{"id":419,"date":"2008-04-16T10:52:20","date_gmt":"2008-04-16T15:52:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2008\/04\/the-partys-starting-at-st-maarten-carnival\/"},"modified":"2016-12-17T20:45:45","modified_gmt":"2016-12-18T02:45:45","slug":"the-partys-starting-at-st-maarten-carnival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2008\/04\/the-partys-starting-at-st-maarten-carnival\/","title":{"rendered":"The party’s starting at St. Maarten Carnival"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Carnival5lr\"<\/a>
\nBy Lena Katz<\/em><\/p>\n

With concerts and parades, beauty pageants and a calypso party by the ponds, St. Maarten Carnival 2008<\/a><\/strong> is kicking off on April 17 and running through May 3. This annual event is one of the biggest parties in the Caribbean — it’s boozy, big and features, among other things, a street party called Jouvert<\/strong> that starts at 4 a.m. This is quite efficient\/brutal scheduling, for the many American\/European tourists who are used to going to bed at 4 a.m.<\/p>\n

Now in its 39th year, the Carnival features 11 "local" parties and seven major concerts starring international artists. Elephant Man<\/strong> headlines the final International Reggae Concert on May 2, but earlier concerts spotlight the best in calypso and Caribbean Soca. St. Maarten even has its own "Carnival Village" with a stage and stalls selling foodand drink (most of the alcoholic variety). Thousands of people drop in to see the headline shows, as well as the closing "Jump-up" celebration and the symbolic burning of "King Momo."<\/p>\n

A few islands over, the 17th Annual St. Lucia Jazz Festival<\/a><\/strong> takes place from May 2-11. It’s mellow compared to Carnival, but the biggest event of the year for the island. Headliners include Wyclef Jean<\/strong>, Anita Baker<\/strong> and Air Supply<\/strong>. The first five days of the festival showcase an eclectic group of lesser-known international, Caribbean and local artists. Most concerts take place at the open-air stage in Pigeon Island<\/strong> national park. Shows are ticketed and priced separately. The most expensive single ticket is around $70 USD; some shows, like Jazz on the Pier<\/strong>, are free.<\/p>\n

Related Orbitz resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n