Destra, Kes, Ricky T And Asa Bantan Among Potential Headliners For This Year’s Festival. Here’s Everything You Need To Know

ST. CROIX — This year’s Crucian Christmas Festival, dubbed ‘We Ga’ Festival Fever”, will be a season of stress relief, memorializing a lost Virgin Islands music icon and showing gratitude to the linemen and federal partners along with local first responders, who have worked tirelessly in the restoration of the territory following Hurricanes Irma and Maria, Davidson Charlemagne, the St. Croix Festival Committee chairman told The Consortium during an interview following Sunday night’s Miss St. Croix pageant.

The season — which will potentially (contracts still need to be signed) feature big-name Soca artists such as Kes, well-known for hits such as Incredible and his collaborative hit with Nailah Blackman, Workout, along with Soca queen Destra, Bouyon trailblazer Asa Bantan, and Ricky T out of St. Lucia, with his mega hit Freaky Girls — comes as Governor Kenneth Mapp has gotten personally involved to assure that residents and visitors alike have a great time, according to Mr. Charlemagne. The Consortium will be carrying all events live from Dec. 26.

The season kicks off on Friday from 7:00 p.m., with events such as the Prince and Princess Pageant, followed by the Junior Calypso Show on Dec. 23, as well as a night of gospel music on December 25. The ribbon-cutting ceremony, which signals the earnest beginning of the Village festivities, commences on December 26.

On December 29, the Village will feature a special show in honor of Kyle “Kylo” Sylvester, the ubiquitous Stylee Band lead singer who died in a recent plane crash, and will boast a host of local artists. The show will close with a performance by Rock City, according to Mr. Charlemagne.

Another significant day is January 3, which will include J’ouvert, Food Fair and Reggae Night activities. On January 2, the Calypso Monach will take place and the popular Soca Monarch Competition on January 4.

As for the adults and children’s parades, they have been meshed into one day, January 6, and will begin at 9:00 a.m. with both the children and adult parade royalties, followed by the children’s parade troupes, and at 1:00 p.m., “We will loose the adults parade troupes to come down,” Mr. Charlemagne said.

“We’re going to try our best to give everybody the best stress relief they can have in 2018-18,” Mr. Charlemagne said, making known that the Festival Village has been named “The Irma and Maria Stress Free Zone,” an acknowledgement, he said, of the trauma Virgin Islanders went through during the hurricanes, and the committee’s goal in making sure that it provides residents and visitors with the time of their lives during the season.

“I tell people this is more as our relief, stress relief throughout all the activities,” he said. “And we are dedicating this year to our linemen, our contractors, FEMA, Red Cross, Army Corps of Engineers, our police officers, WAPA — everybody who’s working to build back the territory, especially St. Croix.”

In recognition of the territory-wide devastation wrought by the storms, Mr. Charlemagne spoke of an event organized in conjunction with the Office of the Governor, the West Indian Company Limited, and the Crucian Christmas Festival Committee being held at the Havensight Mall in St. Thomas on Wednesday. The affair, WICO’s 33rd Annual Christmas Tree Lighting, will feature local acts like Cool Session Brass, Spectrum Band and international Soca names such as Asa Bantan and Ricky T.

Here’s the full schedule:

• Dec. 20, 33rd Annual Christmas Tree Lighting at the Havensight Mall (event with Crucian Christmas Festival Committee and Office of the Governor
• Dec. 21, Crucian Christmas Festival event on St. John
• Dec. 22, Festival Village opens with Prince and Princess Show
• Dec. 23, Junior Calypso Show at Festival Village
• Dec. 24, Guest Artists at Festival Village
• Dec. 25, Gospel Night at Festival Village
• Dec. 26, Official opening night with ribbon-cutting ceremony
• Dec. 27, Xpress Band and Spectrum Band will be among headliners
• Dec. 28, Digital Band and Cool Sessions Brass among headliners
• Dec. 29, “Tribute to Kylo” special event at Village, which will feature local acts and a grand finale with R. City
• Dec. 30, The Venomous Poizon Band, BDJ, and Vio International among main acts
• Dec. 31, New Year’s Eve event with bands yet to be announced
• Jan. 1, Cultural Night
• Jan. 2, Calypso Monarch
• Jan 3, J’ouvert, Food Fair and Reggae Night at Village
• Jan 4, Soca Monarch Competition
• Jan 5, Latin Night
• Jan 6, Parades, fireworks, and Caribbean Night