First carnival experience

We went on opening night too. Had a blast, enjoyed $1 beers played some games and bought a couple shirts. My boyfriend got pics with moss VI too for his birthday. I didn't know anything about family night and don't care to. It was fun, great job on the paintings on the booths this year.

The j'ouvert is a hoot. I always assumed those folks were still awake at 4, not thAt they get up early.

If you are smart, you go home at a reasonable hour, then get up for J'ouvert.
The last years have been marred by crime and J'ouvert shut down completely by VIPDso be careful out there.

Carnival Village has always been fun and safe.
Great time to see people that you don't run into thruout the yr., enjoy the different foods and music.
Hope everyone has a wonderful time and enjoys the parades on Fri. & Sat.

FYI.....jouvert probably hasn't started at 4am in over more/less a decade. VIPD is not letting those trucks move down the road till past 7am when the sun is bright and shining.

My experience is on stx, where one starts at la reine chicken shack. Music starts well before dawn.

so true linda, i remember the first time i heard it. i think it woke me up at about 3-4 in the morning.
ho ho ho, ho ho ho, how will santa get here

We lived up the hill from the chicken shack. We could always hear it and the festivities on usvi/pr friendship day. Miss it more than i thought I would.

i can believe that

My family went to carnival for the first time tonight. WAY better than any carnival we'd ever been to in the states, and it wasn't even a parade night.

... I'd like to address a slimy little misconception as well - we had been told by some people that they only go on something they called 'white night' (someone else knew what I meant when I questioned and alluded to it and said they called it 'family night' - well, we're not that way and we weren't going to wait for some night that some people thought was for our ethnic group so we went there on the big party night of Saturday night - and guess what? It was a bunch of other families, having a great time just like we did.

That "white night" comment you heard must be something new. I've never heard of such a thing and, you're right, it's worse than slimy. I haven't been down to the Village for a couple of years now but hope next year I'll be able to start going again as - like Alana said - it's great to see some of the old timers you don't bump into very often and it's a lot of fun. Some rum and coconut water and a good roti and I'm all set!

Enjoy the rest of it - as I'm sure you will!

Sorry OT but R&C plus bullfoot soup, conch or whelks and rice.....goat stew, fungi, the best kallalu, etc.
So who's got the best local deserts? Old time guava, pinapple or mango tarts/turnovers/icecream?
Are they doing all this good stuff any more?

I guess the days of 3 rum and cokes for $1 is gone? Okay....I just dated myself.

Y'all have fun and be safe.

My experience is on stx, where one starts at la reine chicken shack. Music starts well before dawn.

Music always starts before dawn, but those trucks aren't moving with the crowd in the dark. You're talking about Mon Bijou jouvert which isn't as big as the main jouvert on STX.

Ten Sleepless Knights is one of the few bands that would be allowed to tramp pre dawn, because they would have a more mature crowd behind them.

Tell me who has the best sweet potato stuffing.
It's made with reg. potatoes, raisins, ketchup, etc. and a wee bit of hot pepper.
It has to have the perfect blend between sweet and spicy! If it's too sweet, no go!
Islanders know what i speak of!

I love fungi. I hadn't tried it up until I had already lived on STT for 8 years, unfortunately. I would suggest that any one should try it.

Yes, it is true about "white night" for Carnival and it's nothing new. I heard it is the first night the Village opens because that's the only night when white people - continentals usually go. Someone on the this board knows all about it, but I won't call them out.

I also heard that the Texas Chili Cook-Off is the only white people event during the year.

I can't wait for the food fair. Homemade baked goods and sweets, tropical drinks along with all the delicious food, including what Alana mentioned above.

Yeah carnival was always great for me, school was out for 3 days from food fair to the weekend, and my birthday is not long after on May 10th. It was like a pre-party for me =)

I've never heard this term on stx.

I've never heard the term, myself.
Pretty bizarre, IMO.

I guess the term came about as usually the first night of carnival did bring out a lot of local whites who for years have come to the village. The underlying reason was that all of the oil was fresh and everything was clean. You got to see old friends, of all types, you haven't seen all year if you can believe that. It's kind of a first night thing that was tagged white night and still considered to be. It's fascination to see the new groups in the village now. The Indians, Arabs, and Dominicans! Don't think it is meant to be derogatory.

PS. There are folks of all hues every night.

Don't think it is meant to be derogatory.

funny how just the inclusion of "white" instantly brings a negative connotation... wow, are we brainwashed or what? The shame blame and guilt being forced down our throats for things most of us never even think of or have ever participated in is getting a bit old. My kids are homeschooled and we went to a tour of the fort at C'sted, it was basically a huge guilt trip and the kids were totally "lost" as to why they were harping on what some shitty people did to other people a long time ago, the over simplification and demonization of certain subsets of humanity was a bit ridiculous, even my 9 year old called BS. (though there were a lot of Danes there, so maybe that's what they are into?)

and besides, I'm more pink than white...