st. maarten carnival 2014

PHILIPSBURG—The St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) has released the dates for the Carnival 2014 festivities, an impressive lineup of 24 days of Carnival activities to mark the 45th anniversary of Carnival on St. Maarten that invites resident and visitor to “Come, Celebrate Life.”

  President of the SCDF Mike Granger explained that the board of the foundation worked on the schedule for at least two months and involved key stakeholders in the planning including the Ministry of Labor.

  Granger explained that Minister Cornelius DeWeever and his team had to be involved to discuss the Carnival holidays in 2014 now that King’s Day will be celebrated and not Queen’s Birthday on April 30.

  However, after “speedy and cooperative discussions”, it was agreed that April 30, firmly established as the holiday for the Grand Carnival Parade will remain as is with the Labour Day Parade on May 1.  King’s Day, which is now April 27 and also a holiday will be used for the Jouvert Morning holiday. King’s Day falls on a Sunday in 2014 so the Jouvert holiday will be given the day before, Saturday, April 26, the same day the rest of the Kingdom will be celebrating the King’s birthday.

  Carnival Village will open on Easter Monday, April 21 and close on Monday, April 5. Pre-Carnival events start as early as March 29. The schedule features seven Carnival related activities before the official opening of the season on April 21.

  Granger further explained that the SCDF had to work around Holy Week to make the schedule work and respect the churches and religious significance of that part of the season of Lent. With that in mind the SCDF reached out to the various churches and Christian councils to inform them of the complications with the schedule in 2014 with Easter falling so late into April.

  The Carnival schedule also features five international concert nights, including the return of Night of the Hit Makers, Riddim Box Presents, Sabor Latino II, the Zouk concert and new comer to the concert night scene will be Where The Flex who will be responsible for the Reggae concert.

  Making a return for the 45th anniversary of Carnival and beyond is the PJD2 Caribbean Queen Pageant, a collaborative effort between the SCDF and PJD2.  The SCDF also returns its four other pageants, the Junior, Teen, Senior and Mature Pageants.

  Also on the schedule are three events that are not directly under the auspices of the SCDF but compliment Carnival nonetheless and as such are included. Brenda Wathey and Rio Productions return with their Lightin’ Up The Road Lighted Parade, Jasmine Philips and the Survivors Foundation will host their Children’s Balloon Parade and E360 Marketing in collaboration with Sound 2000 will present Daybreak Breakfast Fete again next year.

  “There are so many other aspects to the schedule that we have to announce, details that accompany all the events, but we wanted to get the dates out now so that people here and abroad can plan,” Granger said.

  “We think the schedule once again features something for everyone which is the key element of St. Maarten’s Carnival, we’re an all-inclusive festival. Carnival continues to grow and we intend to make next year as spectacularly unforgettable as we did in 2013. We thank all stakeholders for their input, we thank the council of churches for their patience, understanding and honesty and we’re looking forward to a terrific Carnival 2014,” he added.