For those looking to wave goodbye to the cold weather this winter in search of balmy, paradisiacal climes, you’ve come to the right place. There is nothing better than hopping on a superyacht charter or private jet as the dark nights set in, chasing the Caribbean sun with your nearest and dearest. And December is the best month to do it, marking the start of the yachting season in this exotic part of the world. So get ready to swap snow for white sands this Christmas, with so many fantastic celebrations going in and around St Kitts & Nevis - discover the best St Kitts events this December.
Sugar Mas Nov 22, 2019 – Jan 2, 2020 All over St Kitts & Nevis
This six-week-long celebration of everything Kittian is the biggest yearly event on the island, and is unequivocally the best time to visit St Kitts and Nevis. This year will mark the 48th edition of the festivities, and preparations are already well underway to make it the best one yet. But the last two weeks of this St Kitts event are when it really ramps up, with dance and music competitions, beauty pageants, costumed parades and steel-pan music filling the streets with life over the Christmas period.
The celebration usually starts with a female calypso show to kick things off, and from there every week brings an array of exciting fetes. Then, things are taken to the next level with J’Ouvert, translating to "I opened". Revelers get up as early as 4am to kick off the carnival’s street celebrations in downtown Basseterre’s roads, signalling the start of 8 hours of water fights and fun.
Kittitians can look forward almost nonstop entertainment during Sugar Mas, from storytelling groups who tell the history of the island, to St Kitts’ very best performers putting on incredible soca and calypso shows, battling through qualifying competitions to earn their prized spot on the stage. And for those looking to party on into the night and just let their hair down, there are plenty of bar crawls and sunset cruises which will have you dancing all evening. As the days count down to the New Year, pageant fever takes over as islanders hunt for the National Queen, Swimsuit, Mr. GQ, and Talented Teen winners.
New Year’s Day is Parade Day, where revelers don colorful feathered costumes before marching through the capital city of Basseterre. With a range of traditional figures including oko jumbies, masqueraders and clowns, this is another chance for Kittitians to reconnect with their national culture.
Then, it’s nearly time for Sugar Mas to come to an end - but not before one last blow out! On January 2nd, everyone takes to the streets for the Last Lap, the carnival’s final celebration. Winners of the Best Carnival Troupe and Road March Song competitions are announced, and people sing and dance with just as much energy as when the festival began - a perfect end to an amazing celebration. People come from far and wide to St Kitts in December to experience this 6-week party - you don’t want to miss it.
Top Off Brunch Dec 26, 2019 11:00AM-5:00PM Fairview Greathouse & Botanical Gardens, St Kitts
A vital part of Sugar Mas, this all-day brunch at the Botanical Gardens is the place to be on Boxing Day, with music from some of the best local DJs and a buffet menu that promises to have your mouth watering. At the same time, bottomless mimosas and bellinis will be running until the kitchen of this lively St Kitts event closes, meaning you’ll never have a chance to get thirsty. A cash bar will be open for those who want other drinks, and each bruncher even gets a souvenir Top Off Wine Glass, meaning you can relive this day for years to come.
If you think about what you might usually be doing on Boxing Day - pyjamas, cold turkey sandwiches, TV - this is a world away, and we think all the better for it. After all, what could be better than soaking up the sun on a luxury yacht charter in St Kitts, surrounded by beauty and with incredible, exotic foods and cocktails to enjoy?
Livin’ In The Sun Nov 29 – Dec 1, 2019 Sandy Island, Anguilla
If you’re heading to St Kitts in December, why not stop by Anguilla enroute and attend the famous Livin’ In The Sun festival? A miraculous combination of music, food, drinks, art, sea and sun make this one of our favorite ways to kick off the advent. Anguilla is an idyllic holiday destination at any time of year - a favorite honeymoon spot for loved up couples thanks to its out-of-this-world beaches. But the beginning of the yachting season sees everyone head to Sandy Island, where aromas of incredible regional dishes such as crayfish and barbecued chicken fill the air and DJs from all of the Caribbean come to play dancefloor sets to excited partygoers.
With highs of 28°C, it is blissfully warm, but if you’re worried about getting too hot then don’t be - the cooling ocean is never more than a few feet away. And for those who aren’t ready to go home, the party continues at a different Anguillian beach bar every night.
Montserrat Year End Festival Dec 20, 2019 – Jan 1, 2020 All over the beautiful island of Montserrat
St Kitts events are not the only way to celebrate the New Year, with Montserrat hosting its own Year End Festival. Every day in the build-up to 2020 there is an outstanding showcase of talent, music, culture and history, including steel pan performances and adrenaline-fueled car races. Then, come New Years Day, you will witness an incredible display of color and energy that will make you joyful for the year ahead; the Festival Queen, Calypso King, Princesses and their entourages form a parade on brightly-decorated cars, while revelers joyfully join in with the procession.
Anegada Lobster Festival Dec 30, 2019 – Jan 1, 2020 Spread throughout Anegada
If you prefer first-class cuisine to late-night partying, this is one for you. The Anegada Lobster Festival started just six years ago, but it is already a world-renowned success, enticing travelers, community members and food connoisseurs to this exquisite island to showcase its famous Spiny Lobster and all the delicious ways to cook it. Some of the region’s most talented chefs will be hard at work preparing, cooking, serving and plating divine lobster dishes at participating local restaurants. This means that there will be so much incredible food to sample!
Attendees will also get to know the island at the same time, from meeting the beautiful Anegadian flamingos to seeing unique art from the island’s finest artisans, ensuing that the Anegada Lobster Festival is a feast for all the senses. The perfect way for foodies to welcome in the New Year!
So there we have it - if you’re planning to head to or near St Kitts in December, ditching gloomy winter weather in favor of glorious sunshine and exotic tastes, we hope you’ll enjoy these five amazing events.
