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FESTIVAL PARADE HAILED AS BIGGEST EVER

July 4, 2001 – A little more than an hour after its scheduled 11 a.m. start, the St. John Festival Fourth of July parade got under way in Cruz Bay.
The grand marshall, Ina Lee — the Ms. Senior America 1999 first runner-up, led the way up the road seated on the back of a classic Jeep at 12:15 p.m., smiling and waving to the appreciative crowd that lined the half-mile parade route from the V.I. National Park Visitor Center to the Winston Wells Ball Field.
Festival Queen Catikawa Richardson and her court followed in a convertible, with Festival Princess Kerla Fessale and her royalty close behind.
The first musical selection was played by the black-and-gold-costumed Pan In Motion steelpan group from St. Thomas. As the parade proceeded, troupes, floupes, majorettes and bands performed for the onlookers and the judges.
Cruz Bay streets were filled with residents and visitors who were not only taking in the parade but also sampling and savoring local drinks, foods, souvenirs and crafts along the parade route, in the park and on the nearby streets of town.
"This is my first St. John carnival, and so I was intent on checking it out," 11-month St. John resident Kalina Kennedy-Brooker said in the company of her 3-month-old son, Gabriel. "It's good to find that cultural activity is still alive." In fact, she added, "it should be this active year 'round."
"It gets bigger every year, and this is by far the biggest yet," St. Lucia native Charles Jn Baptiste said of the parade.
Other St. Thomas participants in the parade included V.I. Carnival Prince Omari Williams and Princess Brittany Rodriquez, in an open green BMW, and the Sebastien Majorettes, who in their maroon and gray costumes were crowd pleasers. Behind them came the Mocko Jumbie Jamboree, a group of 12 young St. Thomas stilt dancers. Miss BVI and her court followed with the Encore Band close behind.
Farther back, another Jeep carried Mr. Emancipation, Leopold Chinnery Jr., and his two colleagues from the competition the night before.
"It's hot, and there's a lot of people," Linda Greene said, clutching her daughter Lilbeth's hand early in the parade. "There are a lot of entries. Because of the heat, I don't think we will last."
St. John calypsonian Mighty Groover, in a colorful oversized hat, was a single entry that he called "Hats, Hats, and More Hats…"
The "Legends of the Gods" entry presented by the St. Thomas Party Lovers Troupe was noticeable for the gold and black outfits worn by female participants and the purple and black costumes worn by the "warriors." St. Thomas's Gypsy Troupe was filled with fairy tale characters reflecting its theme, "From the Land of make Believe."
Jam Band, Fusion, P'Your Passion and the CMK Band all lent their sounds and rhythms to the parade. St. John's own Steve Morton Mocko Jumbies — 10 towering figures clad in purple and silver — danced up a storm on their 10-foot stilts.
The warring Indians and drummers of Tortola's BVI Indian Massive were there. The Traditional Indians, as usual, brought up the rear.
Dale Bastion had a different take on the festival. While the parade was interesting because of the increased participation, he said, he was disappointed at the turnout at the village during the week. "I think carnival should begin a week earlier to give people time to really enjoy the village," he said. "I was there three times, and hardly anyone was there."
Check out the sights of St. John Carnival 2001 in the Community/Other stuff section of St. John Source.

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