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labor day parade
Millions of New Yorkers will line up along Eastern Parkway for the Brooklyn Labor Day parade on Monday, September 2, 2013.
This year, the West Indian American Day Parade & Carnival continues to enjoy the distinction of being New York City’s biggest cultural festivals by far.
As in the past, count on crowds to be waving flags from Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados, Grenada, Haiti, and other Caribbean nations in a joyful expression of ethnic heritage and cultural pride.
Brooklyn Labor Day Parade is a joyful expression of ethnic heritage and cultural pride of Caribbean nations
Everyone’s invited to take part in the spectacle of thousands of marchers in colorful costumes jumping down the parade route to the sounds of reggae and calypso.
A special added-attraction: the aromas of native foods like Jamaican jerk chicken, Bajan fried flying fish, and other soul-satisfying treats at the city’s biggest street festival.
In fact, the entire Labor Day weekend is devoted to special events – with a special Kiddie Carnival on Saturday, a Dimanche Gras (Fat Sunday) celebration, and an early Monday morning (starting around 3 AM) J’Ouvert parade, a celebration of steel pan drums that kicks off the main parade beginning at 11 AM.
This Caribbean celebration, known for having lively music and lots of skin, is never short on costumed stilt dancers, floats blaring soca and calypso music, and plenty of flags from countries such as Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. Look for vendors stationed along Eastern Parkway selling island eats like jerk chicken, curry goat and oxtail. Early risers can preparty at J’ouvert (pronounced “joo-VAY”), a predawn festival in which revelers throw powdered paint at each other. Head to Grand Army Plaza around 4 AM when the high jinks really get going.
Eastern Pkwy from Schenectady Ave to Flatbush Ave, Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Subway: 3, 4, 5 to Crown Hts-Utica Ave.
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The West Indian American Day Parade & Carnival celebrates its 45th anniversary in 2012.
The party starts on the Thursday before Labor Day, August 30th, and doesn’t end till around 6 p.m. on the following Monday, September 3rd.
1. Monday September 3, 2012: WEST INDIAN CARIBBEAN AMERICAN LABOR DAY PARADE
The parade starts at 11 a.m. and winds its way down Eastern Parkway, in a glorious display of cultural pride. Get there early to grab a good spot! See the costumes, mas bands, masqueraders, floats, moko jumbies and more. Route: Eastern Parkway and Schenectady Ave. to Flatbush Ave.
2. HOW TO GET THERE: Directions to the Parade
Directions to the Labor Day Parade, provided by WIADCA, the organizers:
• From Manhattan: Take the Manhattan Bridge. The Manhattan Bridge becomes Flatbush Ave. Stay straight to go onto Flatbush Ave. Turn Slight Right onto Grand Army PLZ. Go Straight for about 0.1 miles. Turn Slight Right onto Eastern Parkway go approx. 2.0 miles End at Utica Ave & Eastern Parkway Brooklyn NY.
• From Westchester, the Bronx, Queens, or Connecticut: Triborough Bridge to Brooklyn Queens Express (BQE)/Manhattan Bridge exit to Tillary Street, follow directions from Manhattan.
• From Staten Island and Southern or Central New Jersey: Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to Gowanus Expressway (Route 278 towards Manhattan); exit to 38th Street; left on Fourth Avenue for approximately 2 miles; right on Union Street; 5 blocks to Grand Army Plaza; go 1/2 around Plaza; turn right on Eastern Parkway. Go approx. 2.0 miles End at Utica Ave & Eastern Parkway.
• From Long Island: Grand Central Parkway to Jackie Robinson Parkway; exit at Bushwick Avenue; left at third traffic light to Eastern Parkway; approximately 1.5 miles to Utica Avenue.
The West Indian American Day Parade and Carnival celebrates its 45th anniversary in 2012
3. WHAT TO EAT? Labor Day Caribbean Food Fest
Next to the music and costumes, half the fun at the Labor Day parade is the food. Take your pick of vendors: you can find pork, ribs, vegetarian, halal. And there’s everything you might want to eat from the West Indies: fish cakes, sorrel and ginger drinks, tons of deserts. The stalls line Eastern Parkway and start cooking well before the parade begins, so get there early to sample the fare while it’s hot off the stove. Some vendors come from Brooklyn, others from Jersey, and a handful make the trek all the way from the south, for instance Virginia.
4. WHAT TO BUY: Afro-Carib Gear: T-Shirts, Flags, Books, Clothes, Hats
Don’t come without some spare change! The streets are lined with a great collection of affordable gear, including original t-shirts, hats, and flags from every country in the Caribbean.
5. WHAT’S THE MESSAGE?
The festival and parade celebrate Caribbean heritage, music, and culture. But there’s more than that. The roots of this event go back to the history of blacks in America.
6. PRACTICAL INFO: Special Tickets & Parade Map (Parade is FREE)
Come and see the costumes, hear fabulous Caribbean music, grab some ethnic food from the street vendors, and join flag waving crowds celebrating West Indian culture. Among the nations represented are Trinidad, Barbados and Grenada.
