Virgin Islands Carnival – St. Thomas

In the Virgin Islands, Carnival is big! The word alone causes an explosion of sensory reactions. People envision the colorful costumes worn by masqueraders in the parades. They can hear the sound of steel pan and soca music. They start swaying and singing or humming a popular road-march tune, and their mouth waters as they think about the dishes they will have at food fair. In the U.S. Virgin Islands there is: VI Carnival on St. Thomas in April/May; the St. John Festival is in June/July; and St. Croix’s Crucian Christmas Carnival is in December/January. In the British Virgin Islands there is: the BVI Emancipation Festival on Tortola in July/August; and the Virgin Gorda Easter Festival in April.

Virgin Islands Carnival in St. Thomas is a month long event that kicks off with pageants and calypso shows, and really heats up in the last week with hard core partying at the Village, J’ouvert, Food Fair, two parades and fireworks.