The French side has a carnival at the usual time, ie just before Lent. There are the usual events over several days leading up to the big festivities at the carnival grounds just outside Marigot. The Dutch side does it all over again in April on their carnival grounds near Philipsburg: bands, parades, calypso, rum, Heineken, etc. You have to see it to believe it, and the best place to see it from is the porch at L'Escargot Restaurant. There are lots of photos on their site. For a funny view of Caribbean life with an accent on carnival time, check out Herman Wouk's "Don't Stop The Carnival" in the island section of our bookstore.