• There are indoors and outdoors events. Everything happens rain or shine.
• Some events are especially for kids.
• The Labor Day parade is free. Some events, however, are ticketed.
• Get tickets online at WIADCA.com, email [email protected], or call (718) 467 1797.
7. PAST EVENT 2012: Let the Music Begin! Official Welcome
Thursday, August 30: Mas Mas & More Event.
September 1st 2012 is the “official welcome” ceremony to all mas bands and participants. Music by international DJs. Dr. J, Back to Basics, Trinibago Massive Rhythm Section, Mas competition and more. The event’s open to the public.
When & Where & How Much
• Brooklyn Museum
• 200 Eastern Parkway
• Tickets online or at the door.
8. PAST EVENT Friday August 31st: Brass Band Competition
Running from Saturday evening till 3 a.m. the next day, this steel band competition is about as memorable as any musical event you’ll ever attend.
When & Where & How Much
• Brooklyn Museum
• 200 Eastern Parkway
• Friday doors open 7 p.m. Show at 8 until 3 a.m.
• Tickets online $40. Get tickets online at WIADCA.com, email [email protected], or call (718) 467 1797.
9. PAST EVENT: Sunday, September 2nd, Dimanche Gras or Fat Sunday: All-Star Steel Bands
Come watch and hear the best West Indian steel bands compete in this fabulous carnival event.
When & Where
• Brooklyn Museum
• 200 Eastern Parkway
• Doors open at 6 p.m. Show starts at 7 p.m.
The line up includes: Calypso Rose, Shadow, King Ajamu, Black Stalin and many others, along with winners of all competitions; Something Positive Dance Troupe and (direct from Trinidad & Tobago) traditional characters including “pan-around-the-neck” steelband musicians.
10. PAST EVENT Friday August 31, 2012: Official Brass Fest 2012 (Brooklyn Museum)
Let the festivities begin! The Official Brass Band festival features last year’s best bands, the Kings of the 2010 Festival.
When & Where & How Much
• Brooklyn Museum
• 200 Eastern Parkway
• Friday doors open 7 p.m. Show at 8 until 3 a.m.
• Tickets online $45. Get tickets online at WIADCA.com, email [email protected], or call (718) 467 1797.
11. PAST EVENT Saturday September 1st, 2012: Junior Carnival & Parade
Bring the family to a special Kiddie Carnival. There’s a parade and carnival!
• Junior Carnival events include hip hop, steel band, dance, fashion show and spoken word.
• Junior parade kicks off at Kingston Avenue and St. James, and marches to the Brooklyn Museum.
• Start time: 9 a.m.
• End time: 3 p.m.
12. PAST EVENT: Monday September 3rd, 2012: J’Ouvert (the opening of the parade, at 3 AM)
J’Ouvert is the starting festivities of the Carnival. Every year, early Monday morning, if you want to avoid the huge crowds, join the J’Ouvert parade, a celebration of steel pan drums that you can attend to get a good sense of the festivities. From the organizers of the events in 2011:
“Ouvert or Jouvay is the pre-dawn parade / party / roving band that begins after the Dimache Gras show ends at the Brooklyn Museum sometime after 2AM (but a lot of people take a break and then J’Ouvert starts to really cook around 4AM — and J’Ouvert will still be going at dawn, if you want to <<sleep in>> until 6AM!). By tradition, no amplified music is allowed, only steel drums.
“Steel bands (25 of them this year!) will begin gathering at the intersection of Empire Blvd, Flatbush Avenue, and Ocean Avenue at about 2AM, and a procession will start at 4AM: East on Empire, then South on Nostrand to Lefferts Blvd, the end of the procession.”
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Catch all the color and excitement as millions of Brooklynites & New Yorkers line up along Eastern Parkway for the Brooklyn Labor Day Parade on Monday, September 3, 2012.
This year, the West Indian American Day Parade & Carnival celebrates its 45th anniversary as it continues to enjoy the distinction of being New York City’s biggest cultural festivals by far.
As in the past, count on crowds to be waving flags from Trinidad, Barbados, Grenada and other Caribbean nations in a joyful expression of ethnic heritage & cultural pride.
This year, the West Indian American Day Parade & Carnival celebrates its 45th anniversary as it continues to enjoy the distinction of being New York City's biggest cultural festivals by far
Everyone’s invited to take part in the spectacle of thousands of marchers in colorful costumes “jumpin” down the parade route to the sounds of reggae and calypso.
A special added-attraction: the aromas of native foods like Jamaican jerk chicken, Bajan fried flying fish, and other soul-satisfying treats at the city’s biggest street festival.
Since 1884, the first Monday in September has been a holiday in the US, as a tribute to workers.
Canada has the same, while many other countries have International Workers Day – May Day – instead, commemorating struggles for workers’ rights.
This year’s Labor Day falls on Monday, September 3rd.
