New York Carnival, (called Labor Day Carnival by New Yorkers), is a full Caribbean Carnival in the Trinidadian “Mother of Caribbean Carnival” tradition cherished across the Caribbean and around the world. It is a family celebration of the West Indies’ unique Indigenous, African, European, and East Indian heritage, and most of all ~ FREEDOM! That’s what Trinidad Carnival and Carnival in the Americas is really about.
58th New York Carnival 2025
New York Carnival is a complete Trinidadian and West Indian Carnival that climaxes with the West Indian Day Parade; over Labor Day Weekend, Thursday-Monday, August 28 – September 1, 2025. 🇹🇹 + 🇩🇲 🇬🇩 🇯🇲 🇳🇬 🇰🇳 🇻🇨
Jamaican Dancehall Concert
Experience Dancehall is a Jamaican dancehall concert featuring TeeJay, Valiant (Raheem Bowes), and special guests; at the Brooklyn Museum near Grand Army Plaza; on Thursday, August 28, 2025, from 5-11:50pm. From $68. 🇯🇲
Trinidadian Soca Concert
New York Carnival Soca Fest is a soca concert featuring Kes the Band, Bunji, Fay Ann & Vikings Band, Mical Teja, Raymond, and more; at the Brooklyn Museum near Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn; on Labor Day Weekend, Friday, August 29, 2025, from 8pm to 3am. From $60. 🇹🇹
New York Junior Carnival
New York Carnival Youth Fest is a junior carnival with a parade and back-to-school giveaway, where we can teach our heritage traditions to our children; at the Brooklyn Museum near Grand Army Plaza; on Labor Day Weekend, Saturday, August 30, 2025, from 9-11am. $10. 🇹🇹
New York Panorama
New York Panorama is a traditional Carnival battle of the steel pans; at the Brooklyn Museum near Grand Army Plaza, on Labor Day Weekend, Saturday, August 30, 2025 at 7pm. (6pm doors). 🇹🇹
Trinidadian Soca & Hip Hop Concert
Ultimate Fete (Last Party) is a concert featuring Patrice Roberts & The A-Team Band (Trinidadian soca), Problem Child (Vincentian soca, hip hop, dancehall), Skinny Fabulous (Vincentian soca), Lyrikal (Nigerian hip hop), and more; at the Brooklyn Museum near Grand Army Plaza; on Labor Day Weekend, Sunday, August 31, 2025, 3-11pm. From $74. 🇳🇬 🇻🇨 🇹🇹
WIADCA Breakfast
The West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA) 58th VIP Breakast, is a New York Carnival fundraiser at the Carlos Lezama Netball Courts at Lincoln Terrace / Arthur S. Somers Park in Crown Heights, Brooklyn; on Labor Day Monday, September 1, 2025, from 8-10:30am. $200. 🇹🇹
WIADCA deserves our support for keeping Caribbean heritage traditions alive in New York City.
J’Ouvert
J’Ouvert NYC 2025 pays tribute to World Steelpan Day (August 11); in Crown Heights, Brooklyn; on Labor Day Monday, September 1, 2025, from 6-11am. FREE 🇹🇹
At press time, we don’t have location information, but go to Grand Army Plaza and look for crowds.
J’Ouvert, the Carnival daybreak festival that starts in the middle of the night, is part of Trinidad Carnival tradition, but because it sometimes gets too wild, it is run by New York City’s NYPD, not by New York Carnival. If you are from Crown Heights, you know how to handle yourself. If you are not, wait for sunrise before joining J’Ouvert. Be safe and lets be good community representatives because the whole world is watching.
West Indian Day Parade (New York Carnival Parade)
New York Carnival climaxes with the West Indian Day Parade (New York Carnival Parade); on Eastern Parkway from Utica Avenue to Grand Army Plaza, in Crown Heights, Brooklyn; from 10am – 6pm. FREE with lots of food, drink, and crafts for sale. Bring cash and enjoy some good jerk, curry goat, and punch.
Go light because there is heavy security. To enter the Parade area, you will be wanded by the NYPD.
New York Carnival 2024
Vibes With Voicey Soca Concert
New York Carnival presents the Vibes with Voicey “Graduation Tour” of West Indian soca featuring Voicey (Aaron “Voice”‘ St. Louis) and over 15 more soca artists; at the Brooklyn Museum in Prospect Park; on Thursday, August 29, 2024, from 4pm – 12am. From $45. wiadcacarnival.org 🇹🇹 ~ 🇩🇲 🇬🇩 🇯🇲 🇳🇬 🇰🇳 🇻🇨
The Dress Code for the Graduation Tour is college attire with a touch of red.
