We will be on island late April and early May and were hoping to enjoy some of Carnival during that time. Can anyone recommend events that are worth seeing and any do's and don'ts related to carnival? I know they are celebrating their 50th so was hoping it would be worth experiencing for the first time. I know we would like to see the major parade (which I think takes place the last day of April) but any other recommendations and insights would be appreciated. And what is the typical parade route?

I have been there for a couple of Carnivals in the past. There can be a parade/JumpUp at about any time and any place. I would suggest at least one trip to Carnival Village and if you can work it out, go into town for the "major parade" whenever that might be. We got into town early, parked and found a bar with a balcony and spent the day there. Expect traffic to be slow and plan accordingly. Good luck!

I think you also get the benefit of the absolute BEST weather and island conditions at this time period.

We’ve been visiting SXM for what seems like forever and I have to say, in our experiences, Mid to late April is usually the perfect time to be on the island. However, Carnival can cause a lot of short staff evenings and traffic back-ups with everyone heading to basically the same general destination. And if you do decide to attend one of the various Carnival parades, do make sure you are well-hydrated and use sun protection while you’re in viewing mode.

Thanks Pat. You are one of my favorite posters because you are always the voice of reason and give sound advice. But I should have said while this will be our first carnival, it will be our 26th trip to the island and third trip in the past 14 months. So while I know a great deal about the island, I have no experience with carnival and thus my questions about what to do and experience. Thanks to all for any suggestions.

We happened upon the a carnival parade a few years back while there. Just good timing. Wear bright clothes and comfortable shoes and you might find yourself joining with dancers and taking photos with them. And team park and don’t make plans to take off anytime soon. The place stops and locks down wherever you are.

But It’s such a great way to absorb the flavor of St Maarten. Have a ball!

For those interested there is actually a website dedicated to this year's 50th Carnival. I think it's something like sxm-carnival.com or close to that. Should be able to find it on a Google search. The dates are technically April 22nd thru May 6th. I believe their are concerts scheduled for April 26th and another for May 3rd, but I have no idea what they entail. Not sure what goes on at such events, but I did notice there was an age restriction to 15 and older at them. Referring to this online might be very helpful.

Thanks all. I had already looked at that website and unless I missed it (which certainly is possible), I have no idea where the Carnival Village is or what the typical parade route is. Was also wondering which of the multiple events are must see. Thanks for any additional help.

CaribLee,

First of all,thank you for your kind words. The following is purely my opinion and I’m sure most will disagree with me but........

With regard to Carnival and Carnival Village, we went once to the village and decided it just wasn’t for us but we also aren’t into crowds and congestion. I don’t know the name of the road but the Village is in P’berg and off the main drag near the Salt Pond. Parking is problematic and I’d suggest a cab but i’m Not sure how that would work either. Would hate to see anyone stranded and maybe end up forced to use a gypsy cab home. Inside the village there were lots of food and drink venues and music. OMG! The music. Loud didn’t come close to describing it. You can probably guess my approximate age from these comments and it’s only fair to say, Regatta doesn’t do anything for me either. There are beauty pageants and such but again, noise, confusion and congestion just aren’t my thing anymore

The Grand Parade is fun, music and costumes and dancers dancing down the street. I’m assuming it still goes right down Front St. in P’berg, but again, it’s been years. The Children’s Parade is shorter and the kids are adorable.

Hope this helps even a little bit.