Students from the Julius Sprauve School wave flags during the St. John Festival Parade Friday in Cruz Bay. Photo: CHRYSTALL KANYUCK

In 1961, the St. John Carnival crowned Elsie Trotman as Miss Independence, a title she earned by selling the most tickets to the queen show.

Students from the Julius Sprauve School wave flags during the St. John Festival Parade Friday in Cruz Bay. Photo: CHRYSTALL KANYUCK
On Friday, Ms. Trotman, St. John’s first festival queen, rode near the front of the St. John Festival Parade as the grand marshall, joined in the flatbed of a truck by more than a dozen other former festival queens, princes and princesses from the festival’s 60-year history.

“Seeing everyone together does show you how much history we have with Carnival,” Ms. Trotman said, adding that while she’s proud of how the event has grown, she misses the more family-oriented atmosphere of those early events.

Queens including Miss BVI Rosanna Chichester and Miss St. Croix Festival Astia LeBron dominated the early parade line-up, riding in twos and threes in convertible cars.

About 50 troupes participated in the parade, including majorettes, students, bands and dancers.

 

See the July 10, 2014 edition for full coverage.

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