LABOR DAY CARNIVAL

(Redirected from West Indian Day Parade)

The 'Labor Day Carnival', or 'West Indian Carnival', is an annual celebration held in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Its main event is the 'West Indian-American Day Parade', which attracts up to Four million spectators who watch the parade on its route along Eastern Parkway.

Contents

History

Reference

External link

History

Ms. Jessie Waddle and some of her West Indian friends started the Carnival in Harlem in the 1920s by staging costume parties in large enclosed places - like the Savoy, Renaissance and Audubon Ballrooms due to the cold wintry weather of February. This is the usual time for the pre-Lenten celebrations held in most countries around the world. However, because of the very nature of Carnival and the need to parade in costume to music - in door confinement did not work.
The earliest known Carnival street parade was held on Sept 1,1947. The Trinidad Carnival Pageant Committee was the founding force behind the parade, which was held in Harlem. The parade route was along Seventh Avenue, starting at 110th St. The first Carnival Queen was Miss Dorothy Godfrey. The Committee raised money to finance the parade. They sold advertisement space and boosters, that were printed in a Souvenir Journal for West Indies Day, a booklet which is a memento of that first parade. Mrs. Jessie Waddell Compton is presented in the journal as the person "whose inspiration and enterprise" was owed to the formation of this committee. The committee consisted of Mrs. Waddell Compton-Chairman; Ivan H. Daniel-Vice Chairman; Conrad Matthews-Treasurer; Roy Huggins-Secretary; and Robert J. Welsh-Assistant Secretary. Each member of the committee contributed in helping to organize the parade. The after-parade party, which the Trinidad Carnival Pageant Committee held at the Golden Gate Ballroom (located at 142nd St. and Lenox Ave), was arrainged by James M. Green, another figure who helped make the first Carnival Parade in Harlem a true success. During the 1960s, another Trinidadian - Rufus Goring, brought Carnival to Brooklyn. In 1967, Goring passed the reigns over to Carlos Lezama, who later became president of WIADCA and who nurtured the organization and carnival celebrations until 2001. Mr. Lezama's daughter, Yolanda Lezama-Clark was subsequently elected President of the organization.
"Labor Day Carnival Parade" has grown over the years from thousands of participants and tourists to over 3.5 million people in attendance since the mid - 1990s according to then Mayor Rudy Giuliani. The influx of tourists from all over the world has benefited New York City on an economic level, most recognizably with large corporations, small businesses and the tourist/service industry.
With this event annually bringing in some of the largest numbers of tourists to the city, many New York politicians and well known celebrities can be observed at the parade. Cheryl Byron's Something Positive Dance company has been a carnival participant for many years.
'See also'

★ Caribbean Carnival

★ J'ouvert

Reference

★ Caribbean Currents: Caribbean Music from Rumba to Reggae, Manuel, Peter, , , Temple University Press, 1995, ISBN 1-56639-338-8

External link

★ West Indian-American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA) - Official