Event offers Carnival preview

ST. THOMAS - Instead of the usual press conference in the V.I. Carnival Committee's offices, the committee brought a taste of Carnival to the streets Wednesday to get people excited for the annual cultural celebration.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of Carnival on St. Thomas, and the committee is pulling out all the stops to make it a memorable month-long party.

The theme for Carnival 2012 - submitted by Karen Blyden - says it all: "A Celebration for the World to See, St. Thomas Carnival's 60th Anniversary!"

The 2012 Carnival activities begin March 31 and end April 28.

With six cruise ships in the harbor, Emancipation Garden was packed with gleeful visitors Thursday who completely were absorbed by the sparkle, color and thumping beats of Carnival.

A cadre of St. Thomas Majorettes twirled shiny streamers and batons.

Quadrille dancers showed off the territory's traditional dances.

The King Shaka Zulu Nation intimidated and delighted the crowd with their feathers, body paint and jungle warrior dancing.

A small but energetic group of clowns from the Tropical Masqueraders jumped and shuffled in their fur-trimmed velvet suits, jingling the bells on their shoes in time to the beat of the music.

After a flawless choreographed dance number from the Caribbean Ritual Dancers - dressed in bright green rompers with huge feather headdresses - the costumed women made their way through the crowd handing out bags and trinkets from the V.I. Tourism Department.

Just as in the annual parades, the Traditional Indians closed the show. Troupe members of all ages enthralled spectators by dancing to the beat of their own drummers.

All the performers were great sports, wandering through Emancipation Garden for several hours, stopping to take photos with visitors and talking about Carnival with curious onlookers.

Several vendors brought a sampling of the food and cultural fair to the press conference as well, setting up tents in the park to sell local food, drinks, produce and plants.

St. Thomas Deputy Police Chief Dwayne DeGraff called for "unity in the community" for the upcoming Carnival season and urged everyone to stay safe and watch out for their neighbors.

"This is just a taste of why you need to come back," Tourism Commissioner Beverly Nicholson-Doty said to the packed park.

To celebrate Carnival's 60th anniversary, Tourism will be marketing the event in key markets, such as New York, Atlanta, Miami and the Caribbean region. A media tour will bring international travel writers to the territory to experience Carnival first-hand.

"We are going to be taking our Carnival to the world," Nicholson-Doty said.

A special Carnival promotional package will allow travelers to get hotel and airfare discounts through cheapcaribbean.com, along with $50 in dining certificates and a special Carnival gift bag, Tourism spokeswoman Allegra Kean-Moorehead said.

In addition to the usual favorites - the parades, pageants and Calypso competitions - a new event is being added to the schedule. The very first event of the season is a "Night of Comedy," which will bring in comedians from the states and Caribbean region to get Carnival's 60th anniversary started with laughter.

The committee also announced the parade marshals and Village and Cultural Fair honorees. Georgia Francis will be the Children's Parade grand marshal, and Carlos Woods will be the Adult Parade grand marshal.

The Carnival Village will honor Zeathea "Patsy" Milliner, and the Cultural Fair honoree will be Essalita Fleming. V.I. Carnival Although funding for the annual event is uncertain, the committee will do its best to put on the best show it can, said Carnival Committee Executive Director Caswil Callender.

"Because we expect a lot of visitors, we are looking to the business community to pitch in and help," he said. "The only way it will work is for everyone to do their part. Everyone has to want to assist."

Applications for spots at the Cultural Fair and the Village now are available at the V.I. Carnival Committee offices, Callender said.

For more information call 776-3112 or visit www.vicarnival.com.

- Contact reporter Aldeth Lewin at 714-9111 or email alewin@dailynews.vi.

March 31

Night of Comedy, 8 p.m. Sugar Bay Beach Resort

April 1

Prince and Princess Selection Show, 5 p.m., Lionel Roberts Stadium

April 7

Queen Selection Show, 8 p.m., Lionel Roberts Stadium

April 8

Coronation, 3 p.m., Emancipation Garden

April 13

Brass-O-Rama, 8 p.m., Lionel Roberts Stadium

April 14

Calypso Revue, 8 p.m., Lionel Roberts Stadium

April 15

- Toddlers Derby, 5 p.m., Lionel Roberts Stadium

- Traditional Games, 7 p.m., Lionel Roberts Stadium

April 16

Carnival at the Schneider Regional Medical Center, 6 p.m.

April 17

Junior Calypso Competition, 8 p.m., Lionel Roberts Stadium

April 18

Cultural Night/King and Queen of the Band, 8 p.m., Lionel Roberts Stadium

April 19

V.I. Calypso Competition, 8 p.m., Lionel Roberts Stadium

April 20

Opening of Carnival Village, 6 p.m., Fort Christian parking lot

April 22

- Water Sports Activities, 10 a.m., Charlotte Amalie Harbor

- Steel band Jamboree, 5 p.m., Lionel Roberts Stadium

April 23

Village Entertainment 7 p.m., Fort Christian parking lot

April 24

- Pre-Teen Tramp, 6 p.m., Rothschild Francis Square (Market Square) to Children's Village

- Senior Citizens' Quelbe Tramp, 8 p.m., Rothschild Francis Square to Carnival Village

April 25

Cultural Fair, 8 a.m., Emancipation Garden

April 26

- J'ouvert Warm-up, 12:30 a.m. to J'ouvert Fort Christian parking lot

- J'ouvert, 4 a.m., Veteran's Drive

April 27

Children's Parade, 10 a.m. Rothschild Francis Square to Lionel Roberts Stadium

April 28

- Adults' Parade, 10 a.m., Western Cemetery to Lionel Roberts Stadium

- Fireworks, 9 p.m., St. Thomas Harbor

- Calypso Spectakula/Last Lap, 10 p.m. to 3 a.m., Fort Christian parking lot

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