Aruba Carnival

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What is the Aruban Carnival?

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Aruba Carnival is a big celebration held on the Caribbean island and is thebiggest party of the year. Carnivals are among the most colorful and fun-filled celebrations on the island, loaded with magical costumes, hundreds of thousands of lights, food and parades. The celebration of Carnival on the island is also the perfect opportunity for satirical expressions and demonstrations against politicians and social events.

Carnivals in Aruba translate into weeks of fun with dozens of entertaining events that highlight the interesting and nurturing culture on thehappy Caribbean island. Carnival events include a wealth of expressions of the culture and identity of the islanders that blend gracefully with top-notch entertainment you won’t find anywhere else.

 

The island becomes one big colorful spectacle from start to finish in which thedistinctive rhythms of the Caribbean predominate. The city shakes from start to finish with the particular rhythms of calypso, metal drum bands, Latin American salsa, marches and Dutch melodies. The carnival translates to two weeks of incredible varied musical fun.

The celebration is the happy island is for the whole family, regardless of age. During the weeks of celebration, everyday life reaches a breaking point and life as we know it stops to make way for the biggest party of the year. The street parties flood the major cities, the carrozas make their way through the crowds, the costumes go wild and marvel the entire public and the music makes you get up and celebrate to the fullest.

We encourage you to visit one of the best islands in the Caribbean to be part of the biggest party of the year, where you can enjoy dozens of fun activities and dance to the rhythm of Caribbean music.

 

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When is Aruba Carnival

The carnival celebration is like no other, as it features a fairly packed schedule of activities from start to finish. Carnival on the island is characterized by its considerable duration where various parades, events and activities of all kinds take place.

 

 

History of Aruba Carnivals

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Initials

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The first records of carnival on the Happy Island were documented in the year 1921, but these were private celebrations. Carnivals were mainly celebrated by the social elite, who performed masked dances with European themes. Carnival parties ushered in the celebration of a new season, so they were usually held in various months of the year. However, some years later, the working class began to celebrate carnivals, also with dances, but people could dress up as clowns, knights, animals or any other theme of their choice.

 

Development

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The island’s economy had an important growth during the decade of the 40s and 50s, so a large number of jobs were generated. The island began to receive diverse immigrants, among them English, who were the first to develop the public carnival festivities. After the Second World War, the English celebrated the victory of the Allies by holding a great parade in San Nicolas, Aruba City.

Private celebrations on the Happy Island continued to grow and proliferate, even holding events such as election of Carnival Queens and large parades.

Boom

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The Tivoli Club was the meeting point for natives of Aruba and Englishmen to develop the first public carnival on the island. In addition, several other representatives of social clubs met to organize and coordinate this great event that would mean the prolonged development of the festivities. The Carnival would be celebrated in Oranjestad, which would have a large parade with musical bands, floats and Bandas Mas, as well as its own Carnival Queen..

In 1957, it began the tradition of having two parades organized in different parts of the island; the first in San Nicolas and the second in the capital of Aruba, Oranjestad. After eight years, the calypso and the roadmarch became an integral part of the carnival festivities when calypso competitions were first introduced.

 

Today

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At the turn of the 20th century, the S.A.C or the Stichting Arubaanse Carnaval, what would become the Foundation of the Aruban Carnival, was established. The committee was and is the main organizer of the Carnival festivities; however, it was not the only one, as the festivities also had the participation of the Tivoli Social Club, which established the first Illumination parade in the year 1981.

Today, the Aruba Carnival has grown to become one of thelargest in the Caribbean with several weeks full of parades and activities.

 

Where is the Aruba Carnival

Carnival is held on the Island of Aruba in north Venezuela, located in the Caribbean region.

Aruba Carnival festivities and celebrations are held in all major cities on the island. However, the city Oranjestad is where the biggest events take place, including the first parade in January and the last one in February. In addition, St. Nicholas, also has a good number of events during carnivals.

 

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How the Aruba Carnival is celebrated

Carnival in Aruba translates into a lot of events from start to finish.  Throughout theCarnival season, there are events featuring decorated floats, music with infectious rhythms, costumed groups of all ages, elections of Carnival Kings, dances and dozens of exciting exciting and fun events. Nothing can stop theparties on the Happy Island, not even the high temperatures that hit Aruba during Carnival.

