St. Croix may be facing some economic difficulty, but even that doesn’t seem to kill the spirit of a people who want some relief from the stresses that life brings. Every year on the night of Black Friday, residents of the Big Island gather in downtown Christiansted for what is known as “Jump Up!” It’s not carnival, but rather a prelude to it. The streets of the little town come alive with live bands, Moko Jumbies, deejays, steel pan orchestras, vendor booths, performers and a sea of revelers.
The festivities, which run from about 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., are always vivacious. From the moment party-goers arrive in Christiansted, there is little option but to get into a celebratory mood. At the epicenter of the activities, near Government House, a deejay was set up and a crowd had gathered. Vacationers and locals alike were transfixed by the pulsating Soca music that caused them to wave, dance, jump and “wine” on each other, as if there were no more cares in the world. A sight to behold it was.
From there, a right turn up the road where the Riddims music store is located, the Ebeneezer Steel Pan Orchestra was stationed near a now-shuttered restaurant, entertaining the crowds with a variety of selections. Then, heading down the street to Fort Christiansvaern, the roadway was flanked by booths on either side selling all kinds of items. Former Sen. Ronald Russell could be seen “jamming” away with a live band. People were gathered in every corner and sometimes in the middle of the streets.
But, in addition to it being a big street party, Jump Up!, held a number of times throughout the year, is a way for downtown retailers to bolster sales, as stores remain open late to welcome the crowds.
“The year is turning out to be the same as last year in terms of sales for us,” one employee of a local store located near the boardwalk told VI Consortium. “In terms of people, last year had more, and you always want to do better than you did the year before in sales — at least 20 percent higher — not the same, but it’s looking like a [flat jump up] in terms of sales for us.”
A police officer, who was part of the security detail for the night, told VI Consortium that Friday night’s event was the slowest in years, especially with the turnout. The officer said, however, that Jump Up! is one of the safest events families can attend because violence is usually a non-issue, as people generally come out to have a good time.
And a good time they had last night, as the Rising Stars Steel Pan Orchestra, stationed near Violet’s Boutique, brought life to that corner of Christiansted with rhythmic selections that pulled revelers into the street to dance.
Throngs of people also gathered on the boardwalk, 50 feet east of Rum Runners in a hideaway to the right, to see women dance with hula hoops doused with fire. They twirled, went up and down, performing a variety of feats with the fiery hula hoops around their waists. Onlookers were left astonished and fully entertained.
About 9 p.m., with just one hour left to go, the party continued incessantly on every corner. And just as in years past, people stayed until the very end when the deejay played his last song, the last drum was struck, the steel pans rang their final notes, and the Moko Jumbies did their last dance.
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