As the first rays of sunrise lit up the shores of Frederiksted on Easter Monday, the golden glow signaled more than just the start of a new day — it marked the closing of a cherished weeklong tradition for one St. Croix family and their extended camping community.
A time-honored Crucian Easter ritual, beach camping is a celebration filled with bonfires, beach games, storytelling, cooking, and plenty of laughter. For Keffanie John and her family, this tradition has spanned over two decades.
“Camping has been a tradition in my family for 20 years. It started with my father,” said John, who welcomed us to her vibrant beachfront campsite nestled between Dorsch Beach and the pool area in Frederiksted. There they were breaking down tents, cleaning up the beach and packing up vehicles to head home.
Now, John has continued the tradition with her daughters, Kshylah Friday Ventura and D’Andra John, who proudly help carry on the legacy.
“Over the years, we would have family and friends join us — and they enjoy the Easter season just as much as we do,” said John. “We start setting up a week before, putting down one thing each day. By the Monday of Easter week, we’re here full time. I’ll get up in the morning, go to work, and come right back here. It’s the joy on everybody’s face, especially at night with the sea breeze. It’s the joy of enjoying our island.”
For Friday Ventura, the experience is all about family bonding and creating lasting memories.
“Every year, my kids look forward to camping,” she said. “They love spending time with their cousins — fishing, playing games, swimming, walking down to Sandy Point. It’s just about having fun.”
Ventura’s favorite part of the week is the Easter Sunday feast. “We usually go big,” she said.
The menu this year included ribs, chicken, fish, shrimp kebabs, saltfish rice, curried crab, goat water, conch and shrimp pasta, and saltfish cakes. Family and friends gathered to eat, dance, and enjoy music from a live DJ.
Her sister, D’Andra, sees the tradition as something deeper. “For me, it’s about preserving culture, togetherness, and doing something outside the norm. You can throw a party in your backyard, but camping on the beach? That’s a whole different vibe.”
The younger family members pitched in with cooking, collecting firewood, and helping around the campsite.
“The kids did a lot of the cooking,” said John. “They’ll be the ones to carry this on, and we’ll eventually relax.”
Family friend Troy Mason, who joined the festivities, said camping also reconnects people in unexpected ways.
“I grew up with them — we’re still family,” Mason said with a smile. “What I love about camping is that it helps you realize who your family is. Sometimes you don’t know someone’s your cousin until you come out here and see how family multiplies. Our parents used to say, ‘One, one fills the basket.’ Everybody brings something, and before you know it — it’s a party.”
Their campsite is also well-established. “People know this is our spot. If we’re late, no one touches it,” said Brown.
They still use the booth built by John’s late father, equipped with a grill, coal pot, deep freezer, and even a stove — though most of the cooking happens outdoors. “He said, ‘I’m going to make this as comfortable as possible,’” recalled John.
This year, four generations of family members came together on the beach, continuing a legacy that’s as much about honoring the past as it is about shaping the future.
