Courtesy of: The Morning News
On Wednesday, January 22, Tecla Kelly Hernandez, the president of the Stichting Arubaanse Carnaval, or SAC, the foundation that administrates carnival events, joined Inspectors Muller and Daly of the traffic police to announced changes to the final grand parades conducted in Oranjestad and San Nicolas.
The changes were made to accommodate the expected overwhelming participation and number of spectators attending these final events of Aruba’s Diamond Jubilee Carnival. This special anniversary edition has generated so much interest and enthusiasm, the parade routes have been lengthened to allow for the beginning of the parade to be going on by the time the final groups begin their march through the cities’ streets. It is anticipated the entire parade will exceed the existing routes, judging from the response to the 55th anniversary carnival. This year, it is expected it will be even longer.
In Oranjestad, the route will basically stay the same, but participants and floats will congregate on the Avenida Milio Croes before the officially entering the parade at the intersection in front of the Hagemeyer store.
It will travel the length of the Avenida Milo Croes, turn towards the shorefront at the Vondellan, and after traversing the Vondellan, turn onto L.G. Smith Boulevard at the Talk of the Town Resort. Instead of concluding at the DOW building and Valero station at the western end of Oranjestad, the official route will continue to the rotunda next to the Wendy’s at the Belgiestraat, where it will finish.
In San Nicolas, rather than commencing from the Joe Laveist Ballpark, the parade will start at the Elmar building on Pastoor Henrickstraat. It will travel directly to the San Nicolas main street, Bernardstraat, crossing to Zeewijk and passing behind the police and fire departments reaching the new rotunda and continuing the normal route which will travel to the end of the street, head north for Bernardstraat, and there, turn east towards the new rotunda at the base Lago Heights by bearing left where it forks. The parade will then turn north to Pastoor Hendrickstraat, where it will head west to the Seroe Preto road. If the last group has not yet joined the parade, it will continue on the road to Seroe Preto until all groups are dancing through the streets.
The process of obtaining a spot to place a trailer will entail only the principal sections of the parade grounds, and will not include the extended areas on L.G. Smith Boulevard past the Valero station nor the Seroe Preto Road. Spectators will be able to place chairs, shade umbrellas and coolers along these extended areas.
The final grand parades will be conducted in San Nicolas and Oranjestad on Saturday and Sunday, March first and second, beginning at 11:00 AM.
