St. Maarten Flag Day 2026: 41 Years of the Flag That Tells the Island's Story

On Saturday, June 13, 2026, Sint Maarten will mark the 41st anniversary of Flag Day, celebrating the day the Sint Maarten flag was formally ratified by the Island Council on June 13, 1985. This event gave the island its own distinct symbol during a time when its constitutional journey toward greater autonomy was still decades away from completion.

Flag Day is one of the most quietly powerful days on the Sint Maarten annual calendar. It is not a public holiday in the formal sense, which means the island does not shut down in the way it does on Emancipation Day or Sint Maarten Day. Instead, it is a day of deliberate patriotic observance: the Government Administration Building draped in red, white, and blue; the Sint Maarten flag flying from every business, home, and vehicle that takes the day seriously; a patriotic school parade moving through the streets of Cay Bay to the grounds of the Leonald Conner School; and the flag raised on the hilltop of Cole Bay Hill, one of the highest and most visible points on the island, where it flies over the rooftops and the harbour as a statement of collective identity.

"The Sint Maarten flag flying from every business, home, and vehicle that takes the day seriously."

Forty-one years since a seventeen-year-old student named Roselle Richardson designed the flag that now flies over Sint Maarten's government buildings, schools, and hillsides. And every June 13, the island pauses to remember both the flag and the person who gave it its form.

The Flag's Story

Roselle Richardson's Vision

The Sint Maarten flag is one of the most distinctive in the Caribbean, and its origin story is one that the island tells with genuine pride.

In 1985, a design competition was held to create an official flag for Sint Maarten. The winning entry came from Roselle Richardson, a seventeen-year-old student whose design captured the identity of the island in three elements that have remained unchanged for 41 years.

The flag's design:

• Cherry red and navy blue horizontal bands: These colors represent the island's Dutch colonial heritage and its connection to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with a unique shade of cherry red that is distinctly Sint Maarten's own.
• White triangle at the hoist: This triangle points toward the fly and carries the island's coat of arms.
• The coat of arms at the center of the white triangle: Featuring the Sint Maarten landscape, the soualiga (salt pans) that gave the island its original indigenous name, and imagery connecting the island to its history and its people.

When the Netherlands Antilles dissolved on October 10, 2010, and Sint Maarten became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the 1985 flag became the sole official flag of the new country. The flag Roselle Richardson designed at seventeen now represents a fully constituted country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Flag Day 2026: A Celebration

Annual Commemoration Highlights

The annual Flag Day commemoration on June 13 follows a confirmed programme structure based on the 40th anniversary celebration in 2025 and the established annual format.

The Patriotic School Parade:

The official programme opens with the Patriotic School Parade, which begins in front of the Market Garden Supermarket at the entrance of Billy Folly Road in Cay Bay and proceeds to the grounds of the Leonald Conner School in Cay Bay.

"The parade is the most visible and community-attended element of the Flag Day observance."

The parade's route through the Billy Folly Road area of Cay Bay places it in a working residential community rather than the tourist district, giving the Flag Day celebration a specifically local character.

The Commemoration Ceremony at Leonald Conner School:

• Opening of the ceremony at 8:30 AM (parade start time)
• Official speeches by government ministers, including the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport
• Tribute to Roselle Richardson and the flag's 41-year history
• Patriotic readings and cultural presentations by schoolchildren
• Flag raising ceremony at the school grounds

Flag Hoisting on Cole Bay Hill:

One of the most visually dramatic elements of the Flag Day observance is the hoisting of the Sint Maarten flag on Cole Bay Hill, known affectionately as Bell's Lookout or Harold Jack, the prominent hilltop above the Cay Bay community.

Cole Bay Hill provides one of the highest and most panoramic viewpoints on Sint Maarten, visible from wide areas of the Dutch side and from the sea approaches to the island. The Sint Maarten flag raised on this summit on June 13 is visible from Philipsburg, from Cole Bay, from the airport road, and from the approach into Simpson Bay Lagoon, making it a statement of national identity that the entire island can see.

