Watch: Streets Of Christiansted And Frederiksted Come Alive With Stanley And Ten Sleepless Knights

ST. CROIX — There’s no doubt that Christmas and the festive season have arrived once Stanley and the Ten Sleepless Knights take to the streets of Frederiksted and Christiansted after caroling for hours in the wee hours of Friday and Saturday, serenading residents in neighborhoods with well-known Christmas music.

This year’s affair mark’s the annual event’s 10th anniversary, according to organizers.

The tradition was reignited by the Virgin Islands Public Broadcasting System WTJX TV, whose officials approached the VIPD asking for permission to bring Stanley and the Ten Sleepless Knights back on the streets of St. Croix at 12:01 a.m. on Christmas Eve to help make live the Christmas season — lifting the spirits of residents in various communities as they drive through on a big truck, readied with instruments and supported by multiple Islanders who follow the band into both towns.

Prior to 2006, Stanley and the Ten Sleepless Knights would setup instruments at the back of a pickup truck and drive through the communities playing Christmas music during the season. But they were stopped by the VIPD in 1992, after the force accused the band of having alternative motives.

Insulted by the incident, they stopped.

“We spoke to the V.I.P.D. because we wanted to document the event just to show the generations that’s coming up what used to happen,” Tania-Marie Singh, CEO of WTJX told the Consortium early last year while the band made its way through the west town. “But after 2006, the community wouldn’t allow us to stop; so we documented a couple — and we’re actually airing it today on Channel 12 — and now this is a tradition.” The event was sponsored this year by Blue Sky Real Estate, Limetree Bay Terminals, Innovative, Office of Highway Safety, Department of Tourism, Bates and Alpine Securities.

Below, video footage of Stanley and the Knights playing through Christiansted this morning.