Junior Minister for Culture and Tourism Honourable Luce D. Hodge-Smith (R4) has announced that this year’s Emancipation Festival will conclude with the Emancipation Parade, meaning the parade will now be held on the Saturday after August Monday. Photo: Facebook

It was during Virgin Islands Voice, which aired on Facebook on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, that Hon Luce D. Hodge-Smith (R4) first stated that Rise and Shine Tramp and the Festival Parade could no longer be held on the same day. Photo: VINO/File

Hon Hodge-Smith made the announcement during an Emancipation Festival forum on Friday, February 27, 2026.

Parade shift

The Minister stated that the Emancipation Festival Parade 2026 will shift from August Monday to the following Saturday. 

She defended this decision by stating, "Festival evolves, we have the rise and shine tramp on August Monday, and we have seen where the revelers are taking a lot of time, and they want to stay on the streets. We start a little late, and this is impacting our parade."

Parade determines success of festival

Smith added that the success of the parade is a key factor in determining whether the festival was successful or not. 

"So we are going to change the parade date, from the August Monday, because we cannot change the tramp from August Monday because of the significance of it."

Hon Hodge-Smith said organisers depend heavily on the same revellers who are in the tramp to be in the parade, to get the parade started at a reasonable time.

"And I want you to understand that, yes, we are celebrating our emancipation festival, but it is also part of our tourism product."

Improve festival as a tourism product

Smith urged Virgin Islanders to support this new idea, stating, "We're going to try with the idea, and we have already made that decision, and we want your blessings, that we're going to have the parade culminate our festival activities this year by ending on the Saturday after August Monday."

This change, she explained, aims to attract more visitors and enhance the festival as a tourism product.

It was during Virgin Islands Voice, which aired on Facebook on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, that Hon Hodge-Smith first stated that Rise and Shine Tramp and the Festival Parade could no longer be held on the same day.

“We need to come to some kind of negotiation and agreement. My perspective is that the Rise and Shine Tramp should not be removed, as it symbolises when the people took to the streets, jubilant upon hearing the news of our freedom. Along with the torchlight procession, there may be some differences, but the tramp also represents when the people celebrated their freedom.

“We need to decide whether to move the parade and where it would be relocated. I know there will be differing opinions, but I hope that when we have this discussion, we can bring it to the people for a final decision,” Hon Hodge-Smith had stated.