The Government Administration Building Draped in Red, White and Blue:

In the days leading up to June 13, the Government Administration Building in Philipsburg is draped in the island's national colours — red, white, and blue — transforming the most prominent official building on Sint Maarten into a visible declaration that Flag Day is approaching.

The Ministerial Call to Participation:

As confirmed for the 2025 commemoration, the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport issues a formal call to all individuals and businesses across Sint Maarten to fly the Sint Maarten flag on their vehicles, businesses, buildings, and homes on and around June 13, extending the Flag Day observance beyond the official ceremony to the full community.

The Two Flag Days

June 13 and November 11

The Sint Maarten flag is associated with two distinct dates in the annual calendar, and understanding the difference between them is essential for anyone who wants to observe either (or both) fully.

June 13 — Flag Day (Day of Observance):

• The ratification date: the date the flag design was formally approved and adopted by the Island Council of Sint Maarten in 1985
• Observed as a Day of Observance rather than a formal public holiday; government offices and most businesses remain open
• The official government commemoration ceremony, parade, and flag-raising are the primary events
• The flag has been formally observed on June 13 since 1985, making 2026 the 41st annual Flag Day

November 11 — Sint Maarten Day (Public Holiday):

• The first hoisting date: November 11, 1985, when the flag was publicly raised for the first time, coinciding with the date Christopher Columbus discovered the island on November 11, 1493
• A full public holiday on Sint Maarten, one of the most celebrated days in the island's annual calendar
• Marks the island's discovery and is the day on which the island's national identity as a whole is most broadly celebrated: Sint Maarten Day festivities include community events, flag-raising ceremonies, cultural performances, and the specific pride of an island that has been simultaneously French and Dutch for nearly 400 years
• The merger of Sint Maarten Day (November 11) and Flag Day (June 13) in the collective consciousness of the island means the flag is genuinely honoured twice in the calendar year

The relationship between the two:

The flag's two key dates — June 13 (ratification) and November 11 (first hoisting) — represent two different dimensions of what the flag means: June 13 is the institutional moment, the Island Council vote, the formal legal adoption. November 11 is the physical moment, the flag going up the pole for the first time, the community seeing it flying for the first time. Both matter and both are observed, one as a day of solemn civic remembrance, the other as a full community celebration.

Flag Day and National Identity

Patriotism and Autonomy

Sint Maarten is, by most measures, a very small country. Its land area covers approximately 34 square kilometres on the Dutch side of the island. Its population is approximately 43,000 people. It shares its island with the French collectivité of Saint-Martin, operates within the constitutional framework of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and has a tourism-dependent economy shaped by its position as one of the busiest cruise and resort destinations in the eastern Caribbean.

In that context, the flag matters more than it might in a country with more obvious markers of national distinctiveness. The Sint Maarten flag, designed by a seventeen-year-old student, adopted by an Island Council that was still nominally part of the Netherlands Antilles, and first raised on the day that commemorates a 1493 colonial arrival, carries within its history the compressed complexity of what it means to be Sint Maarten:

• A community with deep African-Caribbean heritage that predates the colonial era
• A Dutch constitutional identity that was formally assumed within living memory (2010)
• A flag designed by a young islander rather than imposed by a colonial government
• A national symbol that the island chose for itself at a specific moment in its history toward greater self-determination

"The specific statement that Sint Maarten made about itself in 1985: that it has its own colours, its own symbol, its own identity."

When the Minister of ECYS calls on every Sint Maartener to fly the flag on June 13, she is not asking for a symbolic gesture. She is asking the community to make visible, in every direction from every vehicle and building on the island, the specific statement that Sint Maarten made about itself in 1985: that it has its own colours, its own symbol, its own identity, and it is worth flying from the highest hill on the island so that everyone can see it.

