ShotsWeekly.com
  • Home
  • Cover Models
  • #WCW
  • Event Photos
  • Videos
  • Contact
  • ShotsWeekly Shop
Uncategorized 0

Labor Day Carnival 2015

By Ryan Justine · On September 9, 2015

Share pics with #ShotsWeekly 

In 1882, Labor Day began to celebrate the social and economic achievement of American workers, focusing on their strength, prosperity and well-being, but it didn’t become a national holiday until 1894. A group West Indian friends in Harlem  chose Labor Day to celebrate Carnival in the 1930s before moving the parade to it’s home in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Crown Heights on Eastern Parkway in the late 1960s. This group is now known as the West Indian American Day Carnival Association, Inc.

Today, Labor Day in Brooklyn is a menagerie of color, food, music and good vibes. When you first arrive on “the Parkway,” you’re bombarded by the laughter of good friends, an older couple dancing together to their favorite song, a little girl waving the flag her father just bought her, teenagers singing along to music they’ve heard their entire lives. The atmosphere is electric. Walking down the Parkway, spectators can peruse vendors, lining the street and offering everything from a last-minute flag, to traditional Caribbean fare, and handcrafted trinkets. The street is quickly filled with elaborate floats, dance teams, community organizations and even a politician or two. But it’s the Mas Camps that are the real highlight of the day.

A Mas (short for masquerade) Camp consists of men and women dressed in colorful, dramatic costumes representing their various islands and, usually, a theme. These elaborate costumes are some of the most stunning handmade pieces of wearable art ever seen. Many of the bra tops and headpieces are ornately decorated with some combination of colorful fabrics, feathers, jewels and constructed with materials such as fiberglass, aluminum, or galvanized wire to maintain flexibility and still keep the overall structure. While the engineering is incredible, most of the costumes are not for the faint of heart, usually leaving little to the imagination. Each camp is competing against the other camps, trying to outdo each other with their music, dancing, interactions with the crowd and, of course, their costumes, for one of several highly-coveted Band of the Year titles.

The energy is so crazy at the Caribbean Day parade, that you can’t help but have a good time. Families and friends line the Parkway each Labor Day enjoying a decades old tradition that has celebrated for generations. It’s an incredible display of culture, art and history.

 

Article by Ryan Justine with contributions from Nickisha Madden

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Share Tweet

Ryan Justine

You Might Also Like

  • Uncategorized

    Considerations When Picking Data Sharing Software Suppliers

  • Uncategorized

    How to pick an Online Info Room

  • Uncategorized

    How to Choose the Best File Sharing Software

No Comments

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Subscribe & Follow

Follow @ShotsWeekly
Follow on Instagram
Follow on Tumblr
Follow shotbyjason

Enter your email address to subscribe to ShotsWeekly and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Find us on Facebook

Sex Tips

Bitcions

From Around the Internet

Amazon

  • Popular
  • Comments
  • Tags
  • Miss Ksyn Black History Month Banner

    FEBRUARY: Miss Ksyn’s Beautiful Black Power

    February 3, 2016
  • APRIL: The Wondrous Tehmeena Afzal

    April 6, 2016
  • JULY: Leading Lady — Lia Cha

    July 1, 2015
  • Lia Cha ShotWeekly's new Casting Dirctor

    #WCW: Announcing LiaCha as our new Casting Director

    January 13, 2016
  • Dyesha Hicks Cover Model

    NOVEMBER: SW Spokesmodel Dyesha Hicks

    November 4, 2015
  • WCW: Teyana Taylor in Kanye West FADE – (Explicit)

    February 8, 2017
  • Straight Outta Compton

    Straight Outta Compton

    August 8, 2015
  • Yolie Monroe

    SEPTEMBER: The Flawless Yolie Monroe

    September 2, 2015
  • Stevie J & Joseline Stingy With My Kutty Kat

    May 20, 2015
  • Ryan Justine

    JUNE: Our Very Own Fashion & Beauty Blogger — Ryan Justine

    June 3, 2015
wcw Cover Model Cardi B. Nicki Minaj Chun Li Lia Chi Twerk Workout Siren85 Kitty Rae White Melanin K. Michelle Dyesha Hicks Aliya Janell Star Wars Bolivian Barbie Nikita Maxx Ksyn
  • #WCW: Woman Crush Wednesdays
  • Contact
  • Cover Models
  • Events / Parties
  • News, Reviews & Tips
  • ShotsWeekly Shop
  • Videos

© 2015 J Thomas Productions