Like any other great party, Carnival occupies some elements or celebrations that are worth mentioning separately:

 

Parades

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Fakkel Optocht or Illumination Parade

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This is a parade that takes place in the island’s capital and signals thebeginning of the carnival festivities. The groups participating in it wear decorated t-shirts with various designs and not large colorful costumes decorated with rhinestones and feathers. In addition, during the event participants hold antorchas neon as they parade through the streets of the city.

The event takes place from 8 p.m. until 2 a.m., when the city is filled with hundreds of fluorescent colors of various hues.

 

The Grand Parade of Aruba

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The Aruba Grand Parade signals the end of the carnival season and takes place in the capital of the island. The event features a grand spectacle that runs late into the night, even into the wee hours of the morning. The parade occupies carriages, dancers, music, fun costumes, great costumes covered in glitter and entertainment for the entire audience.

 

Music Bands and Metal Drummers

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Bands

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The bands at carnival are made up of metal instruments and percussion almost entirely and play a type of rhythm that is called Aruban Asambeho. This rhythm is the result of combining samba music and calypso to produce a rhythm for dancing. This genre is especially made as musical accompaniment for the Carnival Parades.

The instruments comprising these bands are: heavy and light drums, trumpets, trombones and saxophones.

 

Metal drums

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Metal drums were introduced to the island by Leonard Turner, a Trinidadian immigrant who worked in the oil refinery. He was also unhappy with the lack of entertainment on the island, so he decided to recruit a group of young people, resulting in Aruba’s first metal drum band.

The group began playing variants of the samba, the rumba and other popular music with their homemade instruments, which were made from metal drums from the refinery. The popularity of the group grew and more musicians joined. With the bands popularity, the first contests were held in 1964.

By the 1960s and 1970s, bands were providing entertainment forCarnival parades. Bands proliferated at a great rate, but declined somewhat in the 1990s. Today, metal drum bands are less common and are rarely seen in parades, with the exception of a few particular events.

 

Elections

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Elections and Coronation of the Carnival Queen

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The Carnival Queen is theprincipal figure of the festivities and leads all street parades. In addition, she makes certain public appearances in connection with the carnival and represents Aruba’s celebrations, both in regions within the country and abroad.

The election includes both adult and children categories.

 

Prince and Pancho elections

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Prince and Pancho are two different people who fulfill distinctive roles. The prince presents his Queen and accompany her wherever she appears. In addition, during the carnival, the Prime Minister presents the Prince with the keys of the Island to the Prince.

Pancho is the Prince’s personal assistant and his role is to tell jokes and accompany the Prince in his royal duties. The duo is chosen for their comedy, personality, educational content and popularity with audiences.

 

Music and Contests

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Calypso and Roadmarch

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Both genres are of great importance to Carnival. These musical styles come from Trinidad and Tobago and were introduced during the 1970s to the island through immigrants. Calypso features songs with messages about everyday life in Aruba, while Roadmarch is the music played mainly during the parades and focuses on dancing.

 

Contest

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The Soca Monarch contest consists of three days comprising preliminary events and the grand finale show. Contestants compete against each other for the title of King or Queen.

 

Tumba

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Tumba is considered amusical genre founded on the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao) and is considered part of theidentity and culture of Aruba..

The Tumbas serve almost the same functions as the calypsos and is a vehicle for satire and information through a composed song. The instrument used for the pieces is the Tambu, which was brought to Curaçao via theAfrican slaves.

 

The contest

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The tombstone contest takes place within the carnival period and lasts one day. The winner of the Tomb contest is crowned Tomb King or Queen.

 

J’ouvert

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The J’ouvert also known as “pajama party”, as it is the only event of the Aruban Carnival that starts after midnight and lasts until dawn. For this reason, the islanders have awarded it this peculiar name.

The event cstarts at 4 a.m. and ends at 10 a.m. The event takes place in the streets of San Nicolás and brings together a large number of popular musicians from the island and a multitude of participants who dance all through the early hours of the morning. After the event, people return home to rest and then attend the Parade of Illumination.

 

Tips to go to the Aruba Carnivals

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If you wish to attend the Aruba Carnival, we recommend you to plan your trip in advance, make a travel itinerary and book the accommodation of your choice in advance. Also, don’t forget to pack comfortable clothes so you can fully enjoy your carnival.

