Nadia Batson performed on Thursday, June 30 during the opening night of the St. John Carnival Village.
The St. John Carnival Village, named Jordan Ville in honor of Derron Jordan — a St. Johnian described by Governor Albert Bryan as "the man that makes it happen" — opened on Thursday with great performances from artists both local and foreign, including popular Soca sensation Nadia Batson.
Ahead of the entertainment, however, local leaders spoke of the uniqueness of St. John's carnival.
"Is not St. John Carnival the sweetest carnival of all?" said Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett during remarks. "Is not the village in St. John the most beautiful melting pot of diversity, of camaraderie, of everyone coming together and having a safe and beautiful time together?"
Dept. of Tourism Commissioner Joseph Boschulte stated, "Something about St. John, when you come and get off the ferry, it's like all the worries in the world go away. We love St. John and I'm happy to be here celebrating the 68th Carnival," he said.
Governor Bryan praised the honoree, stating that he doesn't think there's ever been someone this young to be named head of a carnival or festival village. "I don't know what you're going to do for your next feat; you're going to have to run for governor," Mr. Bryan joked. "But I really want to say thank you to him because when you come to St. John, this is the man that makes it happen, and he's especially loved..."
Mr. Jordan, a Dept. of Public Works employee, provided short remarks, thanking the community and the Division of Festivals for the honor.
Mr. Bryan recalled the words of an old friend who said it doesn't matter what is going on in the territory — be it recession, supply shortages, power outages — the village on each island gets built in a week with no delays.
"You have never seen a press release say carnival will be delayed this year because we couldn't get the plywood to put up one of these booths. I really wish we would apply the same kind of energy to everything else we do in the Virgin Islands," Mr. Bryan said.
The celebration in St. John features a number of events, including the following:
- June 26: Pan-O-Rama, a pre-Carnival steel pan celebration; Food Fair featuring local vendors
- June 30: Village Opens with more than 18 local vendor booths of food, drinks, family friendly day events and nightly performances
- July 1: Uber Soca Cruise Night with artists Triple Kay from Dominica, Vibe from Tortola and more
- July 2: J'ouvert, the pre-dawn celebration
- July 3: Emancipation Day Cultural Program
- July 4: Parade Day and Fireworks
This year's celebration is the first on the island since the Covid-19 pandemic upended life around the world in 2020.
