Frederiksted Map Frederiksted Map

Your tour of Frederiksted begins at Fort Frederik 1 by the cruise ship pier and waterfront park. Construction on the Fort began in 1752 and was completed in 1760. Featuring a museum with several permanent exhibits, and an art gallery, it is open Monday – Friday, 8:30 am to 4 pm. Admission $5., children under 12 free.

A public beach with showers and bathrooms is next to Fort Frederik.

Governor General Peter von Scholten proclaimed the emancipation of the enslaved population in the Danish West Indies on July 3, 1848, from adjacent Buddhoe Park 2 named for the renowned slave rebellion leader, a bust of whom is displayed there.

The Oscar E. Henry Customs House 3 was built in the 1800s. The Freedom Fountain 4, facing the pier, was installed for the Emancipation’s 150th Anniversary Celebration.

After severe damage during a labor insurrection in 1878, parts of the town were rebuilt in Victorian style. Victoria House 5, on Strand Street, preserves the Frederiksted architecture of that time.

The Visitor’s Bureau 6 is located upstairs on Strand Street above the Frederiksted Mall and next door to the historic light blue building housing the Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts 7 Free admission to exhibits and gift shop.

Frederiksted is home to several historic churches, including St. Paul’s Episcopal Church 8, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church 9, Friedensberg Moravian Church 10, and St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church 11.

The handsomely restored Arthur Abel Complex 12, formerly The Danish School (1799), is now the office of the Lieutenant Governor in Frederiksted at Hospital and Market Street. At Strand and Queen Cross Streets is the Athalie McFarlane Petersen Public Library 13, built in 1803. Just behind it lies the Dorsch Theater 14, an open-air stage and event site. The Market Place 15, is still in use today, as it was in 1751 at the founding of Frederiksted.

West End Attractions

Tour an early Danish homestead, the Lawaetz Family Museum at Estate Little La Grange on Mahogany Road. Plantation ruins offer visitors a tranquil backdrop for peace and contemplation at the Mt. Washington Labyrinth , 2 miles north of Frederiksted. Open every day, year-round. The entrance gate is to the left when you reach the property and parking lot. The Whim Museum , on Centerline Road, is the site of a former sugar cane plantation and temporarily closed. The Botanical Garden of the Virgin Islands also on Centerline, showcases on 16 acres of ruins of a former sugar plantation 1500 native & exotic species. Award-winning Ridge2Reef Farm , on Creque Dam Road, is a USDA Certified Organic Farm with produce, tours, and workshops. The Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge is .5 mile beyond the west end of the Melvin H. Evans highway. See St. Croix Map, Pg 54 for location.

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Shop Duty Free

1. Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts

Sports

1. Crucian Heritage & Nature Tourism

2. Cruzan Cowgirls

3. Island Kayak Sailing Adventures

4. Lyric Sails

5. Mermaid Adventures

6. Nep2une Scuba Diving

7. West End Water Sports

Hotels

1. Caribbean Breeze Apartments & Vacation Homes

2. Cottages By the

3. Inn on Strand Street

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Keynote Panel

Some early experiences leave such imprints on us that they often define our lives In the same way, that even if the experience is vicarious not ours, personally, but that of a family member a friend or even a par ticular set of people or a community, they evoke a cer tain life shaping resolve or a level of social empathy that we carr y with us in our writings, readings and outings. The VI Lit Fest’s 2023 theme, Carrying: Recognition and Repair is a reflection of that idea. The old mill set in the context of new growth providing support for the old burnt tree in Alexis Camarena’s painting is a metaphor for this “Carrying” experience. Covered with old and new life, we recognize that there is a cer tain beauty in this pairing and so consider the promises of an appropriate repair

Our Ekphrastic poetr y writing competition is based on the 2023 poster image. Submissions will be accepted in 3, categories: middle school, high school, anyone beyond high school. Send in your submission to usvilitfest@gmail com by April 12th Winners will be announced at our AfterWord poetr y reading session at Cane Roots Ar t Galler y in Christiansted Write your poem and come to share. Seating is limited so sign up early at Eventbrite com

THURS APR 13. The Pre Lit Fest activities kick off at 9AM vir tually via ZOOM with young authors, writing workshops, children’s author readings and inter views. High Schoolers will present excerpts from books written on two Virgin Islands Governors the biography of Ralph M. Piawonsky and Governor Alexander Farelly ’s major speeches anthologized by Dr Carlyle Corbin.

We also will celebrate four unsung Virgin Islands authors Dr Valarie Combie, author, professor, The Caribbean Writer Board member and our first VI Lit Fest Chair, who is retiring this year from UVI, Dr Vincent Cooper, author, The Caribbean Writer Board member and sponsor, recently retired UVI professor; Dr Rober ta Knowles, author, editor retired UVI professor, and Joan Medlicott, of Jewish ancestr y, born and raised in St Thomas Virgin Islands and a former V I government employee, is an award winning author of close to 20 novels. She is best known locally for her first books Belonging and Virgin Islands Tales of Ghosts, Hauntings, and Jumbees set in St Thomas Medlicott lives in the U S and is no longer able to read or write or acknowledge our tribute but her son, Damon Rumsch and his wife Paula, will accept our tribute and present on her behalf.

FRI APR 14. We open at 9:am at the UVI Great Hall with a keynote panel of best-selling authors They include Charmaine Wilkerson, author of Black Cake, Kei Miller, author of Augustown, Alicia McKenzie, author of A Million Aunties, and others. Authors will be reading and providing writing workshops Our Live Book Bacchanal is at Caribbean Museum Center for the Ar ts (CMCA), Strand Street, Frederiksted, in the evening from 4 to 8PM Authors will be present to sign books and read from their works and take questions

SAT APR 15. Saturday morning, from 7-9am, is our now famous Bush Tea Morning Social complete with an island-style breakfast and entertainment The social will feature a presentation and readings at 9 by Elizabeth Nunez, author of Now Lila Knows Local authors, Jamaican dubb poet and author, Ras Takurah, Puer to Rican poet, Anna Por tnoy Brimmer, and other local poets will also have an opportunity to read from their works. There will be workshops as well Saturday evening, from 4 to 6PM at Cane Roots Art Gallery, Company Street Christiansted, there will be author readings, local poetr y readings and an announcement of the Ekphrastic poetr y competition winners

SUN APR 16. Sunday afternoon, from 2 to 6PM, we feature our Book Bacchanal via Zoom with readings from The Caribbean Writer and other authors from the VI, the region, and around the world, will briefly introduce their work and read excerpts to the online audience

Register & Purchase Tickets at: EVENTBRITE.COM

The Virgin Islands Literary Festival and Book Fair, Inc. is a non-profit company incorporated and registered in the U S Virgin Islands Its 501c (3) status is under the banner of the St. Croix Foundation for Community Development. w w w usvilitfest com