New Years Eve Party at Trellis Bay in the BVI
There are two notably large New Years Eve parties in the British Virgin Islands. If you are looking for places with a lot of action and partying going on, you have the options of
Foxy's on Jost Van Dyke or Trellis Bay, Beef Island.
The two "big" parties are quite different from one another. Foxy's Old Years Eve party is decidedly adult entertainment, where you will often find thousands of revelers, while the party in
Trellis Bay is a little slower paced with up to a few hundred party goers enjoying the food, entertainment, drinks and much more subdued celebrations.
If you have children in your group, I recommend Trellis Bay. Up until about midnight, it is relatively tame. After that, it would probably be a good idea to take the kids back to your boat.
Everyone loves to see Mocko Jumbies dressed in their brightly coloured costumes ... but to see them traipsing around, towering over everyone and dancing on the
beach is really quite a sight! That combined with Aragorn Dick Reed's famous fireballs blazing in the background makes them even more mesmerizing. In the principal photo, you can see Aragorn (the man with the pole in his hands) after having just lit the Burning Man on fire.
Local Fungi bands (which is the BVI's own music style) are often invited to play at the party. The bands consist of many different musical instruments, some of which are home made. Fungi is a blend of different musical styles and (similar to Calypso) is often geared towards social and political satire, historical storytelling, romantic pursuits and day to day life in the islands.
Fungi Band on New Years Eve
Dancing on Trellis Bay Beach - New Years Eve
Some partygoers come dressed in costumes while others get dressed up for the occasion and still others come as they are. There is no dress code on the beach and all are welcome to dance, have fun or just find a spot, sit back and people watch.
Aragorn Dick Reed
Lighting the Burning Man
Artist Aragorn had just topped up the last of the fireballs that line the beach with kindling and wadded up bits of cardboard and paper and was getting ready to set them all on fire. Note the pinwheels on the burning man. Every year, he looks a little different. But this particular year, it had rained that morning and the burning man didn't really want to burn!
A great deal of effort went into getting this guy to catch fire. There was a
lot of smoke, combined with an onshore breeze which kept the mosquitoes away ... but also drove the crowd way back.
While several stalwart assistants kept trying to get the burning man to burn, Aragorn lit the pinwheels which provided a dazzling display. The man did eventually burn ... but by then, some kind soul managed to trip, soaking both me and my almost new Nikon D70S in a large glass of her rum infused painkiller. It was a rather soggy, smelly and very sticky ride back to West End from Trellis Bay for me. RIP my trusty friend!
Below is the last photo (fireworks) my poor abused camera managed to take before it made a very strange noise and died. Thankfully, the memory card was undamaged and I was able to get the lens professionally cleaned. Not even an apology out of the woman, she just stared at me with yellow liquid dripping from my hair and face, giggled and went on her merry way. Really, some people's children!
Burning Man, Trellis Bay Beach
Trellis Bay Beach Fireworks
Warning: It is never a good idea to leave your boat unlocked when you go ashore, but on New Years Eve, it is an even worse idea. Do not leave cash on the boat and never leave valuables in plain view.
There are so many dinghies moving around the harbour with people coming and going, that nobody can keep track of who belongs where. In fact, situations like this create the perfect cover for thieves in dinghies to move about unnoticed. One of my clients had his Apple laptop computer stolen on New Years Eve in Trellis Bay. They had not locked the boat.
Be smart, put your valuables away, take your cash, credit cards and any jewellery you may have brought with you ... and for heaven's sake, lock the boat!
I will never understand why people bring jewellery on a sailing vacation anyway! You are bobbing around in the middle of the Caribbean on a boat and living in shorts, t-shirts and a bathing suit ... who needs it?