Celebrating Carnival

One thing's for certain: When Carnival rolls around in the U.S. Virgin Islands, it's party time. Each of the islands may host its celebration at a different time of year. However, all are vibrant celebrations of culture and music that bring together locals and visitors for an entertaining and colorful fete. What else do they have in common? Each island's weeks-long festival is chock-full of amazing costumes, hip-gyrating revelers, tasty tidbits and plenty of pomp and pageantry — Virgin Islands style!

St. Thomas' Carnival

Carnival on St. Thomas is an exuberant event that's nothing short of spectacular. Every April, the island comes alive with a vivid explosion of sights and sounds and a seemingly endless celebration filled with tasty West Indian food, live entertainment and fun for folks of all ages. One thing there's no mistaking is that music is the centerpiece of the treasured annual tradition on Rock City, as the locals call St. Thomas. Many of the family-friendly events revolve around and showcase traditional West Indian musical styles, including calypso, quelbe and steel pan music.

Some of the musical highlights of the St. Thomas Carnival include the much-anticipated and fiercely competitive Calypso Monarch Competitions, the rhythmic Calypso Revue and the youth-centered Steel Pan Jamboree. Other high points include the Cultural Fair, an all-day activity with live music, food and arts and crafts, as well as the Children's and Adult's Parades, and the wildly flamboyant J'ouverts, which are Mardi Gras-style parades of live bands that dance their way through the streets during the wee hours.

St. Croix's Crucian Festival

About a week before Christmas, Crucians kick off the holiday season with a Carnival celebration of colorful costumes, playful parades and nonstop entertainment that doesn't begin to wind down until Three Kings' Day in January. The heart of the party is in the Festival Village, where row after row of brightly decorated snack shacks cook up local favorite foods and live bands bring the crowds to their feet with lively rhythms and exciting performances. The big island hosts several parades, including one for the children and another for the adults, where you're sure to see lots of mocko jumbies — masked stilt dancers with brightly colored costumes that have become an icon of Virgin Island culture.

St. John's Festival

St. John's Carnival celebration comes to life in June and ends with a bang on the 4th of July, complete with a grand finale party and fireworks. One of the highlights of the island's festivities is Cultural Day, which presents a wonderful opportunity to indulge in tasty local tidbits and enjoy a spirited celebration full of music, dance and tradition. Like its sister islands, St. John puts together a Festival Village featuring musical performances, fun and games and lots of lively action. Bicycle and boat races are also part of the traditional Carnival celebration, as are colorful parade processions that take dancing revelers through the quaint streets of St. John.