During carnivals the temperature is somewhat high, so we recommend you to stay hydrated, apply sunscreen whenever your skin needs it and stay in the shade.

 

Events in Aruba Carnival

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Carnivals in Aruba group a large number of events from November until the end of the carnivals on Carnival Tuesday. The events group various types of entertainment, turning the carnivals into a large conglomerate of diverse activities for all audiences.

The Aruba Carnival groups the following events in the different categories:

 

Parades

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Parade of Illumination

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Place: Oranjestad.

Time: from 8 pm to 2 am.

 

Parade of balloons

Place: San Nicolás.

Time: from 1 pm to 6 pm.

As the name suggests, during the event there are a large number of balloons, both on floats and revelers.

 

La Hora Loca Jump Up

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Place: Various neighborhoods in Santa Cruz.

Time: From 8 p.m. until noon.

It is agreat parade music where prevails a style of dance denoted as “Jump Up“, which is characterized by performing jumps continuously to the rhythm of the music.

 

Children’s Parade

Place: Noord, San Nicolas and Oranjestad.

Time: from 2 pm to 6 pm.

 

Sunset Parade

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Place: Noord.

Time: From 6 p.m. until 1 a.m.

 

J’ouvert

Location: St. Nicholas.

Time: From 4 am to 10 am.

 

Grand Illumination Parade

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Place: Oranjestad.

Time: from 8 pm to 1 am.

 

School Jump Up Parade

Venue: Dakota.

Time: from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

 

Jump Up Parade

Venue: Dakota.

Time: from 8 p.m. until 10 p.m.

 

Parada di Luz

Place: San Nicolás.

Time: from 8 pm to 2 am.

 

Grand Aruba Parade

Place: Oranjestad and St. Nicholas, different days.

Time: from 11 am to 6 pm.

Music events

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Children’s Calypso and Roadmarch Contest

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Place: San Nicolás.

Time: From 5 pm to 11 pm.

 

Honor to Connor Steelband Extravaganza

Venue: San Nicolas.

Time: from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m.

 

Tumberito Festival

Venue: San Nicolás.

Time: From 7 in the evening until 12 in the morning.

 

First, Second and Third Phase of Caiso and Soca Monarch

Place: San Nicolas.

Time: From 8 pm to 1 am.

 

Grand finale of Caiso Monarch

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Venue: San Nicolás.

Time: From 8 p.m. until 3 a.m.

 

Grand finale of Soca Monarch

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Venue: San Nicolas.

Time: from 8 pm to 3 am.

 

Hebe Hebe Hebe Festival

Place: Oranjestad.

Time: from 8 pm to 1 am.

 

Tomb Contest

Place: San Nicolás.

Time: from 8 in the evening until 2 in the morning.

 

Elections

Children’s Election, Prince and Pancho

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Place: San Nicolas.

Time: From 7 at night until 2 in the morning.

 

Reina Paradera

Venue: Paradera.

Time: from 6 pm to 9 pm.

 

School Queen EPI

Place: Paradera.

Time: from 7 pm to 1 am.

 

Carnival Queen Election and Coronation

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Place: San Nicolas.

Time: from 7 pm to 2 am.

 

Election of the School Queen

Place: Paradera.

Time: from 10 am to 1 pm.

 

Other Activities

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Festival of the Legends

Place: San Nicolás.

Time: from 7 pm to 1 am.

 

Costume Contest

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Place: San Nicolás.

Time: from 6 pm to 9 pm.

 

Day of the Betico

Place: National Holiday.

 

Transfer of Powers to the Prince

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Place: Main Government Building.

Time: from 10 am to 11 am.

 

Welcome to the J’ouvert

Place: San Nicolas.

Time: From 8 pm to 2 am.

 

Momito burning

Place: Oranjestad.

Time: from 7 pm to 9 pm.

 

Masked Party

Venue: Oranjestad.

Time: from 9:30 in the evening until 2:30 in the afternoon.

 

Burn Out Monday

Venue: Playa Baby.

Time: 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

 

Masquerade Parade and Burning of Momo

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Place: San Nicolás.

Time: from 7 p.m. to noon.

 

 

Aruba Carnival Parades

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Aruba Carnival has several parades that occur throughout the celebration, but the most important and largest are those held in St. Nicholas and Oranjestad called Grand Aruba Parade and occur on Saturday Saturday and Sunday before Ash Wednesday.

