St. Croix youth proved that they can step, dance and twirl their way down King Street as well as any grown-up on Friday when the 72nd Crucian Christmas Festival Children’s Parade returned to Frederiksted.
Friday’s affair featured familiar favorites: troupes from the Juanita Gardine and Ricardo Richards elementary schools, CMCarts and the St. Croix Majorettes and more, moko jumbies and the Rising Stars Steelpan Orchestra.
Kimoia Beazer, an eighth-grade student at Juanita Gardine Elementary School, said her favorite part of the parade was appearing before the judges, who were posted at the intersection of King and Queen Cross streets.
“I felt like my group did very good, and they didn’t disappoint — it was good vibes alone,” she said. After putting on a show for judges, each of Friday’s 31 entrants had to keep the energy up for a trek down King Street and ending at Festival Village.
“I was like, ‘just keep going … you are almost there. Just keep going,” Beazer said. Her classmate, Catreka Bell, said her favorite part was seeing all of the colors as the troupe danced its way down the road.
Juanita Gardine Assistant Principal Sherna Concepcion said the school had 61 students in their troupe on Friday afternoon. The participants had two weeks of rehearsals, and teachers gave up vacation days and Saturdays to get the kids ready for the big day.
“It’s a labor of love,” she said. “Education is a labor of love.”
Kendell “KC” Henry, who ran this year’s parade, said the judges’ scores are typically announced at the end of Festival and said the cooperation of troupe leaders and participants kept things running smoothly this year.
“The participants were very eager and very willing and excited to be in the parade. So from our standpoint, we were very happy,” he said, highlighting the efforts of the parade committee, the Division of Festivals, the V.I. Police Department and everyone who participated. Henry said Friday’s event and Saturday’s Adults Parade took months of planning and organization.
“We really encourage people to come out and support the children,” Henry said, noting that the Adults Parade tends to draw bigger crowds. Saturday’s event has 25 entrants. Two of them, Henry said, will have more than 200 troupers. “And we’re very excited for those troupes that are traveling as well, because we have about two troupes that are coming to St. Croix to be a part of the parade activity [for the Adults Parade].”
