Laughing and chatting with friends, Dwayne Cline sipped his drink at the crowded Bamboushay Restaurant in Road Town as he watched the annual August Monday Parade.
“We are here to celebrate the emancipation and the festivities of the BVI and the people as a whole,” Mr. Cline told the Beacon on the afternoon of Aug. 4, which was also his birthday. “And I think that one important thing is that we all remember that we’re here to have a great time and be together as one. This is what this place is about.”
He added that he was most excited to see the different outfits and themes each troupe was wearing.
There was plenty on display. Moko jumbies young and old posed with onlookers and grooved to the music as they walked along Waterfront Drive. Men, women and children danced and grinned as their colourful outfits glistened in the sun.
The parade, which featured 43 troupes, rounded out 11 days of August Emancipation Festival in Road Town before the celebrations moved on to East End and then Carrot Bay.
Organisers said the 16 days of events were a success.
“As the 71st [Festival], you know, we did our best to have that mixture, that blend, that balance,” Virgin Islands Festivals and Fairs Committee Chairperson Natalie Penn-Lake told the Beacon. “You know, just to make sure that we could have a great festival.”
Parading
The parade — which in recent years has started hours late — began just an hour after its planned 12:30 p.m. start, according to Ms. Penn-Lake.
“Still a win in my book,” she said, adding, “We wanted to make sure that the parade got out in a timely fashion where persons or patrons can actually see the parade when the sun is out.”
Eleven-year-old Piper Bailey performed with the Dingolay Troupe, whose members dressed as butterflies, ladybugs or flowers. Wearing a silver-and-blue butterfly outfit, Piper was taking part in the parade for the first time.
“I’ve always wanted to participate in the parade because I’ve seen my friends do it, and I wanted to be a part of the cultural history,” she said.
For her, the experience was overwhelmingly positive.
“Seeing older people like smiling, people taking photos — that was really nice,” she told the Beacon. “And also, just walking along the road and [seeing] how everyone’s happy and really supportive.”
Piper’s father, Steve Bailey, was excited to watch his daughter perform, and he also enjoyed seeing the other troupes.
“It’s good to support these sorts of events,” he said. “We’ve got such a small island. When everyone puts a lot of time and effort into putting these things on, … we like to support them; we like to be part of it.”
Also among the spectators was Jabari Stoutt, who was a vendor at the festival village in Road Town.
“It was a little hot, but it was fun,” he said of the parade. “The different colours, the different troupes, the music — parade is one of those good [parts] of the festival also.”
As the sun began to set, the final troupes were making their way to the festival village for the final night of the Road Town celebrations.
In the village
Ms. Penn-Lake said the entertainment in the Road Town village over the course of the festival was similarly successful, though she was unable to provide attendance numbers.
The festivities opened July 25 with a torchlight procession, an opening ceremony, and music from bands including the Razor Blades and Boss. The following night — a Saturday — featured the calypso competition and music from Kes the Band and VIBE.
The celebrations continued through the week, including Latin night on July 27, “We from the VI” night on July 28, and the Soca Monarch competition on July 29.
Ms. Penn-Lake said the July 28 show, which featured all local bands, was a highlight for her.
“The togetherness always speaks volume for me,” she said.
Crowds grew on July 30, which was themed “Forever Young” and featured headliner Malie Donn as well as Banco Bizmol, Ova Drive and others.
The next night, themed “Cultural Mix,” featured VIBE, UTB, 17 Plus and Hypa 4000.
Largest turnouts
International Reggae Night on Friday, Aug. 1, saw one of the largest turnouts, according to Ms. Penn-Lake.
The three headliners that night were Jamaican artists Christopher Martin, Kranium and Chronic Law. Also taking the stage were Sista Joyce, CP4, Ritical and OMG Live.
Mr. Stoutt said Mr. Martin’s performance was a highlight of the festival celebrations for him.
“When the whole crowd was just in unison when he sang the gospel song, … it really was a good experience,” he said.
International Soca Night on Aug. 2 also brought in crowds as people danced to music from the French Caribbean group Kassav’; Trinidadian singer Nadia Batson; and Dominican artist Asa Banton.
Mr. Cline was among the attendees that night.
“Saturday was cool,” he said. “I liked it. The vibe was really good.”
During the village nights, children and adults alike played carnival games and went on rides at “Coney Island,” which was connected to the village grounds.
Vendor’s perspective
Mr. Stoutt was among about two dozen vendors in the Road Town village. Though he said this year was quieter than last year — which was the 70th anniversary of Festival — he still found the experience fun.
“It had some days that was really, really good; some really quiet days; and some days that just was okay,” he said. “So I guess it was just a mixture of everything in one.”
His busiest nights, he said, included July 30, Aug. 1 and Aug. 2.
He added that the annual festivities represent people from around the world and “help us to remember where we all came from.”
“The different artists and the different entertainers, different booth vendors — it’s a whole mixing of what the BVI is and what we are about as a melting pot,” Mr. Stoutt said.
Though he described Festival as a success, Mr. Stoutt said he wished the cost of admission was lower on the ticketed nights.
But Ms. Penn-Lake blamed the ticket prices on the rising cost of putting on the event.
“Prices are going up. Artists are charging more; our local artists are charging more. So when their prices go up, we have to find a way, you know, to get these artists paid,” she said. “And the funds that the government gives, you know, we try to make that work and stretch and stretch it as much as we can. But it’s going to be hard to bring the price down.”
Rise and Shine Tramp
Ms. Penn-Lake said another highlight of the Road Town celebrations was the annual “clash” of the bands that led the annual Rise and Shine Tramp early on the morning of Aug. 4.
“[The clash is] what everybody’s looking forward to — seeing the top bands in the BVI, you know, clash and go at it. With good fun, of course,” she said. “So we’re going to enhance that aspect of it some more and maybe have the clash happen someplace else.”
Tramp performers in Road Town included VIBE, Xtreme and Boss.
The lead singer of VIBE — Raul “Jougo” Sprauve — took home the Road March title.
‘Emancipation without freedom’
Emancipation Service
The celebrations also included opportunities for more solemn reflection.
The August Emancipation Service was held Aug. 3 at the Sunday Morning Well following a march through Road Town.
Attendees listened to music and heard speeches from religious leaders and from politicians including Premier Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley, Tourism and Culture Junior Minister Luce Hodge-Smith, and others.
“While we must perpetually acknowledge the sacrifice, the struggle, the divine guidance that led to the abolition of the most horrible institution known to man, which is slavery, this annual celebration must be a time of reflection that pushes us to deepen and expand the freedom our ancestors fought for,” Mr. Wheatley said.
The sense of community was felt not only through celebrations throughout Road Town, Carrot Bay and East End, but also behind the scenes, according to Ms. Penn-Lake.
“We had a lot of people in the community [who] wanted to assist in any way they could,” she said, adding, “I remember that’s how Festival used to be back in the day: The community came together.”
Miss BVI
This year, there was no Miss BVI Pageant due to a shortage of contestants, according to Ms. Penn-Lake.
However, a crown was nevertheless handed out when Donyelle Hodge — the first runner-up in last year’s pageant — was named Miss BVI 2025.
“Because we weren’t having a show, Donyelle had already gone through the process of a show,” Ms. Penn-Lake explained. “She was judged [last year], and we thought that she would be best fitted to be the winner of this year.”
