Caribbean Carnival

Caribbean Carnival is the term used for a number of events that takes place in many of the Caribbean islands annually. Caribbean Carnival begun with Trinidad and Tobago's carnival and features most of this country's traditions and various aspects of culture which revolves around music and other festival events.

Not about Ferris Wheels, theme park rides, or other events that use the word "Carnival" the Caribbean's Carnivals all have several common themes based on folklore, culture, and religion.

Carnival tradition is based on a number of diciplines including: "Playing Mas"/Masquerade; Calypso Music and crowning a Calypso King or Monarch; Panorama (Steel Band Competition); Jouvert morning; and a number of other traditions.

Old-Time Carnival characters

Burrokeets
Cow Bands
Dame Lorraine
Fancy Indians
Jab Jab & Jab Molassie
Midnight Robber
Moko jumbies
Pierrot Grenade

Competitions

Calypso Monarch
Chutney Soca Monarch
Soca Monarch
Panorama
Roadmarch
Band of the Year
Queen of the Bands
King of the Bands
Junior Carnival (Kiddies Carnival)

Music

Music Styles

Local Carnivals

The following islands celebrate carnival; approximate dates are given for the concluding festivities on each island. (On some islands, most notably Trinidad and Tobago, the carnival season lasts for over a month, and the exact dates vary from year to year.)

Anguilla (first week in August)
Antigua and Barbuda (first week in August)
Aruba (Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday)
Barbados (first Monday in August)
Belize (typically Saturday nearest to September 10)
Bonaire (Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday)
British Virgin Islands
Jost Van Dyke, Old Year's Night (New Year's Eve to New Year's Morning)
Tortola, BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival (seven days at the start of Spring)
Tortola, BVI Music Festival (end of May)
Tortola, BVI Emancipation Festival (first Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in August)
Virgin Gorda, Easter Festival (typically Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nearest April 15)
Cayman Islands (after Ash Wednesday)
Cuba
- Havana (end of July)
- Santiago de Cuba (end of July)
- Varadero (end of July)
Curaçao (Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday)
Dominica (Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday)
Dominican Republic (late February)
Grenada (early August)
Guadeloupe (Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday)
Guyana
Haiti (Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday)
Jamaica, (late March, early April)
Martinique (Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday)
Puerto Rico (Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday)
Saba (early August)
Saint-Barthélemy (Tuesday before Ash Wednesday)
Saint Lucia (July)
Saint Kitts and Nevis (roughly New Year's Day)
Saint-Martin (Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (End of June thru beginning of July)
Sint Eustatius (early August)
Sint Maarten (roughly a month after Easter)
Trinidad and Tobago (Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday)
United States Virgin Islands
- Saint Croix, Crucian Festival (Ties in with the Christmas Break through the first week in January)
- Saint John, Independence Day Festival (July 4)
- Saint Thomas, V.I. Carnival (last Friday and Saturday in April)

International Caribbean Carnivals

Canada

Ottawa, ON / "Caribe-Expo" - In the city of Ottawa in Ontario, Canada.
Montreal, QC / "Carifiesta" - In the city of Montreal in Quebec, Canada, typically 2-3 weeks before Toronto's Caribana.
Toronto, ON / "Caribana" - Drawing close to a million visitors to the city, Caribana is known as the best Caribbean carnival outside of Trinidad and Tobago.
Hamilton, ON / "Carnival" - In the city of Hamilton 1 week after Toronto's Caribana.
Calgary, AB / "Carifest" - In the city of Calgary in Alberta, Canada.
Edmonton, AB / "Cariwest" - Held annually the second week of August in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Cariwest boasts an amazing display of masqueraders in the road parade, as well as a beautiful festival full of food and entertainment in the heart of downtown.

Germany

Berlin, Karneval der Kulturen(Carnival of Cultures), every year in may (Whitsuntide Weekend)

United Kingdom

Birmingham, "Birmingham Heritage Festival"
Isle of Wight
Leicester, "Leicester Caribbean Carnival"
London, "Notting Hill Carnival" - On Notting Hill located in London, England.
Leeds, "Leeds West Indian Carnival"

United States

Atlanta, GA - Last weekend in May, usually falls on Memorial Day weekend
Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Caribbean-American Festival held every July in Druid Hill Park neighborhood in Baltimore. www.bcacarnival.net
Boston, MA - Last Saturday in August, Dorchester, MA
Cambridge, MA - Cambridge Carnival International, Last Sunday in August - Held in Kendall Square
Chicago, IL - Chicago CARIFETE, Third Saturday in August, on the Midway Plaisance in the confines of the University of Chicago Campus.
Austin, TX - Carnaval Brasileiro, February 3
Houston, TX - Usually the weekend aroun fourth of July.
Long Island, NY - Weekend after Labor Day Carnival - Held in Hempstead
Miami, FL - The second weekend in October, Columbus Day weekend.
New York, NY - Labor Day Carnival - Held in Brooklyn, along Eastern Parkway, with over 2.3 million vistors annually
Orlando, FL -
Tacoma, WA - PLU campus Carnival, near Fat Tuesday
Norfolk,VA - Virginia CaribFest, [1](2nd weekend in July)
Washington D.C. -DC Caribbean Festival usually between these dates : June 16-24 (every June). Run through Gerogia Ave., Missouri Ave. all the way to Barry Place. dccaribbeancarnival.com

External links

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