The Torchlight Procession was held on Friday, July 25, 2025. Photo: Facebook

Premier Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) has urged Virgin Islanders to remember the real reason for the Emancipation Festival during the official opening ceremony of the 71st Emancipation Festival on july 25, 2025. Photo: Facebook

Mr Charlie Neil Frett (middle) is the 71st Emancipation Festival Honouree. Photo: Facebook

A Torchlight Procession led to an opening ceremony marking the official start of the 71st Virgin Islands Emancipation Festival, which took place at Charlie Neil Frett Festiville last evening, Friday, July 25, 2025. 

The festival is being held this year under the theme ‘Uniting our Culture, Freedom and Joy in the Virgin Islands for Festival 2025’. 

Celebrate freedom responsibly 

“The reason for the season is not just to enjoy ourselves, to drink, and have a good time. The reason for the season is to honour our ancestors and foreparents who were enslaved on this soil and celebrated their freedom on August 1, 1834. If you are from the East, as I am, we celebrated our emancipation much earlier, in 1776, around June 30th. Next year will mark 250 years since we got our freedom.” 

Premier Wheatley also urged people to celebrate responsibly. 

“We should avoid bad behaviour throughout the season; we must distance ourselves from the crime that represents a form of slavery and work to free ourselves from negative feelings towards our neighbours. Instead, we should celebrate love, hope, family, and community.” 

Remembering ‘Miss P’

This year’s Torchlight procession was dedicated to the late Mrs. Elieene L. Parsons, OBE, a renowned cultural icon affectionately known as ‘Mrs. P’, who made significant contributions to the festival celebrations for years.

This year's Torchlight Procession had an extremely huge turnout, and has been described as one of the biggest to date. 

The Premier acknowledged, “This is the first emancipation celebration since Mrs. Parsons' passing, and although she is no longer with us, her legacy lives on through these celebrations. She was perhaps the person who contributed the most to our culture over the years. In this emancipation celebration, we are honouring her legacy.”

Dr Wheatley also praised the festival and fair committee, along with all those who contributed to this year’s festival. 

“As we know, we don’t celebrate Carnival in the Virgin Islands; we have made it clear to the world that we celebrate our emancipation, and I am proud of that.” 

The Premier renewed a call for Virgin Islanders to recommit to freeing themselves from mental slavery, acknowledging that “we still live in a colonised state”. 

During the opening ceremony, the Parade Marshall was honoured, along with this year’s festival honouree Mr Charlie Neil Frett. 

Mr Frett expressed his gratitude, stating, “I want to thank God for this honour. I accept this on behalf of the ladies and young men who voiced their concerns and joined the committee under the leadership of the late Mrs Elieene L. Parsons, OBE. It is great to see how far we have come and all we have accomplished together. I would love to see the festival committee continue its work in the future.”