With the almost eight-month Carnival saga resolved and St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) and the Carnival Stakeholders having made amends, SCDF has moved forward with launching the tentative 2009 Carnival schedule.
St. Maarten’s 40th Carnival celebrations themed "Looking Splendid and Fine for Carnival 2009" will kick off on Thursday, April 16, with the annual Opening Jump-up. Winning the challenge for a theme for the 40th anniversary was RBTT employee Micheline Warner. She won a season pass to the Festival Village.
The Carnival schedule consists of a Band-o-Rama Night to be held on Friday, April 17, followed by the Teen and Senior Queen Show/Parade of Queens on Saturday, April 18, and the Junior Queen Show and the Junior and Teen Calypso and Road March Show on Sunday, April 19.
A Cultural Night will be held on Monday, April 20, followed by the Senior Soca Competition on Tuesday, April 21, and the Youth Extravaganza on Wednesday, April 22.
The first International Night for the Carnival season will feature a Dance Hall show on Thursday, April 23, and the second International Night a Reggae show on Friday, April 24. The third International Night will feature a Latin show on Saturday, April 25.
The annual Junior Parade will take place on Sunday, April 26. Senior Calypso Finals will be held on Monday, April 27. The fourth International Night, an R&B/Soca show, is set for Tuesday, April 28.
Jouvert Jump-Up will be held the morning of Wednesday, April 29, followed by the fifth International Night, a Zouk concert, later that day. The Grand Parade will be held on Thursday, April 30, followed by the Labour Day Parade on Friday, May 1.
The sixth and final International Night will feature a Soca Explosion on Saturday, May 2. A Carnival Lovers Appreciation Night featuring local and regional bands will be organised for Sunday, May 3, while Carnival will round off with a closing jump-up on Monday, May 4.