The Crucian Christmas Festival mini-village in Christiansted opened Friday evening and was big fun for the little ones.
A walk around the D. C. Canegata Park grounds, where the village has returned after a decade, meant being surrounded by excited youngsters running to the next game booth or on to another ride. Parents kept a close eye on their little ones, making sure they were safe.
Safety was stressed in the opening remarks by the festival committee Friday night. Police were all over the park on foot patrol and riding Segways. The V.I Police Department had the mobile unit close to the bandstand. The atmosphere was of a family oriented event which organizers hoped it would be.
Davidson Charlemagne, board president of the festival committee said the mini village is definitely a family oriented event.
“We needed to do something in Christiansted,” Charlemagne said. “This is the 60th anniversary and I wanted to do some things special to mark the milestone, so we decided to bring back something from the past to the present.”
He said it has been around nine years since the committee had rides and games in Christiansted. This year the festival mini village is named for Annette Hendricks O’Neal, who has helped organize the Christiansted Village for more than 30 years.
The village will be in Christiansted through Sunday, then will move to Mon Bijou for a first-ever mid-island mini-village for three days before moving to Frederiksted for 11 days.
Friday food vendors sold salmon balls, conch pate, fried fish, cotton candy, local fruit drinks and more. Little ones lined up to ride the roundup, super parachute, mini cars, and merry-go-round. Games of skill were popular with the bigger kids.
Clarence Williams won an arm-full of prizes for his granddaughter, 8-year-old Anisha Messer.
“This is really something nice for the kids,” Williams said. “The rides are a lot of fun for the kids.” Messer proudly showed off what her grandpa had won for her.
Digital Band, Jamal and the Crew, Pumpa and the Unit and DJ Porta provided music for people to dance to into the night.
Miah Sarran, 13-years-old, said she she was having so much fun she hoped she could come to the village all three nights.
“It’s nice to see friends here and the rides are a lot of fun,” Sarran said.