The Caribbean Flag Fest

Carnival's Tribute to Caribbean Flags

While the official Government Flag Day falls on June 13, visitors to Sint Maarten during Carnival season in 2026 will also have encountered the Caribbean Flag Fest, which took place on Sunday, April 26, 2026 at the Jocelyn Arndell Festival Village from 8:00 PM straight into J'Ouvert.

The Caribbean Flag Fest is a Carnival event organised by the Carnival Development Foundation as part of the St. Maarten Carnival 2026 programme (April 10 to May 5, 2026), and is specifically described as "an ode to the many cultures St. Maarten hosts." It is a vibrant celebration of Caribbean national identity in which the flags of every Caribbean nation represented in Sint Maarten's multicultural population are flown, waved, and celebrated simultaneously, with tickets at $50 available at flagfestsxm.com.

Practical Information

Being in Sint Maarten for Flag Day

Date: Saturday, June 13, 2026

Status: Day of Observance (not a formal public holiday; government offices and most businesses open)

Anniversary: 41st annual Flag Day commemoration

Primary programme location:

• Parade start: Market Garden Supermarket, entrance of Billy Folly Road, Cay Bay, Sint Maarten
• Parade route: Billy Folly Road through Cay Bay
• Ceremony venue: Leonald Conner School grounds, Cay Bay
• Flag hoisting: Cole Bay Hill (Bell's Lookout / Harold Jack)

Programme timing:

• 8:30 AM: Patriotic School Parade departs from Market Garden Supermarket / Billy Folly Road entrance
• Official ceremony follows at Leonald Conner School grounds

How to participate as a visitor:

• Fly or display the Sint Maarten flag from your vehicle, rental car, villa, or balcony if possible; the government specifically calls on all individuals island-wide to participate in this way
• Attend the morning parade in Cay Bay; the route along Billy Folly Road is accessible and the community atmosphere of a Sint Maarten patriotic parade is worth the early start
• Visit Cole Bay Hill (Bell's Lookout) for the flag-raising ceremony and for one of the most panoramic views on the island: the hilltop looks over the southern Dutch side, the approach to the SXM airport, Simpson Bay Lagoon, and the Caribbean Sea to the southwest

Getting to Sint Maarten:

• Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM): direct flights from New York (~3.5 hours), Miami (~3 hours), Toronto (~4.5 hours), Amsterdam, Paris, Charlotte, and multiple Caribbean hubs
• Cay Bay is approximately 10 minutes from the SXM airport
• Cole Bay Hill is accessible from Cay Bay by road; the climb to the summit viewpoint takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes on foot from the base

June 13 weather: 30-33°C, trade winds consistent, water approximately 29°C

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Sint Maarten Flag Day 2026?
Sint Maarten Flag Day 2026 is on Saturday, June 13, 2026 — the 41st annual commemoration of the ratification of the Sint Maarten flag by the Island Council on June 13, 1985. The official programme begins at 8:30 AM with the Patriotic School Parade from the Market Garden Supermarket / Billy Folly Road entrance in Cay Bay, followed by the formal ceremony at the Leonald Conner School grounds in Cay Bay and the flag hoisting on Cole Bay Hill.

Who designed the Sint Maarten flag?
The Sint Maarten flag was designed by Roselle Richardson, a seventeen-year-old student who won a design competition held in 1985. The flag features cherry red and navy blue horizontal bands with a white triangle at the hoist carrying the island's coat of arms. It was formally adopted by the Island Council on June 13, 1985 and first hoisted publicly on November 11, 1985. It became the sole official flag of Sint Maarten as a country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands on October 10, 2010.

What is the difference between Flag Day (June 13) and Sint Maarten Day (November 11)?
Flag Day on June 13 marks the ratification of the Sint Maarten flag by the Island Council in 1985 and is observed as a Day of Observance with an official ceremony, patriotic parade, and flag-raising but is not a formal public holiday. Sint Maarten Day on November 11 marks both the first public hoisting of the flag (November 11, 1985) and the discovery of the island by Christopher Columbus (November 11, 1493) and is a full public holiday with island-wide celebrations. Both dates are formally observed but November 11 is the larger community celebration.

