Source: Pacific Press / Getty
The West Indian massive won’t be hitting the road this year in Brooklyn either.
As spotted on The Gothamist, the iconic West Indian Day Parade that blesses Crown Heights Brooklyn and is the official swan song to summer in the borough will not be happening for a second straight year.
The West Indian American Day Carnival Association, the parade’s organizers, will instead opt for a series of virtual and smaller in-person events held in early September. Those interested in partaking can look forward to a Steel Pan Jamboree and the “Jus’ Like Mas” party where organizers encourage participants to wear their beautiful costumes that usually could be seen on men, women, and children who participate in the annual celebration of West Indian culture.
When asked about the West Indian Day Parade’s cancelation for a second straight year which usually can see up to a million people along Eastern Parkway celebrating, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Wednesday (Aug.18), “We respect the choices. Some organizations have said they want to have their events again. Some want to do a modified version. Some are postponing it to 2022.”
NYC has been holding a series of homecoming concerts with only vaccinated attendees despite a recent surge of COVID-19 cases due to the highly contagious Delta Variant. Whether the West Indian American Day Carnival Association considered such measures before canceling the parade is a mystery.
Just because there is no parade this year doesn’t mean there won’t be any celebrating in the streets. J’Ouvert, the pre-dawn Labor Day celebration was still celebrated by a handful of West Indians across Brooklyn last year. Sadly, the violence that has become synonymous with the overnight celebration also returned even with the NYPD cracking down on illegal gatherings and parties.
We still expect J’Ouvert to be held this year as well.
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Photo: Pacific Press / Getty
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