Photo Focus: Crowds Celebrate Dominican Republic Independence Day Parade

Crowds of people celebrated the Dominican Republic Independence Parade on Sunday afternoon on St. Croix. This is the 15th year the U.S. Virgin Islands has celebrated the Dominican Republic’s independence from Haiti in 1844.

Each year, for at least a day, Virgin Islanders get to channel in and experience the culture of the Dominican Republic. They wear colors of red, white and blue and hold the Dominican Republic flag in support. Cultural dancers dressed in masks, DJs playing music on decorated floats, and St. Croix majorettes and other dance teams perform. Onlookers on packed streets take pictures, dance, and applaud as the entries make their way to the D.C. Canegata Ballpark. At the ballpark, food and merchandise vendors, performers, bands, and DJs perform live on stage.