Soca” music festival conducted for those who had received vaccinations over Presidents Day weekend, according to Ian Turnbull.
Carnival of the Virgin Islands will feature four village nights in memory
Turnbull declared that “Carnival Virgin Islands” will feature four village nights in memory of the late Ron de Lugo, the first and longest-serving Delegate from the United States Virgin Islands to the United States House of Representatives. “We are finalising plans to promote and advance the Territory’s culture through the return of carnival and festivals in 2022,” he added. Representative de Lugo became well-known throughout his district for his radio persona as the witty comedian “Mango Jones” and for his appearances in regional plays and benefit performances. He resurrected the St. Thomas Carnival in 1952 with the aid of his radio programme.
Both residents and visitors came together to celebrate the widely anticipated event, which featured calypso, soca, and reggae bands, daily fetes, and shows for music enthusiasts. Local and international performers, including Kes the Band, Beres Hammond, Spectrum, Rock City, and Adam O, to name a few, performed live in the village for five nights in a row.
The annual Food Fair, which is usually held at Emancipation Garden, attracted a large crowd this year. The people at Crown Bay welcomed visitors arriving on cruise ships. The Charlotte Amalie High School architecture class assigned local high school students the task of designing the fairgrounds layout to enable a better structured and free-flowing tasting experience of regional and cultural foods. Every day, further Caribbean specialties might be found on the village grounds.
Parades, parades & more parades!
The carnival wouldn’t be complete without the parades, in which locals and tourists of all ages join forces to march and dance through the streets to the accompaniment of live bands, steel drums, and the seductive mocko jumbies. These stilted dancers represent the island’s spirit guides.Â
The festival featured a J’ouvert celebration that was specially designed, the reigning of Carmen Sibilly, the first carnival queen of the region, a food fair, a boat race, and a calypso performance. From April 27 to 30, the Children’s Village was open, and the Department of Education and the Children’s Village collaborated to host a virtual costume contest for kids.
Additionally, certain extremely renowned elimination competitions known as Calypso Tents honour the best performers. These entertainers frequently make fun of politicians and the wealthy or provide satirical commentary on island affairs.
The most popular activities and most of the hard-core partying take place during the final week of carnival in St. Thomas. The Food Fair, the Carnival King and Queen’s coronation, and J’ouvert, a morning jump-up, are among the most well-attended occasions.
The Department will use all of its marketing tools to efficiently and artistically market the benefits of a trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands
According to the tourism industry leader, the Department will use all of its marketing tools to efficiently and artistically market the benefits of a trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands through music and culture. There is no room for complacency after experiencing significant tourism success throughout the epidemic; thus, showcasing our cultural artists will take a prominent role in the upcoming phase of our marketing initiatives. It defines who we are as a people and what we stand for.
While St. Thomas’ carnival, which took place from April 27 to May 1, 2022, and St. Croix’s celebrations, which took place from December 4 to January 8, 2022, are now over for the season, St. John’s Festivals have just started.Â
Browse our list of Kanana Caribbean hot spots and also checkout our news page for more updates.
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