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Revelers in Saint Lucia enjoyed two days of street parades Monday and Tuesday.
Saint Lucia's Carnival is one of a few summer carnivals observed in the Caribbean. Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Antigua and Barbuda also have summer street festivities.
Band members take to the streets in colorful costumes and compete for prizes that include Band of the Year and Best Designed Bands.
The carnival festivities are organised by the Carnival Planning and Management Agency (CPMA).
"By all counts, it was a success. The incidents were relatively few. There were no major incidents as reported by the police and that is always considered a major factor in determining the success of the festival," said the Agency’s Chairman, Lyndon Arnold.
Nine bands participated in the 2015 Carnival Street parade.
'Legends' is one of the newest and smallest bands on the road.
“We are Legends carnival band. Third year running and we are so happy to be a part of Saint Lucia's Carnival … our theme is Rebellion and we are rebelling for two days,” said Band Leader Kiimia Karrera.
Saint Lucia’s Minister for Tourism and Creative Industries Lorne Theophilus was one of those taking part in the festivities as a member of the ‘Just4Fun’ band.
“It’s all about product development. We are ensuring that only good things come out of Saint Lucia’s carnival. This year I am very pleased with the fact that has been safe. There have been an abundance of activities. Revelers are having an amazing time and this says good things for Saint Lucia,” he said.
Organizers say they are pleased with the fringe activities and community carnivals, as well as the standard of local music and costumes for the 2015 carnival as they are already looking ahead to 2016. They say they have identified some of the shortcomings of this year's event including minor hiccups with a change in venue for the annual Calypso Monarch competition and the late start of some events. They say they will work to ensure those are not repeated next year.
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