The parades feature costumed participants in incredible costumes full of feathers and sequins who are accompanied by large decorated and themed floats. Each parade consists of between 10 to 15 carnival groups, each with its own theme reflected by the carriages and costumes. Some of these carnival groups have hundreds of participants and spend months preparing their dresses, costumes and carriages. The costumes can be ostentatious, large and colorful or simple and single-colored, all depending on the theme and preference of each group.

Ceach Carnival group struts and choreographs to the rhythm of their own band on a truck that moves along with them. The rhythms and dances presented in the parade are typical Caribbean rhythms that have also deeply permeated the identity of the Aruban people. Spectators stand by the side of the road, watching attentively everything that happens in the street.

 

Parade route

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The carnival parade in San Nicolas starts at Joe Laveist Sport, goes through Caya Dick Cooper, then Caya Capitain H Rodger, Lagoweg Bernhardstraat and Dr Schaepmanstraat. It then makes its way through Pastoor Hendrikstraat and ends again at Joe Laveist Sport Park.

The parade in Oranjestad starts at Dakota on Milio J croes Avenue, then goes to Vondellaan, LG Smith Boulevard and ends at Citgo Boulevard.

 

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What to eat at the Aruba Carnival

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Aruba has a lot of delicious typical dishes that you are definitely going to want to try during carnivals. Pastechi is one of the most versatile snacks on the island. It is a fried flour empanada or pastry that can be filled with anything, imagination is the limit. These pastries can be filled with cheese, ham, chicken or fish. Empanadas can be found in every corner of the country.

Another typical dish of Aruba is the Keshi Yena. The Keshi Yena is a casserole that can be filled with meat or seafood. Usually the filling is marinated with various ingredients, spices, vegetables and fresh herbs. On top of it all, a generous layer of Edam cheese is placed and grilled. The result is a delicious and comforting dish.

In addition, the city of Oranjestad offers a great variety of places where you can try a wide range of dishes. Some of the most popular places are: Gostoso, Carte Blanche Restaurant, Fred Restaurant, Moomba Beach Bar & Restaurant and Barefoot Restaurant.

 

 

 

What to see and do inside the Aruba Carnival

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Within theAruba Carnival, you can attend a large number of events in the various weeks in which the carnival takes place. The entire celebration features musical events and calypso and soca contests that you can attend. If you are interested in thebeauty queens and queen contests, you can attend the different contests for the election of the queen in its various categories. Finally, you also have a variety of entertainment such as dancing and of course, the Burning of Momo.

The most important attractions of the carnival are the parades, being theGrand Parade of Aruba in San Nicolas and Oranjestad the most important. The event features hundreds of dancers, troupes, floats, music and live entertainment that you definitely won’t want to miss at the carnivals.

 

What to see and do outside of the Aruba Carnivals

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You can find various tourist attractions in the city of Oranjestad. Some of the most popular ones are:

 

Butterfly Farm

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It is a kind of natural museum or butterfly reservoir. In the enclosure you will be involved in the evolutionary process of butterflies and their life cycle. In addition, you will find thousands and thousands of species flying everywhere. The enclosure is very pleasant and has green areas and some bodies of water.

 

Renaissance Mall

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It is one of the most famous and visited shopping malls. Inside you can find several renowned and first class brands. The building is somewhat small, but it is quite complete.

 

Hooiberg

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This is a volcanic formation about 165 meters high. The Hooiberg is located in the center of the island and features a volcano-like shape.

 

Carnival weather in Aruba

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During the carnival celebration, Aruba has a somewhat hot climate, with temperatures ranging between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius.

 

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How to get to Aruba Carnival

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To get to Oranjestad we offer you the following options.

 

The closest airport to the capital is Queen Beatrix International Airport, which is only 4 kilometers from the city and receives a good number of flights from Netherlands, Caribbean countries and some countries in Europe and America. From there, you can use the different means of transportation to reach the city center.

How to get there by cruise

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The city has three cruise terminals where it receives a large number of cruise ships. In the terminals you also have other means of transportation to move around the island and the city.

 

How to get there by bus

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From the airport you can take a direct bus to the city center. The ride is 5 minutes.

 

How to get there by car

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From the airport you can take the Watty Vos Boulevard to the city center. The drive is about 5 minutes.