Nadia Batson Photo Credit: INSTAGRAM
St. Croix is the place to be over Presidents' Day weekend with live music taking center stage amidst a stellar lineup of top local and regional artistes, the V.I. Dept. of Tourism has announced.
“So long I ain’t see you,” crooned D.O.T. Division of Festivals Director Ian Turnbull as he announced that “Fête.Vibe.Soca” will be headlined by Trinidad and Tobago soca sensation Nadia Batson and her all-female band, well known for hit songs including “So Long” and “Catching Feelings”.
The outdoor action takes place Sunday, February 20 at the Frederiksted Pier from 7 p.m. until 1 a.m. and features Virgin Islands star performers Cool Session Brass, Pumpa, VIO International and DJ Big Kyat.
According to the release, the Division of Festivals is offering support to an independently produced reggae concert on Saturday, February 19, featuring Jamaican dancehall megastar Dexta Daps, at the Frederiksted Pier, offering patrons a star-studded weekend of entertainment.
Sunday’s Soca event will be capacity-controlled and will only accommodate vaccinated attendees, who must provide a verifiable vaccination card to enter, D.O.T. said.
D.O.T. Commissioner Joseph Boschulte said the event is part of the territory’s “Vaccinate to Party Safe” initiative. “We have been a leader in the Caribbean throughout the pandemic, not only in terms of tourism arrivals and spending, but also with regard to protecting lives and livelihoods,” he said. The commissioner urged Virgin Islanders to keep their guards up throughout the holiday weekend, especially given the infectious nature of the Covid-19 Omicron variant.
According to the release, Mr. Turnbull believes it is important for the territory to host “Fête.Vibe.Soca”, especially following the cancellation of Crucian Christmas Festival events last month. “We want Virgin Islanders and visitors to the territory to be able to experience the spirit and vibe of festival in a safe, festive environment,” he said. Governor Albert Bryan first mentioned the possibility for a Presidents' Day weekend event on St. Croix during an interview with the Consortium two weeks ago about what carnival festivities would look like in St. Thomas this year.
D.O.T. said guests must comply with Covid-19 safety protocols, including physical distancing, mask-wearing, and hand sanitization.
Tickets for the event, which is sanctioned by the V.I. Department of Health, are $20 and are available for purchase at the Department of Tourism’s office in Frederiksted and the MTOC office in Christiansted.
For information, including vendor registration for “Fête.Vibe.Soca, contact the USVI Division of Festivals on St. Croix at (340) 772-0357, MTOC at (340) 690-7772 or email [email protected].
