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 …
August 2, 2023
April 14, 2023
‘King Paido’ keeps crown in first VI calypso contest since 2019
Reynold “King Paido” Phillips wouldn’t have missed the calypso competition on Sunday night at the Virgin Gorda Easter Festival. After all, he had a title to defend. Because of the …
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December 1, 2022
10th Anegada Lobster Festival a hit
At sunrise on Friday, a dozen residents gathered on the Anegada ferry dock to set an intention for the weekend: that everyone arriving to the “drowned island” would be safe …
August 18, 2022
Festival report promised in weeks
Following August Emancipation Festival events held for the first time in three years, Virgin Islands Festivals and Fairs Committee Chairman Dirk Walters said that the organisation is already drafting a …
August 12, 2022
Virgin Islands dishes featured at food fair
During the Festival Food Fair on July 29, Olive Vanterpool was demonstrating the process of making cassava bread as live steel pan music played in the background. Her mission was …
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April 22, 2022
Virgin Gorda Easter Festival returns
With an official list of events circulated by government on Good Friday, the 53rd Virgin Gorda Easter Festival was held over the weekend after being canceled for the last two …
August 18, 2021
COMMENTARY —Covid, Festival, Olympics addressed
Covid-19, the August Emancipation Festival and the Olympics are all worthy of a separate commentary. Nonetheless, there is currently a confluence of these issues, so I will take the bold …
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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 13, 2020
A virtual twist for Festival 2020
The 66th August Emancipation Festival was unlike any other before it. Rather than packing into the Festival Village to dance to soca and calypso, residents logged onto the Virgin Islands …
August 3, 2020
Virtual service reflects on emancipation
Though the annual Emancipation Service could not be held in person due to Covid-19 precautions, viewers who tuned in to a virtual version of the event last week still got …
August 1, 2020
A socially distanced festival begins
Once, while abroad in Canada, somebody asked Jadienne Webb where she came from. Leaning into her identity and her accent, Ms. Webb said, “I live where you vacay, you escape …
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 …
March 6, 2020
2019 festival report promised soon
A detailed report on the government’s spending on last year’s festivals is written, but Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture Minister Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley told the House of …
January 21, 2020
Fourth Kite & Paddle Festival takes off
Though the windy weather over the weekend was dangerous for small vessels at sea, it was perfect for the fourth Anegada Kite & Paddle Festival. In fact, it was the …
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 19, 2019
Spending from past Festivals not yet available
In part because of faulty recordkeeping in the past, comprehensive financial information about festivals from 2016 to the present is not currently available, according to Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries …
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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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July 11, 2019
VI celebrates with St. John
As the August Emancipation Festival season fast approaches, Virgin Islands residents are showing their support for nearby celebrations as well. The 65th St. John Festival last Thursday saw an influx …
April 16, 2019
VG Easter Festival to stay scaled down
This year’s 52nd Virgin Gorda Easter Festival will be scaled down again because of financial constraints and efforts to highlight local culture over international artists, officials said last week. At …
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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May 4, 2018
Virgin Islands contingent takes part in St. Thomas Carnival
Sherine Smith was excited as she took the 9 a.m. ferry from Road Town to see her favourite troupe, the Hugga Bunch, perform in the Adult Parade at the 70th …
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