Anguilla Guide to Events in July:
The Start of Anguilla's Carnival

Summer in Anguilla is known as the "slow season," or the "off season." (For more information on traveling to Anguilla in the off season click here.) The weather is warm, the water is warmer, the pace on the island is ultra-calm.

For most of July, the island is peaceful and fairly quiet (especially compared to the hustle and bustle of the Holiday season!).

But it's not all that quiet. In fact, during this time, the island has one of its largest festivals, Anguilla Carnival! And it all kicks off at the end of July. Here is an Anguilla guide to the must-see attractions...

Most commonly referred to as, "Carnival", Angulla's carnival is also known as Anguilla Summer Festival. I will admit that the last time I experienced Anguilla Carnival I was 14, back in 2002. When people hear this they often exclaim, "Aren't you a true Anguilla lover? You are missing out!"

The humiliation has become too much for me to bear! ;-) So, soon I will be writing about Anguilla Carnival first hand. Until then, the kick-off day on July 29th, I have been spending time learning about what I might expect...

The Anguilla Summer Festival is a week of many activities including concerts, pageants, Parade of Troupes, Jouvert Monday, and boatracing. Carnival itself is a celebration of emancipation and was initially acknowledged with a boatracing celebration in Anguilla as early as 1940.

Anguilla Carnival Grows Each Year...

Some might argue that the big day is of course, Jouvert Monday, also known as August Monday. August Monday is always the first Monday in August. But more on that in the Anguilla guide to events in August...

This year, Anguilla Carnival week starts in July on Friday the 29th with Anguilla Summer Festival Opening Ceremony taking place at the Landsome Bowl in The Valley around 6pm. The event starts with fireworks and is followed by the Prince and Princess Show at 7pm and it ends with the Junior Calypso Show which starts at 9pm.

Directions Tip: For those who have not heard of the Landsome Bowl, it is a venue with a stage, bench-style seating, and plenty of perimeter space for food stalls to be set up. You can't miss it if you drive west on Coronation (toward DaVida) from the roundabout in The Valley. As you near the beautiful, large mahogany trees on Coronation, look left through the field. The Landsome Bowl is hot-pink, so you can't miss it! It sits across from the small roundabout next to Ashley & Sons Grocery in The Valley. Many of the evening events for Summer Festival are held at the Landsome Bowl which sits on historic land, but that's a story for another time.

Rounding out the end of July and the start of Anguilla Carnival is the Band-O-Rama and Anguilla Band Clash, a local music competition starting around 9pm at the Landsome Bowl in The Valley on Saturday, July 30th.

Anguilla pride is shown on Sandy Ground
as the Anguilla Flag flies at the
2010 Heineken Boatrace Sunday for Anguilla's Carnival

On July 31st, you can catch the first boatrace of 2011 Anguilla Carnival. The Heineken Boatrace sets sail at 2pm at Road Bay in Sandy Ground. That same evening the LIME Soca Monarch, Party Groove starts up at 9pm back at the Landsome Bowl.

Of course, Anguilla Carnival is not the only Anguilla events on July's calendar.

One of the big non-Carnival events is the 9th Annual Miss Tiny Tot Pageant to be held on July 10th at the Landsome Bowl in The Valley.

Another island event that takes place prior to Summer Festival kick-off is the John T Memorial Cycling Race which takes place July 16th - 17th. If you have driven around Anguilla, you already know that this is an island for cyclists (flat and without many big hills), and we all graciously share the road. ;-)

That wraps up Anguilla events in July!

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