NYC's Caribbean Carnival: A Vibrant Celebration of Culture in Brooklyn

NYC's Caribbean Carnival: A Vibrant Celebration of Culture in Brooklyn

Thousands of revelers will dance and march through Brooklyn on Labor Day, celebrating Caribbean culture at one of the world's largest parades. The West Indian American Day Parade, now in its 57th year, transforms Eastern Parkway into a vibrant spectacle of feather-covered costumes, colorful flags, and soca and reggae music. The parade attracts huge crowds, lining the almost 2-mile route from Crown Heights to the Brooklyn Museum.

<br> <img src="https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2019/09/NYC_aerial-1-1.png?fit=2060%2C847&amp;quality=85&amp;strip=all&amp;w=400&amp;h=44&amp;crop=1" alt="Aerial view of the West Indian American Day Parade in Brooklyn, New York City."> <br>

A Century of Celebration

The parade's roots can be traced back to pre-Lent Carnival celebrations started by a Trinidadian immigrant in Manhattan nearly a century ago. These festivities were moved to the warmer time of year in the 1940s, and Brooklyn, home to hundreds of thousands of Caribbean immigrants and their descendants, began hosting the parade in the 1960s.

J'Ouvert: A Celebration of Freedom

The Labor Day parade is the culmination of days of carnival events in the city, including a steel pan band competition and J'Ouvert, a street party held on Monday morning commemorating freedom from slavery.

J'Ouvert originated in 1783 by enslaved people in Trinidad who were banned from the masquerade balls of the French. It's a powerful symbol of resistance and resilience, a vibrant tradition that continues to be celebrated throughout the Caribbean diaspora.

"A lot of people misunderstand what J'Ouvert is," said Sandra A.M. Bell of Jouvayfest Collective. "It's a living tradition. It's a story of resistance and resilience."