Visit St. Thomas US Virgin Islands During Carnival

By Erol Toki


Carnival is a symbolic celebration of freedom through parades, dancing, singing, drinks, food, friends and fun. Carnivals can be found throughout all the Caribbean and are celebrated on various islands at different times of the year. In the United States Virgin Islands Carnival events take place on St. Thomas in April/May, St. Croix in December/January and St. John in June/July.

The US Virgin Islands host three carnivals per year, and St. Thomas is internationally known for being the most extravagant. St. Thomas Carnival is the second largest Carnival in the Caribbean (after Trinidad), and it hosts the majority of the festivities in the spacious Lionel Roberts Stadium, with a capacity of 9,000 seats.

The St Thomas Carnival features musical venues, beauty pageants, calypso contests, parades, costumed stilt-walkers representing African spirits called Moko Jumbies, scratch bands, boat races and much more. Restaurants cater to all kinds of tastes, and food carts are filled with yummy treats.

Preparations start months before Carnival with costume making, rehearsals for the parade, and competitions. During Carnival, all the streets of St. Thomas are filled with music, extravagant costumes and treats. The islanders parade the streets in fascinating, elaborate costumes. The joy and happiness is so contagious!

The last week of the Carnival is the most exciting. There are two major parades on the last two days (the Children's Parade and the Adults' Parade). Children have their own royalty competition, music and art competition and also carnival rides. The Children's Parade features lots of majorettes and children's steel-band orchestras.

St. Thomas Carnival festivities are culminating with the Adults' Parade, which is the most anticipated event of Carnival. It takes place on the street a block from the main road to the airport, all the way up to the Lionel Roberts Stadium. The famous Adults' Parade is the grand finale to the Carnival. It is amazing. The glittering costumes shining in the sun, the movement of the bodies following the Calypso beats, the bands, the food and drinks, all these make the Carnival an unforgettable experience.




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