To most people in North America, however, Labor Day is above all the last-blast of summer fun, and -for many kids – the last day of freedom before Back to School.
For a weekend getaway, head to a city that has big celebrations, or to one of the many family resorts that offer special packages – scroll down for sample packages.
• New York: Labor Day Parade
The first Labor Day Parade was held in New York City, on September 5 1882, and there’s still one in NYC today, with trade union members, high school bands, politicians, police and fire departments, and more. Location is usually in Manhattan, on 5th Ave. In 2012, NY Labor Day Parade will be held on Saturday, September 8th.
• West Indian American Day Carnival Parade (Brooklyn Carnival)
This extravaganza has Caribbean costumes, music, and food, spectators in the millions; it’s a multi-day event with a parade on Labor Day.
• Labor Day Weekend Events in Boston
It’s moving day for students (aka as the “Student Invasion”), so allow plenty of time to get to events such as a Schooner Festival or a free concert on Spectacle Island.
The first Labor Day Parade was held in New York City, on September 5 1882, and there's still one in NYC today, with trade union members, high school bands, politicians, police and fire departments, and more
• Washington DC
An annual concert by the National Symphony Orchestra is performed on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building, and is free.
• Other Labor Day Events in DC
Kensington Labor Day Parade has a day of family entertainment, as does Greenbelt Labor Day Festival; Renaissance Festival, free Blues Festival, Kids Day at Nationals Park, and lots more.
• Detroit Labor Day Parade
Detroit, aka “Motor City” – where the automobile unions were born – has a major Labor Day Parade that’s one of the biggest in Michigan. The free three-day Detroit Jazz Fest is scheduled for Labor Day Weekend, too.
• Chicago
The annual Chicago Jazz Festival is a big event. Also on the agenda for Labor Day Weekend: daytime events in Millennium Park including an interactive play that will please young kids; African Festival of the Arts in Washington Park, including an African village, entertainment, and family fun; and more. See Explore Chicago. Many events are free.
• St.Louis
Ten top ways to celebrate summer’s last weekend: a Japanese Festival at the Botanical Gardens, a Downtown Labor Day Parade, a Greek Festival, the Big Muddy Blues Festival, and more.
• Irvington, VA: Irvington Stomp
An event with a small-town feel, this “grape stomp” harvest festival celebrates wine-making in Irvington, VA, 1-½ hours east of Richmond; those close to Chesapeake Bay can arrive by boat. Grape Stomping Competitions, music, hayrides, corn maze, and more.
• Events in the Southeastern US
Many weekend events and festivals in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, NC, SC, and Virginia. Also: ten fun resort hotels for Labor Day Weekend.
• Orlando: Tom Joyner Family Reunion at Disney World
This big bash at Walt Disney World adds special entertainment to the usual theme park fun. To find out more, try this Orlando Local Guide, or Blackamericaweb.com, or search for “Joyner” at the Disney World website.
• Texas
About’s Guide for Texas highlights Westfest, Batfest, and other events.
• Events in Greater LA
Street Fairs, Long Beach Greek Festival, “Fiesta Hermosa” arts and crafts festival with kiddie carnival, and more.
• Copper Country Festival, CO
Copper Mountain (a popular ski resort during winter months) has a big bash on Labor Day Weekend, with big-name bands, street party, and “Copper Corral” for kids with free pony rides, face painting, etc.
• Myrtle Beach, SC
This major tourist destination – with a 60-mile stretch of beaches, and several amusement parks — has an annual family-friendly Beach, Boogie & BBQ Festival at Grand Park at The Market Common. To sample all the barbecue from competing teams, guests only need to purchase a reasonably-priced wristband; kids under 10 can sample free. See Festival details.
Labor Day Weekend Packages at Family Resorts
Many family resorts in the U.S. have end-of-summer bashes, often with a BBQ. For instance, in southern Maine the Pointe Sebago family resort on Lake Sebago has 775 acres and a package that includes buffet meals (with lobster on the menu), a boat cruise, paddle boats, canoes, kayaks, activities for all ages, and entertainment.
The AAA four-diamond Resort at Squaw Creek, Lake Tahoe in California typically includes lots of activities during its Labor Day Weekend package, such as bocce ball, croquet, tie-dying a t-shirt, s’mores at outdoor fire pits, live music, poolside BBQ, and a dive-in movie, plus the usual biking, guided hikes, golf, and fly-fishing.
In Texas, the Texas: Barton Creek Resort & Spahas 4000 acres in the Hill Country near Austin, a kids club for ages 6 months and up, and an annual Labor Day Weekend package.
In New York state, the Villa Roma Resort Hotel in the Catskills – two hours from NYC – has seasonal packages all year long, including Labor Day Weekend, and programs for all ages, from tots to teens; packages typically include meals, theme night dinner, kids programs, and nightly entertainment. Be sure to check recent visitors’ comments for any resort.
Check your favorite family resorts and no doubt many will have a special weekend package to end the summer with a blast.
