Grab your party hats and head on down to the Brooklyn Museum where you'll see an array of colors and sounds brought to you by the West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA). The five-day celebration pays tribute to the Jamaican and Dominican cultures, and those of neighboring islands, that help make central Brooklyn a vibrant place. You can expect the J'Ouvert and West Indian Day Parade to go off without a hitch this year.
Mayor de Blasio promises to deploy at least twice as many officers this year as in previous years, literally doubling down on its parade security this Labor Day. The security precautions are of course due to the fatalities that took place at the 2015 J'Overt. The fatalities included a 24-year-old man who was fatally stabbed and an aide to Governor Andrew Cuomo, Carey Gabay, 43, who was shot and killed in what was later said to be a gang -related shooting.
As a result you can expect 200 floodlight towers and 42 additional security cameras on top of the already existing 30 towers that were already in place as of last year. Flyers were distributed last week to surrounding areas bearing logos of the NYPD, the Brooklyn's DA Office and parade sponsor J'Ouvert City International. The flyers insisted that "every act of violence will be filly investigated and prosecuted." All possible precautions are being put in place for the pre-dawn march, making the streets brighter and safer for all those attending.
"You will see the most extensive security ever at the year's J'Ouvert and [West Indian Day] Parade," de Blasio said at a press conference held in Prospect Park this past Wednesday.
Nevertheless, the city expects to have a wonderful parade and celebration, hoping to draw 250,000 revelers. The festivities are scheduled to kick off at 11:00 a.m. Monday at Eastern Parkway and Utica Avenue and wind down at Grand Army Plaza at around 6:00 p.m.
"Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights will soon bristle with bright colors, giant floats, elaborate costumes and Caribbean cheer for the 2016 New York Caribbean Carnival Parade on September 5," says Patch Magazine.
Click here for a complete list of the scheduled events. Heres to a beautiful, bright and safe Labor Day Weekend!
