
The 2009 West Indian American Day Carnival and parade, -- celebrating its 42nd year! -- takes place this Labor Day weekend.
The main parade will be held on Eastern Parkway between Utica Avenue and Grand Army Plaza on Monday, September 7, 2009. The parade kicks off at Utica Ave & Eastern Parkway at 11AM and will continue until 6PM
The Carnival Parade takes over Eastern Parkway during Labor Day weekend, with events Thursday through Monday. The famous Carnival parade -- probably the largest parade in North America -- takes place on Labor Day (always a Monday) along Eastern Parkway between Utica Avenue and Grand Army Plaza / Flatbush Avenue Extension. (map and directions below)
The parade runs between 11AM and 6PM Monday.
The best way to get to the Parade is to use the subway:
SUBWAY DIRECTIONS:
On Monday, ALL Trains will skip the Eastern Parkway / Brooklyn Museum station!
Best stations to use are:
to Grand Army Plaza
or
to Nostrand Avenue
or
to Kingston Avenue
or
to Utica Avenue
You should avoid the Nostrand Avenue and Franklin Avenue stations on the 2 and 4 lines, due to the crowding that is expected at those stations.
No trains will stop at the Eastern Parkway / Brooklyn Museum station.
Driving to the parade is very strongly discouraged. Parking is already very tight in this neighborhood on a "normal" day, and during the parade the police block off a lot of additional parking spaces and they will tow away illegally parked cars! You don't want to come back from the parade and find your car missing.... DO NOT DRIVE TO THE PARADE!
Expect LARGE crowds, street closures, and NYPD crowd control measures very similar to Times Square / New Years Eve!
For the full event schedule and directions, click "read more" below...
Also happening in Brooklyn this weekend:
- 18th Avenue Feast, ends Sunday
- Brooklyn County Fair, all ages, free, at The Yard in Gowanus
- An assortment of programs for kids at the Brooklyn Children's Museum on Sunday
- Last chance to see the Wicked Plants exhibit at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden
- Last chance to see Ringling Brothers Boom-A-Ring at Coney Island (ends Monday)
- Morning bird walk in Prospect Park on Sunday
For details on these and other events, see the Events Calendar
Events Schedule:
- Thursday, September 3rd: Clash of the Calypso Titans, 7:30PM, Brooklyn Museum
- Friday, September 4th: Brass Fest, 8PM, Brooklyn Museum
- Saturday, September 5th: Junior Carnival, 9AM
- Saturday, September 5th: Steel Band Panorama, 8PM Brooklyn Museum
- Sunday, September 6th: Dimanche Gras, 7PM, Brooklyn Museum
- Monday, September 7th: J'Ouvert, 2AM, Grand Army Plaza to Nostrand Avenue/Linden Blvd
- Monday, September 7th: West Indian-American Labor Day Parade 11AM, Eastern Parkway
All concerts are held at the Brooklyn Museum grounds,
900 Washington Ave, Brooklyn.
For other info, go to www.wiadca.org
J'Ouvert Parade
J'Ouvert - or Juve takes place overnight from about 3AM to 10AM on Monday morning. The parade starts at Grand Army Plaza, runs along Flatbush, Empire Blvd, Empire Blvd, and ends up on Linden Blvd.
Best Subway to take:
Take the 2 or 4 to Grand Army Plaza
or take the Q or S to Prospect Park
or take the 2 train to either Winthrop Street or Beverley Road
Street Closures by NYPD: The following streets will probably be closed for the parade day:
- Southbound traffic from Atlantic Ave to Eastern Pkwy, between Utica and Flatbush Aves
- Northbound traffic from Empire Blvd to Eastern Pkwy between Utica & Flatbush Aves
- Northbound traffic on Flatbush Ave from Church Ave to Grand Army Plaza
- Southbound traffic on Flatbush Ave from Grand Army Plaza to Empire Blvd
- Southbound traffic on Ocean Ave from Empire Blvd to Parkside Ave
- Northbound traffic on Ocean Avenue from Parkside Ave to Empire Blvd
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