Photo Focus: Students Celebrate Virgin Islands Heritage at Annual Culture Day in Cruz Bay

By Nancy Borowick | The Source | February 28, 2025 |

Hundreds of students from St. John and St. Thomas descended upon downtown Cruz Bay for the annual Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park’s Culture Day.

The annual event celebrates the rich culture and heritage of the Virgin Islands, teaching the youth about everything from moko jumbie and bamboula dance to herbal medicine and tyre palm weaving.

Students from St. Thomas listen and watch as Yisrael Peterson talks about the art of the moko jumbie at the Culture Day festivities in St. John. (Source photo by Nancy Borowick)
Raven Phillips performs traditional bamboula dancing at the Culture Day celebration on St. John. (Source photo by Nancy Borowick)
During the Culture Day event on St. John, Edmund Roberts demonstrates how to turn the local tyre palm leaf into a broom. (Source photo by Nancy Borowick)
Students from the Jane E. Truitt Primary School and Gifft Hill School cool off in the heat with samples of the juices of local Virgin Island fruits such as gooseberry and mango. (Source photo by Nancy Borowick)
Loreli Hill shares local medicinal plants with the many students who stop by her booth at Culture Day. (Source photo by Nancy Borowick)
Over 500 students from around St. John and St. Thomas were expected to stop by the annual Culture Day event at the National Park field on St. John to learn about the history and heritage of the islands they call home. (Source photo by Nancy Borowick)
Ital Anthony brings the percussion beats to accompany Raven Phillips, who demonstrates bamboula dancing at Culture Day on St. John. (Source photo by Nancy Borowick)
Students from Lockhart School on St. Thomas try bamboula dancing, following the instructions of Raven Phillips during Culture Day. (Source photo by Nancy Borowick)
Retired National Park Archeologist Ken Wild speaks with students during Culture Day on St. John. (Source photo by Nancy Borowick)
Some of the youngest students at Culture Day on St. John try their skills at bamboula dancing during the day’s festivities. (Source photo by Nancy Borowick)
There was a lot to learn about St. John and the Virgin Islands during the 2025 Culture Day celebration on St. John. One of the booths shared with students about the local fish and fishing in the area. (Source photo by Nancy Borowick)
Ital Anthony speaks to students about the Calabash gourd and its many uses, including its more popular use in arts and crafts in modern times. (Source photo by Nancy Borowick)

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