For New Yorkers, neighbors and lovers of Caribbean fêtes far and wide, you've got a lot to look forward to this week. Yes, it's time again for Brooklyn's world-famous Labor Day Parade--A.K.A. the West Indian American Carnival Parade--and all of the tireless festivities that surround it. This year is a particularly special celebration: 2017 marks the Golden Jubilee anniversary of these festivities, bringing the party to the Crown Heights neighborhood for every one of those 50 years. In the days leading up to Monday's early morning J'Ouvert bacchanal and the massive, million-strong parade down Brooklyn's grand Eastern Parkway thoroughfare, there will be a series of star-studded concerts--reggae, dancehall, soca, calypso and more--and a heated steel pan competition behind the Brooklyn Museum.
For several months, members from all Caribbean nations have been prepping extravagant masquerade costumes for the parade, practicing sweeping steel pan arrangements every night and bringing Brooklyn's party energy to a boil. To get a sense of what this week is all about, check out our 2016 program, Carnival in Brooklyn. Right now, we'll give you a rundown of what to look forward to in this week's festivities. All of the events, other than the Calypso Rose show at Stage 48, J'Ouvert and the Labor Day Parade, take place behind the Brooklyn Museum, with an entrance on Washington Ave. Head to the West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA) page (or one of the participating New York Caribbean restaurants) for tickets, which run between $35 and $125.
Wed., Aug. 30: Calypso Rose in concert
The Queen of Calypso, Calypso Rose will be taking the stage at Stage 48 in Manhattan with fellow Trinbagonians David Rudder, Angela Hunte, MX Prime and Ultimate Rejects, showing off the fruits of "Sweet, sweet T&T," as David Rudder sings. Show is from 5 p.m.-11 p.m. Find tickets here.
For more on soca star David Rudder, from "Best of The Beat on Afropop," click here.
