A Caribbean Summer of Festivals, Food and Fun

The Northern Hemisphere summer period, which runs roughly from June to September, is a great time to travel to the Caribbean because of lower travel costs and the numerous activities that are on offer.

These include Carnivals and other festivals (music, culinary, art and craft); sporting events and soft adventure activities and of course there’s always the beach and nature to enjoy. For lovers of music, merriment and mouthwatering Caribbean cuisine, here’s a sample of diverse cultural events that can be included in a Caribbean summer vacation itinerary.

• Anguilla – Summer Festival
• Antigua and Barbuda – Carnival; Christian Valley Mango Fest; Seafood Festival at Urlings
• Aruba – Culinary Festival; Wine Extravaganza; Piano Festival  
• The Bahamas – Junkanoo Summer Festival; All Andros & Berry Islands Goombay Festival  Crabfest  Nights; Culinary Classic
• Barbados – Crop Over Festival
• Belize – Benque Viejo Fiesta; International Film Festival;  International Costa Maya Festival   Caulker Lobster Festival; Pibil Fest
• Bermuda – Bermuda Nights
• Bonaire – Bonaire Art Day;  Taste of Bonaire; Celebrate Our Planet Week
• British Virgin Islands – Full Moon Party; Emancipation Festival
• Cuba – Festival del Caribe; Havana Carnival; French Film Festival
• Curacao – Salsa Tour; Plein Air Curacao; North Sea Jazz
• Dominica – Fisherman's Feast ; Rabbit Fest
• Dominican Republic – Ania Paz Jazz Series; Summer Jazz festival at Casa de Teatro; Santo Domingo Merengue Festival; 26 Biennial of Visual Arts; Design Caribbean and Taste Santo Domingo
• Grenada – Carnival
• Guadeloupe – Festival Guadeloupe; Guadeloupe International Zouk Festival; Gwo Ka Festival; Festival of Traditional Music in Moule; Cooks' Festival
• Guyana – Heritage Month; Guyexpo 2011
• Jamaica – International Reggae Day; Reggae Sumfest; Portland Jerk Festival; Breadfruit Festival;
• Martinique – Biguine Jazz Festival; Sugarcane Harvest Festival
• Montserrat – Calabash Festival ; Cudjoe Head Celebrations
• Puerto Rico – Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music International Percussion Festival; Carolina International Jazz Festival
• St. Barts – St. Barth Summer Sessions; SBJAM Musique Festival
• St. Eustatius – Carnival
• St. Kitts and Nevis – 23rd Nevis Film Week and Festival; Culturama; 20th Annual Caribbean and International Food Fair
• St. Lucia – Carnival;  Anse-la-Raye Seafood Friday; Dennery Fish Festival
• St. Maarten – Soualiga Drum Fest
• St. Martin – Summer Music Festival; August Movies; Goat Festival;  Festival in the Village of Sandy Ground
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines – Vincy Mas; Breadfruit Festival
• Suriname – Keti Koti; Day of the Indigenous People; Pasar Malam Indonesian Fair
•  Trinidad and Tobago – Mango Festival;  Pan in the Countryside; Cultural Explosion – Itsy Bitsy Folk Theatre; Roxborough Seafood Festival; Tobago Heritage Festival; Tourism Park; Santa Rosa Festival;  Film Festival
• Turks and Caicos Islands – Turks & Caicos Music and Cultural Festival;  Fishermen’s Day; Middle Caicos Day
• U.S. Virgin Islands – Alexander Hamilton Jump Up!; St. Croix Landmarks Society World Music Concert; July 4th Carnival Celebration
• Venezuela – Atempo Festival

For more info on these and other Caribbean destination events, activities and attractions, please visit http://www.onecaribbean.org/eventsandcalendars/destinationcalendar/.