Started as a charity aid to raise funds for a particular cause, Saint Helena Carnival is conducted every two years and comprises of funfare, street parades, music and dancing, and of course eating!
The 2014 edition was in aid of Cancer Relief. It is regarded as the best and biggest festival of the island with the Saint Helena Remembrance day and Christmas Carnivals ranking in close.
It usually starts with a parade through town, usually commencing from the hospital and proceeding down Market Street and Main Street to the seaside.
The entourage is immensely colourful with many participants decked in brightly coloured creative costumes plus decorated floats.
There are individuals as well as people in groups and each group plays any music of its choice.
The walk from the hospital to the seaside which is not very far tends to extend in time frame on the day of Carnival!
At the seaside, stalls are set up where refreshments, souvenirs and other items are sold. Same goes for restaurants and bars which are open too for folks to mingle and have fun. The serious party usually begins at night time and continues till very late. During the carnival, the hitherto quiet town of Jamestown lights up with vibrant personalities thronging its streets.
The carnival outfits vary from very random to unique and inventive, to fancy and typical over the top carnival type costumes many with western themes.
The streets are lined up, the display fun-filled, as the saints of St Helena party to a worthy cause!
Join Afro Tourism in Saint Helena Carnival 2016 for another fun fund-raising towards a worthy cause.
Michael Alvin
