Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley declared this year’s August Emancipation Festival to be “one of the best managed festivals in my time” during a press conference on Aug. 24 with …
August 31, 2023
August 23, 2023
Emancipation Festival goes big
The Virgin Islands went big this year for the 69th August Emancipation Festival, bringing both international headliners and VI artists to the Irene Penn-O’Neal Festival Village almost every night since …
August 23, 2023
EE celebration features local heroes
The big stage in East End had its heyday during past August Emancipation Festival seasons, but organisers are moving away from hosting major acts there. Instead, they put more focus …
August 23, 2023
Carrot Bay celebrates culture
Throughout the challenges of planning the Carrot Bay Cultural Fiesta during the pandemic, the event remained relatively well supported. This year, it expanded into a three-day bash featuring a variety …
August 23, 2023
Emancipation services focus on history
Residents had the opportunity to attend a variety of emancipation services on Aug. 6, including one at the Sunday Morning Well in Road Town, one at The Stickett in East …
August 5, 2023
EDITORIAL: Much to celebrate, much to remember
In the coming days, we hope that everyone will partake in a post-pandemic August Emancipation Festival that promises to be one for the record books. But amid the revelry, the …
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August 2, 2023
69th Festival starts with stories, song
The 69th August Emancipation Festival kicked off on the evening of July 31 with a steel pan rendition of Bob Marley’s “One Love” and tales about the storied history of …
June 15, 2023
Miss BVI candidates revealed
The August Emancipation Festival will start next month, and preparatory activities are getting under way. On June 10, organisers introduced the four contestants for the 2023 Miss BVI Pageant during …
June 12, 2023
‘Non-stop concert’ to celebrate direct flights
The Virgin Islands community has been anticipating the commencement of direct flights between Miami and the territory all year, and leaders are planning a big bash to celebrate the first …
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August 7, 2022
Community shows up big for 2022 Festival
Dancing in the streets by the hundreds for the first time in years, the Virgin Islands community showed up in force to celebrate being outside together for the 68th annual …
July 28, 2022
VI celebrates emancipation
The August Emancipation Festival is officially under way. With the slicing of a pink ribbon strung across the stage, the Bernard “Yampie” Nibbs Festival Village officially opened on July 27. …
July 19, 2022
Smaller festival brings back classic events
Following two pandemic-era August Emancipation Festivals held largely online, in-person events are returning this year even though a limited budget means the celebration won’t be as extensive as before Covid-19, …
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July 30, 2021
August Festival events postponed
Last year’s August Emancipation Festival was marked with a mashup of virtual and in-person events featuring live-streamed musical showcases and poetry competitions as well as small traditional markets and food …
August 8, 2020
Soca and calypso showcases go virtual
Thousands tuned into the virtual soca and calypso showcases this week in the comfort and safety of their own homes, jamming to sounds that represent the Virgin Islands. Both virtual …
August 2, 2020
EDITORIAL: Celebrate emancipation, but please do it safely
Though the Covid-19 pandemic means that this year’s August Emancipation Festival has been scaled back dramatically, the observance is every bit as important as usual, and we hope residents will …
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July 31, 2020
Festival report sheds light on last year
After the government failed to provide legally mandated annual reports on Festival spending for three years, Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture Minister Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley recently broke …
July 24, 2020
Scaled-back August Festival is on
Though the celebrations will look notably different from typical years, the August Emancipation Festival will still happen in the coming weeks despite the complications of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to …
October 28, 2019
$710k festivals budget ballooned to $1.9 million in spending
The Virgin Islands Festivals and Fairs Committee started out the year with a budget of $710,000, which later was upped to $1.3 million before expenditures ultimately topped $1.9 million, according …
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August 15, 2019
East End festival renews focus on culture
When the sun came up on Aug. 7 and hundreds of people were dancing their way through East End, Jessika Robinson knew she had to be in the thick of …
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August 15, 2019
65th Festival dubbed a success
The colourful feathers Kay Williams was wearing attracted lots of attention during the August Monday Parade, and for good reason. Ms. Williams was the Queen of the Band for the …
August 10, 2019
EDITORIAL: In Facebook age, emancipation is increasingly on VI’s radar
For decades, we have encouraged residents during this season to remember the real reason for the August Emancipation Festival. As we do the same this year, we are pleased to …
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July 5, 2019
65th August Emancipation Festival three weeks away
The Virgin Islands is gearing up for the 65th August Emancipation Festival with performances, parades, pageants and other events scheduled to last nearly a month across the territory. But VI …
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August 15, 2018
Photo highlights from the 2018 August Emancipation Festival
The 2018 August Emancipation Festival may be over now, but below are some of the Beacon‘s best photos from the festivities to help you relive it. Although this year’s Festival …
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August 13, 2018
Four charged with firearm offences over Festival
Over the August Emancipation Festival, police made several “significant” arrests for firearm-related offences, according to a police press release issued on Friday. Alanah Chalwell, of East End, and Nyall Giovanni …
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August 9, 2018
EDITORIAL: Post-Irma, scaled-back Festival with culture focus is a good plan
In the post-Hurricane Irma landscape, we welcome government’s plan to scale back the August Emancipation Festival while ramping up its emphasis on culture and history. As the celebrations get under …
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