St Helena Island’s Festival of Lights 2016.
CHRISTMAS NUMBER FIVE | Darrin Henry
Tonight’s Festival of Lights on St Helena was once again a dazzling success.
It’s becoming a habit that everyone is quite happy to get used to – this the fifth ‘electric parade’ organised by Jamestown’s Pilling Primary School and “even better this year” was the general consensus from people on the street.
St Helena Festival of Lights 2016.
No Parking After Five Please
A few hundred revellers draped in various assemblages of sparkling LED lighting, jigged their way in time (mostly) down through Jamestown to jolly Christmas tunes pumped from car speakers.
We had not intended to cover tonight’s parade this year, but a few minutes after the procession began the excitement of the event took hold and I was powerless to resist!
Our very first blog post was the Festival of Lights 2014. We were firing the flash all the way down the street again in 2015. Tonight made it a hat trick.
St Helena Festival of Lights 2016.
Earlier today the ship arrived from Ascension Island bringing plenty of friends and family home for the festive season. As a result there were hundreds of people milling about the streets all day and it had been steaming hot – ‘Christmas weather’ as we say.
How did they manage to clear the lower town of vehicles?
Elaine Benjamin, Headteacher of Pilling, had been on the radio the day before asking drivers to remove their cars from the Grand Parade and Main Street from 5pm before the event. Even so, with the heaving volume of motor cars now vying for parking spaces in the island’s capital, it was an impressive achievement to clear the roads.
St Helena Festival of Lights
Although this is our third Festival of Lights post, the St Helena street parades are especially popular with our followers who are now overseas, but still hold fond memories of these island traditions and enjoy spotting familiar faces – so this big picture post is a Christmas treat for all of you.
‘Dancing down the street’ to the 2016 Festival of Lights.
St Helena Festival of Lights 2016.
St Helena Festival of Lights 2016.
St Helena Festival of Lights 2016.
St Helena Festival of Lights 2016.
St Helena Festival of Lights 2016.
St Helena Festival of Lights 2016.
St Helena Festival of Lights 2016.
St Helena Festival of Lights 2016.
St Helena Island’s Festival of Lights 2016.
St Helena Island’s Festival of Lights 2016.
St Helena Island’s Festival of Lights 2016.
St Helena Island’s Festival of Lights 2016.
St Helena Island’s Festival of Lights 2016.
St Helena Island’s Festival of Lights 2016.
St Helena Island’s Festival of Lights 2016.
St Helena Island’s Festival of Lights 2016.
St Helena Island’s Festival of Lights 2016.
St Helena Island’s Festival of Lights 2016.
Reblogged this on St Helena Blog and commented:
Fabulous festival of lights
Brilliantly captured as always. Hopefully one year I’ll be there to join in! Merry Christmas to you all. -x-
Hope you get to join in soon too Ronnie, bring your lights, you will love it. Thanks for the comment, merry Christmas to you all, cheers 🙂
thanks again for sharing !!!!!!!!
Cheers Sandra 🙂
Awesome pictures Guys and an Awesome exciting family event, joys of celebrations and Love at Christmas is such a wonderful gift. Our best Wishes to Love ones who cant be with us this year. May we all have a Blessed and Peaceful Christmas XXXX.
Thanks Borbs – always a great event. Thanks for the comment and always awesome support 🙂
Super pictures, captured the fun! We loved the festival of Lights-Go Pilling!
Cheers Debs, you guys will know the event well. It’s still brilliant as you can see. Go-Pilling 🙂
Brilant pic as usual .almost felt as I was there ((I wish )))) . Got to hand it to the Saints always put on a good show . You should see the poor excuse of a tree and lights in out town . Merry Christmas to you all and a happy and healthy new year X
Hey Shirley, thanks for all the support through the year. Have a lovely Christmas and a peaceful, prosperous new year. Cheers 🙂
Well done, Darrin – usual high standard and you captured what is obviously a fun event! Best wishes from your sister island of Jersey for a wonderful Christmas to everyone on St Helena.
Funny enough, bumped into a Saint during the parade on holiday here from Jersey! Thanks for the comment, always great to hear from you and thanks for all your support to St Helena over the years, especially helping our sporting ambitions. Will be great to finally meet you both someday. Merry Christmas 🙂
Well done guys! Awesome photos as usual. We wish we were all Home for this. Big thumbs up to Pilling Primary as well! Merry Christmas Everybody! 😉
Kenickie, next time! We know if you were here you would be getting involved and adding to the atmosphere. have a great Christmas, might see you in the new year. Cheers 🙂
What a spectacular display of community spirit Thanks Darren and Sharon for sharing
It really is the most wonderful community event Mavis, a superb event to start the Christmas mood. Thanks for the comment 🙂
Great photos guys 🙂 x
Merry Christmas Andrea x
Lovely photos of what looks like a great evening, some familiar faces, wish I’d been there!! Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Best wishes to you and yours as well Sheila, hope your Christmas is peaceful and happy. Maybe next time you will be able to fly here and take part in the light parade 🙂 Cheers
Many Many thanks.
I see Nadine and family have arrived safely.
The festival of lights get bigger and better every year.
Joycex
Yes Joyce, they got here just in time 🙂 The event is superb, really brings a smile to everyone. Best wishes to you and Neil for a lovely Christmas. Cheers
Awesome coverage guys. I love the spirit of the island. Have a very warm Christmas and wishing you great success in the new year as things unfold. I can’t wait to get there.
Bill Fulgham, Jackson Ms & Freer, Tx.
USA
Hi Bill, thanks for the comment, always lovely to hear from our friends in the US, we have so many great memories of our visits. Best wishes for a happy Christmas to you and yours as well. Hope you get to visit us soon. Cheers
Awesome pictures!
Cheers Cecil 🙂
Another great evening! You do well Darrin and Sharon to get the info out so quick, well done! Great efforts made by all who took part with awesome light decorations! Well done to Pilling Primary pupils as well for a lovely display at Grand parade. beautiful pics!
Thanks Pat – Pilling did well but so do all of you from the island’s primary schools. Your own St Pauls Christmas parade this year was pretty cool, great floats 🙂 Thanks for the comment, as always we really appreciate your support. Cheers