(VI Consortium) The Crucian Christmas Festival (St. Croix carnival) was cancelled in 2020, a decision forced by the Covid-19 pandemic that ravaged the world. In late 2021 and early 2022 — with Covid-19 first-dose vaccinations in the U.S. Virgin Islands crossing the 50 percent mark, and herd immunity expected in the coming months as more people become inoculated either through vaccination or previous infection — the V.I. Dept. of Tourism and its Division of Festivals are planning a full-blown carnival event featuring all the spectacle that participants have come to expect: Jouvert Morning, Children’s and Adults’ Parades, Village and more.
So said Dept. of Tourism Commissioner Joseph Boschulte during an interview with the Consortium Tuesday evening. The commissioner, speaking cautiously about the pandemic while praising the Bryan administration’s efforts against the virulent disease, said what is currently being planned is a Crucian Christmas Festival event in all its glory.
“We’re planning for a full-blown carnival activity assuming that the virus continues to be relatively under control and the governor continues to relax some of the protocols put in place,” Mr. Boschulte said. The commissioner referenced the governor’s latest action to ease restrictions for bars, nightclubs and restaurants as “another positive sign that we’re moving in the right direction.”
