Carnival is still going strong in the rest of the Caribbean, which is a good thing. There are still many ways to go out this year if you want to.
Next is Bermuda, which will have its Carnival from June 16-19 next month. You still have time to join one of the three mas bands in the country this year: Party People, Nova Mas, or Code Red. If you’re more interested in the vibes than the whole Carnival thing, here’s T+L’s guide to the island, which is just a short flight from most of the East Coast.
On the small islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the Carnival is called “Vincymas,” which is a lot of fun. This year, Vincymas will take place from June 30 to July 11. It will be a musically delicious good time. Visit vincymas.vc for a list of the bands you can march with. We love the quiet hotels on the country’s smaller islands, but you’ll want to stay on the mainland for Vincymas. The Blue Lagoon Hotel & Marina is a great, cheap choice, but you should book it soon because it’s likely to fill up.
Also, in July, the St. Lucia Carnival goes on from the first to the nineteenth of the month. Check out carnivalsaintllucia.com to see the many bands you can choose from. If you have time to drive around the lush mountain country, make sure to stay at the luxurious cliffside Ti Kaye Resort & Spa to get away from the chaos of Carnival.
Antigua’s Carnival is held every year from July 27 to August 8. One of my favourite islands is Antigua, and Carnival has a long past there. You can find this year’s mas bands at antiguacarnival.com. But even if you don’t want to take part publicly, you should still come to town to hear the famous steel bands of Antigua and Barbuda. On the north coast of Antigua, the Hodges Bay Resort & Spa is one of the newest and best hotels on the island.
Grenada’s “Spicemas” festival starts at the beginning of the month and lasts until the 15th. In Grenada, J’Ouvert is a high-energy event that emphasises the tradition’s roots as a slap in the face to former colonisers. People will be covered in black oil and wearing devil horns long before sunrise. If you like feathers more than pitchforks, visit spicemasgrenada.com to learn about “Fancy Mas” bands. Coyaba Beach Resort is a good choice on Grand Anse Beach that doesn’t cost too much.
And, of course, no Carnival season guide would be complete without mentioning Barbados’s famous Crop Over celebrations, where Rihanna has been serving looks for what seems like forever. The Crop Over Festival is a celebration of Bajan music, food, and art that lasts about three months and ends with a parade called Kadooment Day. This year, Grand Kadooment Day is on August 7, so you’ll want to be there for at least a week before then. Later this month, the Mas bands should be named. The south side of the island is home to the beautiful boutique resort Bougainvillaea Barbados.
Even if you can’t go abroad for a while, you’re not out of luck. Before Labour Day, Brooklyn will have the West Indian Day Parade again, and in October, Miami will have its own Carnival.
Even if the sun is shining in a different way, the soca will still hit.
