The U.S. Virgin Islands is gearing up for Carnival 2001, leading into a yearlong celebration that will culminate in April 2002, the 50th anniversary of the V.I. Carnival on St. Thomas.
The first Carnival event of the year will be a Caribbean Music Night on April 7. The following weekend kicks off the schedule of daily activities until the annual celebration ends with the fireworks finale on the night of April 28. The schedule was formally presented Tuesday by the Virgin Islands Carnival Committee.
"We are going to be having activities from this year to next year," said Kenneth Blake, committee chairman. He said the committee will ask the governor to declare 2002 "the golden year of Carnival." Various schools have also been asked to participate in a logo design contest for the golden anniversary.
The ad hoc committee planning the 50th anniversary celebration has already set the first event, Blake said. It will be on the biggest of the end-of-summer holiday weekends: "on Labor Day weekend, when the first Carnival celebrations were held five decades ago," he said.
The Carnival Committee is emphasizing increasing private sector support for the event. The St. Thomas-St. John Hotel and Tourism Association is specifically being recognized for the annual sponsorship of the Queen Talent and Selection Show.
The government continues to provide an annual subsidy of $300,000, but Government House spokesman James O'Bryan Jr. says the administration has encouraged maximum private involvement.
"In regards to the governor's personal commitment, he has agreed to lend his influence and support to private-sector fund-raising to augment that which has been provided by the local public treasury," he said.
O'Bryan said talks have been held aimed at drawing down the monies as soon as possible.
One of the events scheduled during this year's Carnival is Latin Night on April 19 at Lionel Roberts Stadium, acknowledging the growing number of Dominican Republic immigrants and their potential to contribute to the growth and appeal of the celebration.
Executive Director Caswill Callendar recently led a delegation to Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic capital, to participate in Spanish-language radio programs and promote Carnival. "We were able to convey the message to the people of Santo Domingo that our Carnival is ready for them to get involved in," he said.
Callendar said his firsthand experience points to a market that, if approached properly, could be a boon to the local tourism industry. He said a Dominican Republic government official is expected on island this week as part of follow-up meetings with the committee.
The Carnival Committee is also working with several stateside radio stations that have expressed an interest in broadcasting Virgin Islands Carnival events live to their East and West Coast audiences.
