It’s the end of July and you know what that means … that’s right—Carnival time in Antigua!
Carnival celebrations are held all over the world, but some of the most popular ones today are held in the Caribbean. And Antigua’s Carnival is arguably one of the most popular.
The very first Antiguan Carnival took place on August 1, 1834. Upon learning that their island had been liberated from European colonists and that they were now free, Antiguans took to the streets to celebrate. This informal celebration took place around the same time for years until it was formalized in 1957 and the first official Antiguan Carnival was held.
The annual celebration is 10 days of music and dancing, parades, performances and competition, including the crowning of a Carnival queen. Everything takes place primarily in the streets of Antigua’s capital city of St. John, as well as in Carnival City at the Antigua Recreation Ground. The last day of Antigua’s Carnival is called J’ouvert, which translates as “daybreak” or “dawn” from French Creole dialects, and the dancing and revelry goes on through the night and into the next morning.
Carnival is a great time to visit the beautiful island of Antigua and, trust me, there won’t be one dull moment.
Tropical Adventures, Antigua’s premier tour operations company, will take good care of you if you want help organizing your Carnival activities. A tour company is not a bad way to go whenever you go someplace new and want to be sure to catch all the important sights and activities.
And there’s always some beautiful sight-seeing to be done on a tropical island. The South Coast Island Tour is a great way to take in the island’s lush beauty, and The Excellence to Barbuda catamaran ride to Antigua’s sister island provides one breathtaking view after another.
But you came to Antigua in July specifically to experience Carnival, so here are a few things you won’t want to miss. The steel band competitions are some of the first big Carnival activities on the island, and the Panorama Steel Band Competition will have you jumping up and winding your waist to the uniquely Caribbean tones of the steel pan drum. Steel pan masters give their best performances to see who will walk away with the top recognition. The Party Monarch Competition is another festive crowd pleaser, held in the same spirit as the steel band competition. Cast your personal vote for the best Soca and Calypso artists who come out to showcase their musical skills in the hopes of being crowned king, or monarch, of Carnival.
If you want to be an authentic Carnival participant, don’t plan to get much sleep because soon it’ll be J’Ouvert and you’ll be breaking day, dancing in the streets with other revelers and party goers. The party keeps going for Carnival Monday Mas when the parades march through town. Watch great processions of costumed revelers dance and dazzle with their extravagant outfits. Then finally, the Carnival Tuesday Parade comes through St. John, marking a festive close to another year of Carnival.
Of course, no Caribbean experience is complete without some good, fresh island food. So if you get some down time, come and ‘nyam’ at South Point Restaurant. Located in South Point Antigua hotel, South Point Restaurant serves up local seafood and farm-to-table ingredients in a creative menu inspired by Asian, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine.
Have a relaxing lunch on the beach at Turner’s Restaurant and Bar, just steps away from blue waters and powder-soft sand. Or try Big Banana Holding Company restaurant and sample their famous “pizza in paradise,” subs, salads and other classic lunch fare.
Blue Waters restaurant is an excellent dinner option with fresh, local bounty from the sea, and Shirley Heights Lookout is a local treasure full of ambience and romance—which serves excellent BBQ!
Celebrating Carnival in Antigua is a joyful week or two (You decide how much you can stand!) of activity and parties. Don’t be surprised if you need a vacation after your vacation! But don’t worry, you’ll have a whole year to rest up before it’s Carnival time again. I think I hear the steel pans now …