What is the Caribbean Flag Fest and is it the same as Flag Day?
The Caribbean Flag Fest is a Carnival event organised as part of St. Maarten Carnival 2026 (April 10 to May 5). In 2026 it took place on April 26 at Jocelyn Arndell Festival Village from 8:00 PM, with tickets at $50 from flagfestsxm.com. It celebrates the diverse Caribbean national identities of Sint Maarten's multicultural population through music and flag waving. It is not the official government Flag Day, which is the June 13 civic commemoration of the flag's ratification.

Where is Cole Bay Hill and why is it significant for Flag Day?
Cole Bay Hill (also known as Bell's Lookout or Harold Jack) is one of the highest hilltops on the Dutch side of Sint Maarten, located above the Cay Bay community. The Sint Maarten flag is formally hoisted on Cole Bay Hill on Flag Day, visible from wide areas of the island including Philipsburg, Simpson Bay Lagoon, and the sea approaches. The hilltop offers panoramic views over the southern Dutch side and is accessible from Cay Bay by road and foot trail.

Saturday, June 13, 2026. Forty-one years since the Island Council voted to give Sint Maarten its own colours and its own symbol. Forty-one years since a seventeen-year-old student named Roselle Richardson walked into a design competition and created the cherry red, white, and navy blue flag that now flies from Cole Bay Hill, from the Government Administration Building in Philipsburg, and from the vehicles and balconies of an island that chose its own identity.

The parade starts in Cay Bay at 8:30 AM. The flag goes up on the hill. And across Sint Maarten, from every building and vehicle that took the Minister's call seriously, the flag the island designed for itself flies in the Caribbean trade wind.

Fly the flag if you can. Show up in Cay Bay if you're on the island. Climb Cole Bay Hill for the view and the moment. Sint Maarten's Flag Day is not a show for visitors but a genuine community observance, and the community is glad to have you in it.

Verified Information at a Glance

• Event Name: Sint Maarten Flag Day 2026 — 41st Annual Commemoration
• Event Category: Annual Civic Day of Observance and Patriotic Commemoration
• Date: Saturday, June 13, 2026
• Anniversary: 41st (flag ratified June 13, 1985)
• Status: Day of Observance (not a formal public holiday; businesses remain open)
• Flag designer: Roselle Richardson (age 17 at time of design, 1985)
• Flag adopted: Island Council Decree, June 13, 1985
• Flag first hoisted publicly: November 11, 1985 (Sint Maarten Day)
• Flag colours: Cherry red and navy blue horizontal bands; white triangle at hoist with coat of arms
• Confirmed programme elements:
  • 8:30 AM: Patriotic School Parade, from Market Garden Supermarket / Billy Folly Road entrance, Cay Bay
  • Route: Billy Folly Road through Cay Bay
  • Venue: Leonald Conner School grounds, Cay Bay, Sint Maarten
  • Flag hoisting: Cole Bay Hill (Bell's Lookout / Harold Jack)
  • Government Administration Building draped in red, white, and blue in days preceding June 13
  • Ministerial call for all residents and businesses to fly the Sint Maarten flag
• Related event (separate): Caribbean Flag Fest — Carnival event, April 26, 2026, Jocelyn Arndell Festival Village, 8:00 PM, $50 tickets at flagfestsxm.com
• Related public holiday: Sint Maarten Day, November 11 (full public holiday; when flag was first hoisted)
• Nearest airport: Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM), approximately 10 minutes from Cay Bay
• June weather: 30-33°C, trade winds, water ~29°C
• Sources: Sint Maarten Government, SMN-News, The Daily Herald, Soualiga Post, Magic of the Caribbean, Wikipedia, Flag Match