2005 Calendar of Events Boasts Carnival Celebrations, Star-Studded Music Festivals and Poker Tournaments, World-Class Athletic Events, Environmental-Awareness Programs & Much More!

The island paradise of Aruba is chock full of to-do’s in 2005. Aruba, where happiness lives, offers new and loyal visitors alike an array of cultural events, music festivals featuring heavyweight celebrities, interactive environmental programs and exciting sporting events complete with professional athletes! Following is a brief listing of some highlights from Aruba’s assortment of unforgettable 2005 events:

January 1 – February 8 – Aruba’s 51st Carnival Celebration
Thousands of people from San Nicholas to Oranjestad, participate in this magical event. Others stand along the parade route enjoying dancers in colorful costumes, various contests, thumping rhythms of the brass bands and jump-ups (street parties). Aruba’s Carnival is a collection of joyous festivities that consummates with the burning of “King Momo,” symbolizing the end of the season on February 9, 2005.

January 7 – Aruba’s Tivoli Torch Parade
The carnival season emerges with the Tivoli Torch Parade, which boasts a sea of revelers and numerous floats decorated with thousands of tiny lights that illuminate the capital of Oranjestad.

January 28 – 51st Carnival Queen Election
Aruba’s Carnival Queen, the most prized carnival title, is an event comprised of young women between 17-25 years of age, representing all districts, schools and social clubs in Aruba. A panel of international judges mediates the competition and a queen is crowned based on presentation and talent.

February 4 – Jouvert Morning
This is Carnival’s biggest “jump-up” that features local musical bands on floats making its way through the streets of San Nicolas. The parade starts in the middle of the night and the party continues until its conclusion at sunrise.

February 6 – Aruba’s Grand 51st Carnival Parade
The Sunday before Ash Wednesday marks the culmination of the annual Carnival festivities, but not without the Grand Carnival Parade. The streets of Oranjestad are gleaming with a wide variety of colorful stones and feathers, and overflowing with music and extraordinary floats.

February 8 –Old Mask Parade & Burning of King Momo
The burning of ”King Momo” is a tradition that symbolizes the finale of Carnival and is preceded by a parade through the streets of Oranjestad. The 51st annual Carnival celebrations come to an official end on the eve of Ash Wednesday.

March 18 – National Anthem and Flag Day
This year Aruba celebrates the 28th anniversary of its Flag and Anthem Day with nationalistic shows and folkloric presentations. This official holiday is celebrated by locals and tourists and features numerous sporting events and games throughout the island for both kids and adults.

April 30 – May 2 – Garage Centraal Extravaganza
The Aruba Drag Race Foundation (ADRF) celebrates 21 years of drag racing on the island with this spectacular international event.

June 30 - July 5 – 18th Aruba Hi-Winds Amateur World Challenge
One of the most celebrated amateur windsurfing competitions in the Caribbean happens in Aruba with participation from various countries. Windsurfers, depending on skill level and age, can compete in six different categories: men, women, juniors, masters, super masters and free style.

June 26 – Aruba’s 20th International Triathlon
This triathlon is an international event with the participation of 125 athletes who compete in a 21.6 mile bike race, 5.4 mile run and nearly a one-mile swim.

July 1 – 16th Heineken Music Festival
This live concert, which features bands from Caribbean and Latin America, teems with energy and is loaded with excitement. Past appearances have included Elvis Crespo and other popular Latin American stars.

July 2 - 3 – 12th Annual Aruba Reef Care Project
Aruba is known for its annual marine environment awareness campaign. This campaign focuses on the preservation of clean underwater sites and the island’s beaches.

September – Aruba International Pro-Am Golf Tournament
Enjoy Aruba’s striking topography and incredible weather and team up with professional and amateur golfers alike, in this two-day, 36-hole tournament that includes gifts, prizes, special events and parties.

October 7 - 8 – Fourth Annual Aruba Music Festival
This two-day star-studded concert, which, in the past, has included performances by Crosby, Stills & Nash, Chicago, Jackson Browne and John Mayer, is the ideal event for all music lovers.

November 4 - 5 – Celebrities Concert and Softball Games
Two jammed-packed days of entertainment, and, best of all, it’s for a good cause! The fundraising concert and softball game helps support various on-island charities for children. Previous performers include Latin American music sensations Gilberto Santa Rosa, Olga Tañon, Los Rabanes and more. The Celebrity Softball Game features Aruba’s own professional baseball players like Sidney Ponson (Baltimore Orioles), Calvin Maduro and Eugene Kingsale, accompanied by other Major League baseball celebrities.

November 4 - 12 – 15th Annual International Catamaran Regatta
This annual regatta will decorate Aruba’s turquoise waters with vivid catamaran sails from Europe and North and South America.

December 5 – St. Nicolas Day
The annual holiday celebrates the birthday of Sinterklaas, who arrives to Aruba by boat bearing gifts a few weeks before Christmas (a Dutch tradition). A perfect holiday for adults and children! All of Aruba’s schools as well as most of the island’s toy stores organize special activities where children sing the traditional Sinterklaas songs

“Aruba’s lineup of events and activities for 2005 boasts something for every one of our diverse visitors. 2005 offers one of the most exciting calendars of events we have ever presented,” said managing director for the Aruba Tourism Authority, Myrna Jansen. “From world renowned music festivals to environmental awareness campaigns to thrilling sporting events, this extensive roster of offerings promises to show travelers that our beautiful island offers so much more than just beaches.”