Tortola - British Virgin Islands Emancipation Festival / August Festival

Held over three weeks at the end of July and beginning of August, the BVI Emancipation Festival celebrates Tortola's African-Caribbean heritage and the emancipation of the slaves. The entire island gets involved, and festival events include car shows, beauty pageants, horse racing, noisy parades and lots of reggae and island music. The origin of the festival dates to August 4, 1834, when the proclamation for the abolition of slavery in the British Virgin Islands was read in Road Town.