Pan-o-Rama

As I mentioned in my previous post, Carnival has already started here in St John.  It is really a month long event and here are some of the events planned:

             Saturday May 31, 4:00 PM       Pan-o-Rama

Friday June 6, 7:00 PM            Festival Beach Jam

Friday June 13, 7:00 PM          Senior Variety Show

Saturday June 14, 8:00 AM     Festival Bike Race
Sunday June 15, 6:00 PM        Festival Princess Selection Pageant
Friday June 20, 9:00 PM         Festival Music Mix
Saturday June 21, 8:00 PM     Festival Queen Selection Pageant
Sunday  June 22, 1:00 PM       Food Fair & Coronation
Sunday  June 22, 3:00 PM       Boat Races
Sunday  June 22, 6:00 PM       Children's Festival Village Opens
Friday June 27, 7:00 PM          Adult's Festival Village Opens
Friday June 4, 4:00 AM            Jouvert
Friday June 4, 11:00 AM          Festival Parade
Friday June 4, 9:00 PM            Festival Fireworks Display
Friday June, 10:00 PM             Cruz Bay Beach Concert

We probably will not go to ALL of these but will try to hit as many as we can.  Last Saturday, we went to the Pan-o-Rama.  It included about 12 steel drum bands (many of them consisting of young children).  It seems that most of the elementary schools on St John and St Thomas include a music curriculum that involves a steel drum “orchestra”.  These performances are both fascinating to watch and interesting to listen to.  How they get that range of sounds from a steel drum is unbelievable and to see children (grades 3-6) performing at that level is remarkable.  We had a great time listening and dancing (believe me it is hard not to move to that music)!
 

 

 

 

 Of course they also had local food stands set up in the park and I finally got to try some "real" Johnny Cakes.  A Johnny Cake is really just a Caribbean donut and they were great ... the only problem was, one was not enough.  I guess we will have to go back!