J'Ouvert, or jour ouvert in French meaning daybreak, began in Trinidad in 1937. Today J'Ouvert is also celebrated in New York as a predawn festival on Carnival day. In keeping with tradition, steel drums are the only forms of music that will be played. Revelers in J'Ouvert wear costumes also, but unlike Carnival day, J'Ouvert costumes are inexpensive and are often creations that mock political issues, celebrities, and prominent events. The predawn celebration begins at 2am at Grand Army Plaza by the Library, travels through Flatbush to empire Blvd, and ends on Nostrand Avenue and Linden Blvd.
Labor Day Carnival Day!
The West Indian American Day Carnival is the biggest parade in New York with over 3 million participants each year. The parade depicts elaborately designed costumes, illustrating beauty and pageantry. There are many masqueraders and huge sound trucks, some with live performers. The service roads have stands of vendors lined up selling foods, crafts, books, clothing, art, jewelry, and much more. The parade begins at 11am and ends at 6pm. There will be live performers in front of the viewing stage at the Brooklyn Library. The parade rout begins at the corner of Rochester & Eastern Parkway and ends near Grand Army Plaza where non-masqueraders can jump up with the bands.
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Note: Event dates are subject to change. Please contact the event organizer before making travel plans.
Carnival Connection: Your source for Caribbean Carnival Festival Information, including festival dates, parade information, contact information and links to official websites. Includes information about Mardi Gras, Trini-Style Carnival and other related festivals.
Where's the Current Dates? This carnival took place recently and new dates have not been posted for the upcoming year yet. When the carnival organizers post the official dates for next year, we will update this page.
Note: Many carnival organizers don't post their dates until 3 to 6 months in advance. (You usually can guess when it will be next year by looking at last year's dates, but that is not always the case.)
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