PHILIPSBURG – On July 1st 2026, in commemoration of the 163rd Anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery, the Government of Sint Maarten will present the official Emancipation Day ceremony at the Belvedere Plantation on the Oyster Pond Road. The official ceremony will begin at 8:00 am and end at 10:00 am, the program will feature official addresses, poetry, cultural song and dance performances, along with information tours and a historical presentation of the Belvedere Plantation.
All residents and guests to the island are invited to the official ceremony, but please be aware that due to limited parking at the venue a special “Shuttle Bus” service will be available at the Belvedere Residential Housing roundabout to transport all attendees back and forth from the ceremony.
Every year the Department of Culture organizes the Emancipation Day ceremony at different venues throughout the island as a means to raise awareness and to bring the community together as one people to reflect on the atrocities and inhumane conditions that our ancestors experienced. This year 2026, the commemoration of Emancipation Day has been made possible in part by the Slavery Memorial Committee and the St. Maarten Development Fund who have collaborated with the Department of Culture within the Ministry of Education Culture Youth & Sport.
The Belvedere Plantation, which sits on the official Monument List, is one of our most important cultural & historical sites and it provides an appropriate setting for this annual event. The Belvedere Plantation main house is estimated to have been built around 1840 and research at the site indicates that two sugar factories existed on the plantation with one of them being in close proximity to the main house.
In early December 2025, Minister of VROMI Patrice Gumbs Jr. and Minister of ECYS Melissa D. Gumbs together announced the finalization of the purchase of “Belvedere Remainder” which amounts to a total land area of 288,402 m2 (71.3 acres or 28.8 hectares). The property has been divided in 2 parcels Belvedere Remainder North and Belvedere Remainder South. The second parcel, “Belvedere Remainder South”, encompassing 158,183 m2, has been allocated to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth & Sport.
Minister of Education Culture Youth & Sport the Honorable Melissa Gumbs said, “The intention is to ensure that restoration projects are prioritized and that development of Belvedere South is strictly aimed at the preservation and promotion of our cultural heritage.
Annually, Emancipation Day is commemorated on July 1st which was the first public holiday established by the Parliament of Sint Maarten since becoming a Country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands on October 10th 2010. This year’s theme, entitled “Buss di chain & free your…” encourages all persons in our community to take time to reflect on the impact of Slavery Past and how this experience has affected their past, present and future lives.
