June 1, 2002 – With the arrival of June comes the start of the annual St. John Festival. The finale is still some five weeks away, but the island is gearing up for a month's worth of events. "It will be more patriotic than ever," says Leona Smith, who heads up the St. John Festival and Cultural Organization, the group that organizes the annual carnival events.
Smith expects red, white and blue to predominate, visually and emotionally, at just about all this year's activities. In fact, the festival theme of "A Salute to America, with Cultural Strumoo, for Festival 2000," reflects the outpouring of patriotism that began after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Here's the lineup:
Saturday, June 1 — At 6 p.m., the festivities kick off with Pan-O-Rama, a non-competitive evening of pan sounds and pan players along the Cruz Bay waterfront. St. John's own Love City Pan Dragons and Baby Pan Dragons will share the program with visiting steel orchestras and steelbands from St. Thomas. Admission is free.
St. Thomas school pan groups expected to take part are the Charlotte Amalie Mellow Hawks Steel Orchestra, Ivanna Eudora Kean High School Devil Rays Steel Orchestra, Joseph Sibilly Sun Rays, Montessori Meteors and Ulla F. Muller Panatics. Others on tap are Pan In Motion; Prayers, Hymns and Praise Steel Orchestra; St. Thomas All Stars; Territorial Court Rising Stars Youth Steel Orchestra; V.I. Housing Authority Youth Steel Orchestra; and the Bovoni Weed and Seed Pan Blasters. For more information, call 776-6346.
Saturday, June 15 — At 8 a.m., folks with sturdy legs and strong lungs will mount their bicycles to brave the island's hills and roadways for the annual St. John Festival Bike Race. It starts at the V.I. National Park ballfield, then runs along the North Shore Road, up Kinghill Road to Myrah Keating Smith Community Health Center on Centerline Road. The entry fee is $5. For details, call Yulundra Richards at 776-6346.
At 8 p.m., a Calypso and Reggae Show gets going in the Winston Wells Ballfield. "It's the biggest show that's ever happened on St. John," organizer Tony Rosario says. Look for such popular groups as Third World from Jamaica, Xpress Band from St. Croix, Imaginations Brass from St. Thomas and local calypsonians Whadablee, Mighty Pat, Louis Ible Jr., Super T, the Mighty Groover, Hunter and King Padio.
Tickets are $25 at the gate and $20 in advance. Outlets are listed at the end of this article.
Thursday, June 20 — At 8 p.m., seniors take to the Winston Wells Ballfield stage with their second annual fashion show. Tickets are $10 in advance (see outlets below) and $12 at the door.
Friday, June 21 — At 8 p.m., it's island party time at the Winston Wells Ballfield with music by Jam Band and P'Your Passion. Tickets are $10.
Saturday, June 22 — At 8 p.m., the Miss St. John competition begins at the Winston Wells Ballfield. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the gate (see outlets above). The contestants are Hailey Cagan, Emily Jeffrey Laurie Joseph. There will be no prince and princess competition this year because there weren't enough contestants. However, the Celebration Committee has co-opted the St. John Junior Miss, Elyse Williams, who was selected on May 12, into the Celebration royalty.
Sunday, June 23 — At 1 p.m. the Food Fair officially opens with a ceremony in Cruz Bay Park. But get there before that for the pick of the goodies; vendors will be offering their wares from early in the morning. This year's Food Fair honors long-time St. John resident David Ferguson. "This is the first time we've honored a person in arts and crafts. We usually do food," Smith said. Ferguson has long sold his special festival T-shirts at Food Fair and other island events.
At 3 p.m., the Cruz Bay harbor becomes the site of the island's annual boat races. The town waterfront is the place to be to watch the action.
Friday, June 28 — At 7:30 p.m., the Cleone Creque Village opens in the Port Authority parking lot. Creque is being honored "because of her many years of contributions to the Celebration Committee," Smith said. The honoree, a former senator, owns Creque's Funeral Home on St. Thomas.
Saturday, June 29 — At 6:30 p.m., boxers take to the ring that will be set up in the Winston Wells Ballfield in an event sponsored by the Housing Parks and Recreation Department. Retired professional boxer Julian Jackson says he expects 12 to 15 bouts featuring amateur boxers, both adults and youths, from St. Thomas, St. Croix and Puerto Rico. For more information, call 776-6531.
Wednesday, July 3 — Starting at 1 p.m., Cruz Bay Park will be the scene of the annual Cultural Day festivities. Vendors will be offering locally made foods and drinks and arts and crafts.
At 8 p.m., the Love City Pan Dragons organization will host its second annual Mr. Emancipator competition in the Winston Wells Ballfield.
Thursday, July 4 — at 4 a.m. the final and finale day of the festival begins with the traditional J'Ouvert tramp from the public tennis courts, with several bands expected to lead the pre-dawn merry-makers through Cruz Bay.
At 11 a.m., the annual festival parade begins. It runs from the V.I. National Park ballfield through Cruz Bay to the intersection of Route 104 and Centerline Road. Retired firefighter Winston Powell will serve as grand marshal. "Since we are reflecting a salute to America, we decided to put a fireman as parade marshal," Smith said.
At 6 p.m., a privately run International Reggae Show is scheduled for the Winston Wells Ballfield. Organizer Spencer Archibald says he expects the talent lineup to include Marcia Griffith, who did backup vocals for Bob Marley and the Wailers; Richie Stephens, a popular Jamaican reggae singer; Bounty Killer, a popular Jamaican singer; and Lloyd Parks, who sings with popular backup bands. Also on the bill are local reggae artists: the StarLion Family, Jah Man and Rick Augustus. Tickets are $30 in advance (see outlets below) and $35 at the door.
At 9 p.m., the traditional fireworks over the Cruz Bay harbor will begin.
Tickets are available in advance for festival events on St. John at St. John Drug Center and Connections, and on St. Thomas at Modern Music, Linens and Floral Bazaar, and Resurrection Records. Ticket information is pending for some events.
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