West Indian community comes alive for Carnival

September 2, 2014 Heather Chin
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Brooklyn’s streets came alive with color, dancing and music for the 47th annual Caribbean Carnival, which ran from Thursday, August 28 through Monday, September 1, and showcased Caribbean culture, costumes, cuisine, art, dancing and more.

The five days of festivities were capped with the nation’s largest street parade/dance party: the West Indian American Day Carnival Parade. Big skirts and broad smiles were on hand all along Eastern Parkway as performers, musicians with steel pans and other instruments, and individuals from across Brooklyn and the world teamed up to celebrate their individual cultures and the Caribbean diaspora as a whole.

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams served as grand marshal of the parade, stating that he is “proud to be the caretaker of Caribbean culture” in Brooklyn.

“Caribbean culture flows through the borough and this parade has grown from thousands to nearly a million people witnessing it,” said Adams. “Brooklynites have benefited from this influx of tourists and visitors; they are a boost to the economy and we cannot thank the Caribbean community enough for bringing such commerce to the borough. As they say in Crown Heights, ‘Let’s ‘mash up di Parkway’!”

Earlier in the weekend, revelers enjoyed performances that included Skinny Banton from Grenada, Jamaica’s reggae superstar Tarrus Riley, St. Vincent’s Problem Child, and Zouk and the Gang from Guadeloupe.

All of the festivities were organized by the West Indian American Day Carnival Association.

BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by SB News
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by SB News
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by SB News
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by SB News
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by SB News
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by SB News
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by SB News
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by SB News
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by SB News
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by SB News
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by SB News
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by SB News
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by SB News
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by SB News
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by SB News
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by SB News
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by SB News
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by SB News
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