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We are in the midst of St. John’s annual Festival celebration. The timing coincides with the Fourth of July, but our festival isn’t celebrating the Declaration of Independence. It is honoring one of the most important days in St. John’s history – emancipation.

The Danes took control of St. John in 1718. At that time, they brought enslaved people to the island to work the sugar plantations. The enslaved people were finally freed on July 3, 1848. July 4th is celebrated so widely on St. John, because it was the first morning of freedom for the formerly-enslaved people. July 3rd is Emancipation Day and will be honored with a ceremony at Slim’s parking lot later today. J’ouvert – an event that celebrates the first sunrise of freedom – was held this morning.

How Word of Emancipation was Spread 

Captain Ingjald Mourier was the owner of the Lameshur plantation in 1848. He arrived in Cruz Bay from St. Thomas to alert everyone about the pronouncement of Emancipation. He quickly informed Police Master Carl Hanshell of the news, and the pair set off on horseback to inform people across the island. The enslaved population on Estate Adrian – which is about three miles up Centerline Road – were the first to learn of their newfound freedom. From there, word of emancipation was spread plantation to plantation.

J’ouvert

J’ouvert is a street party that celebrates the first sunrise of freedom. This celebration is typically held at daybreak on July 4th, but has been held a day or two early the last couple of years. During j’ouvert, people dance through the streets while celebrating freedom. J’ouvert was held in Cruz Bay this morning.

Kid’s Carnival

Tonight is the last night of Kid’s Carnival. It is happening from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. beside the baseball field and playground in Cruz Bay. Tickets for each game are $1.

July 4th Parade Details

The parade is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. Think island time, my friends. Wear comfy shoes and loose fitting clothes, because this is a hot and long one.

The parade starts behind the ball field in Cruz Bay. It continues in front of Mongoose Junction and toward Cap’s Place and the Post Office. It takes a right at the Post Office and goes toward the ferry dock. It then takes a left up the one-way past Pelican Post. It will then continue up the hill past Woody’s and Extra Virgin until it reaches the roundabout.

July 4th Fireworks Information

The fireworks are usually set up from one of the barges in front of Cruz Bay harbor. Cruz Bay beach is a great spot to watch them. The Cruz Bay overlook is too. The fireworks are scheduled to start at 9 p.m. You may be able to see them from one of our webcams. See them all at www.explorestj.com/webcams.

Music

The music this year is not to be missed! Stop by the Village tonight and tomorrow night for great music! Here is tonight’s lineup:

It’s a great time to be in St. John!

If you are unable to be on island, you can check out some of the island’s webcams to see the celebration. View them at www.ExploreSTJ.com/webcams. You may be able to catch some of the fireworks on St. John Spice’s Spice Cam.

Enjoy everyone! Happy Festival! And Happy Fourth of July! Stay safe!

If you are lucky enough to be on island or if you have been watching one of St. John’s webcams, you have probably noticed a thick haze in the sky over the past few days. That haze is actually Saharan dust that has traveled all the way from Africa, and it’s been clogging up our skies here in the Caribbean.

Saharan dust is fine sand and mineral dust that lifts up from the Saharan Desert and travels across the Atlantic and over to the Caribbean. It’s been known to reach the southeastern part of the United States, as well.

When the dust is thick, like it was yesterday, visibility is reduced. It lowers air quality and can affect people with asthma or allergies. It causes people to sneeze, makes you feel like you have a scratchy throat, and it makes your eyes itchy too. One good aspect of the dust, however, is that its dry air prevents tropical storms and hurricanes from forming. It also creates beautiful sunsets.

Here are a few images that show how the dust affects our skies:

The good news is the this dust is moving out of the territory. There is some more dust behind this current system, but it’s not as thick, thankfully.

You can track the Saharan Dust here, just like you can track rain on the radar. MyFoxHurricane.com is the best site to track the dust in my opinion.

You can also see what’s happening live by checking out Explore STJ’s webcam page at www.explorestj.com/webcams.

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour

See the island of St. John with a longtime resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

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**Explore STJ Island Tours will be closed from July 29th through September 8th.**

Da Event Lounge has rebranded itself after being closed for several months. It is now called Galavantin’ and it opened earlier this month for dinner and drinks.

Galavantin’ is located in the former Lumberyard space in Cruz Bay. It is beside Nella’s and across the street from Hercules Pate and just up the hill from Cool Breeze Car Rental.

The food its offering looks quite good. Over the past week, they’ve featured pan seared mahi with crab legs, jerk ribeye, sushi, and more. Check out a couple of pics and its menu:

Not only does the menu look great, but the prices are reasonable too! This is definitely a spot to add to your list!

Galavantin’ is open nightly from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. You can learn more and see its daily specials by visiting its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/daeventlounge