Event· Jost Van Dyke· Virgin Islands (BVI, USVI and Spanish Virgins)
Jost Van Dyke Emancipation / Festival events
18° 26.7′ N · 64° 45.0′ W · approximate
The BVI's biggest holiday, the August Emancipation Festival, marks the 1834 abolition of slavery with three public holidays; the whole territory, Jost Van Dyke included, slows down for celebrations.
Practical
Public holidays are the first Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of August (Emancipation Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday; called Festival Monday-Wednesday until 2020). In 2026 they fell on August 3-5 (BVI Tourism). Government offices, including Customs, and many shops may run reduced hours or close; clear in or out beforehand and expect overtime charges. Coordinate is Great Harbour village (approximate). A Jost Van Dyke-specific festival programme could not be verified for this listing; ask locally what is planned on island. Also mid-hurricane season.
Best for
Knowing when offices close in August
Season
First Monday-Wednesday of August
Nearby
- Ali Baba's (Great Harbour)Right here
- Christine's Bakery (Great Harbour)Right here
- Corsairs Beach Bar & RestaurantRight here
- Paradise Jeep Rental (Great Harbour)Right here
- BVI JVD Laundry (Great Harbour)0.1 NM away
- Foxy's Cat Fight Regatta0.1 NM away
- Foxy's Old Year's Night Party0.1 NM away
- Foxy's Tamarind Bar0.1 NM away