The dry season runs from mid-December to mid-April — sunny, breezy, low humidity, and the busy season for cruise ships and snowbird visitors. Hotel prices peak around the Christmas and New Year holidays and Easter.
May through November is the wet season. Showers are typically short and tropical rather than all-day, but September and October fall within Atlantic hurricane season and a few resorts close for maintenance. Prices in the shoulder months of May, June, and November are noticeably lower and the island is much quieter.
The annual highlight is St. Kitts Music Festival in late June, three nights of major reggae, soca, and R&B acts at Warner Park. Carnival (called Sugar Mas) runs from mid-December into early January and is the biggest cultural event of the year — j'ouvert, mas troupes, calypso competitions, and parades through Basseterre.