We attended a “Jump Up” while in St. Croix on Friday, February 12. "Jump Up" is a widely used term throughout the Caribbean for a street party. It has become one of St. Croix’s favorite social events. At 6 PM, the historic town of Christiansted is filled with the sounds of live music and steel drum bands, dancing, food, drinks, and street vendors and the iconic Moko Jumbies. Several local organizations and restaurants had food booths set-up and were selling chicken, beef, and shrimp shish-ka-bobs and the popular Johnny cakes and patés. (Johnny cakes are warm fried bread and pates are small pastry pockets typically filled with spicy meat fillings of chicken, beef, or conch.) And, of course, there were booths selling rum drinks. You'll find rum at every event in St.

Croix. Many of the local shops stay open late, allowing people to purchase handmade jewelry, art, clothing, accessories, and souvenirs. The highlight of "Jump Up" for most is watching the Moko Jumbies. The Moko Jumbies are stilt dancers dressed in brightly colored and ornate costumes. They are amazingly agile as they dance and jump around, even bending over on occasion to dance with someone or dance on one stilt while holding the other one in the air as they entertain the masses. "Jump Up" takes place 4 times a year, and each has a special theme: February – Valentine’s Day; May – Triathlon; July – Alexander Hamilton Day; November – Holidays. It was an interesting evening. Below are some pictures of the event.

Street of Christiansted for Jump Up

Steel Pan Drum Band

Line for Roti

Sign

Moko Jumbies and Tourist

More Moko Jumbies