Highlights of the Season - Part 2

The Agricultural Fair

 The event has been renamed The VI AGRIFEST, which sounds like something else entirely...

Dancers demonstrating the traditional Quelbe Dance of St. Croix

Lots of cute baby animals to see!

 The St Croix Orchid Society Show

A stunning array of orchids were on display

 Lots of variety

 And lots of ribbons

 

 St Patrick's Day Parade

Everyone gets in the spirit wearing every shade of green

 Water gun fights were welcome in the hot sun

 Kurt Schindler rocked the Christiansted boardwalk playing from his barge

 Live Music

Seven Handle Circus brought us “bad-ass bluegrass” straight from Georgia

Highlights of the Season – Part 1

Here on St. Croix, the middle of April marks the end of the tourist high season.  It means that hotel rates drop and there is a slowing down of events, most of which are scheduled into this period between mid-December and mid-April, when the island swells in population with tourists and snowbirds. 

For those of us who live here, high season means a plethora of special activities to lure us out of the house.  There are plays, touring bands, annual exhibitions, fundraisers, galas, a carnival and plenty of parades.  Having the luxury to pick and choose from so many activities is one of the things that I love about St. Croix.  This past season I mostly chose to stay home, but somehow I still managed to enjoy quite of bit of island spirit.  Here are some of the highlights.  You can click on any photo to enlarge.

The Boat Parade

Seaborne Planes flying in formation before the parade. Note the pontoons on the first two planes.

 This boat had its own live band on board.

  This boat celebrated 60 years of Christmas Carnival on St. Croix.

Seastock

A fundraiser for the St. Croix Environmental Association (SEA)

 Two of the costume contest winners: a hippie and a protester.

She won a painting of Jimmy Hendrix rocking on a sea shell.

 Reliving the old hippy days.

The Dog Parade

 Hollywood was the theme, here are the Ziegfeld Follies:

 My Fave: Hitchkock and the Birds! (note the cigar on his armchair)

 King Kong

  Most adorable: the entire cast of the Wizard of Oz

 And Eeyore the donkey as a hot dog! (note the condiment necklace)

Live Music

Tom Mason and the Blue Buccaneers came to sing pirate ditties.

 

Explorations in Mixed Media at Good Hope

Lest you think that all I do is attend the many festivities around the island, I have been spending a fair amount of time in the studio continuing my adventures in mixed media.

For the 25^th Annual Caribbean Fine Art Exhibit at Good Hope School this year I composed a visual Lullaby to the Sea.  A love poem with sunrises

Stormy seas

Brilliant Sunsets

And mysterious moons.

The artist reception is tonight, Friday, February 17, 2012 at 7 p.m. in The Good Hope School’s Campus Center.  The exhibit is open Saturday and Sunday, February 18-19, 2012 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Monday, February 20 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.  Admission is complimentary throughout the weekend. 

Mardi Croix: Caribbean Country

This year’s Mardi Croix parade was Caribbean Country.  There were cowgirls in chaps

And cowgirls on bikes.

There was a mystery posse

That was a posse of seahorses!

There was a little moonshine.

A dancing centepiede.

And hoola girls.

The Gentlemen of Jones had a mobile bar.

There were lots of beads to be collected.

Even the divers got beaded.

And sparkly girls under umbrellas.

A cute snake getting all the attention.

And even a little Brazilian Capoeira on the sand.

Seastock: Partying like it’s 1969!

The spirit of Woodstock was alive and well this past weekend here on St. Croix thanks to a fundraiser benefitting the St. Croix Environmental Association (SEA).

 Recycle Cups were handed out with the entrance fee.

Tie dyes were de rigueur!

Flower Power!

Peace!

John Lennon made an appearance.

Awards were given to the best dressed couple

and best dressed male and female

The band Prodigy Block kept us rocking out to The Stones, Hendrix  and Led Zep!

And the groupies danced and sang along all night long!