The concert features:
- Voicey (Aaron “Voice”‘ St. Louis) 🇹🇹
- Nadia Batson 🇹🇹
- Kerwin Du Bois 🇹🇹
- Skinny Fabulous 🇻🇨)
- Asa Bantan 🇩🇲
- Mical Teja 🇹🇹
- Lyrikal 🇳🇬
- Ravi B (chutney) 🇹🇹
- Nailah Blackman 🇹🇹
- Pumpa 🇰🇳
- Adam O 🇻🇨
- VGHN 🇬🇩
- Jadel 🇹🇹
- Boyzie 🇬🇩
- Wadicks 🇹🇹
- GBM Nutron 🇹🇹
- Ding Dong (Jamaican dancehall) 🇯🇲
- Rane Blackman 🇹🇹
New York Carnival SocaFest
New York Carnival SocaFest features over 15 soca musicians at the Brooklyn Museum in Prospect Park; on Friday, August 30, 2024 from 8pm – 3am. From $75. wiadcacarnival.org 🇹🇹
New York Junior Carnival Parade & Youth Fest
New York Carnival and the West Indian Day Parade are important teaching moments when we pass our communal heritage to our American children. Knowing where they come from serves young people throughout their lives. It actually makes them better Americans.
The New York Junior Carnival Parade marches from Kingston Avenue and St. John’s Place, through Crown Heights, to New York Carnival Youth Fest at the Brooklyn Museum; on Saturday, August 31, 2024, from 9am – 3pm. That’s a lot of parade. Wow! FREE to watch. Sign up for Youth Fest to march. 🇹🇹
The Junior Carnival Parade route is:
- Assembles at Kingston Avenue and St. John’s Place.
- West on St. John’s Place.
- South at Franklin Ave.
- West on President St
- To Youth Fest at the Brooklyn Museum
New York Carnival Youth Fest features live performances, mas characters, Junior King and Queen, and a back-to-school giveaway; at the Brooklyn Museum on Saturday, August 31, 2024, from 9am – 4pm. $12. eventbrite.com 🇹🇹
The Youth Fest entrance is on Eastern Parkway.
New York Carnival Panorama
New York Carnival Panorama, one of America’s largest steel pan competitions, is at the Brooklyn Museum in Prospect Park; on Saturday, August 31, 2024 at 7pm. $50. eventbrite.com 🇹🇹
Dancehall & Reggae Concert
The New York Carnival Dancehall & Reggae Concert features Sizzla Kalonsji, Spragga Benz, and YG Marley backed by The Firehouse Band; outdoors at the Brooklyn Museum in Prospect Park; on Sunday, September 1, 2024 at 3pm. eventbrite.com 🇯🇲 🇯🇲 🇯🇲
- Sizzla Kalonsji (Miguel Orlando Collins) is a popular reggae singer from Kingston, Jamaica. @therealsizzlakalonji 🇯🇲
- Spragga Benz is a dancehall DJ from Kingston. @spraggabenz3 🇯🇲
- YG Marley is musical royalty, the American son of rapper Lauryn Hill and grandson of Bob Marley. @ygmarley 🇯🇲
J’Ouvert NYC
NYC’s J’ouvert Parade 2024, the main event of J’ouvert NYC 2024, marches from Nostrand Ave at Midwood St, to Empire Blvd, into Prospect Park, to Grand Army Plaza in Crown Heights, Brooklyn; on Labor Day Monday, September 2, 2024, at 6am. 🇹🇹
J’ouvert is a Caribbean Carnival celebration with French Trinidadian influences on the morning of Carnival Day. Basically people throw paint or colored powders on each other and just have a ball together. J’ouvert NYC is produced by New York City with the New York Police Department (NYPD).
West Indian Day Parade
The 57th West Indian Day Parade Brooklyn 2024 marches on Eastern Parkway from Lincoln Terrace Park to Grand Army Plaza with a presentation in front of the Brooklyn Museum. It’s in Crown Heights, Brooklyn; on Labor Day Monday, September 2, 2024, from 11am to 6pm. FREE. 🇹🇹
Sidewalks along the parade route become one giant West Indian street fair. The air smells delicious. The punch, jerk, and curry goat are excellent! Bring cash for great West Indian food, drinks, and artisanal crafts.
Trinidad Carnival
Trinidad Carnival is the “Mother of Caribbean Carnival” which is now loved around the world. Caribbeans love to joke and make fun. Trinidad Carnival began at home as families mocking the Mardi Gras masquerade balls held by French plantation owners. Trinidad has French influences from the time when the Spanish government invited settlers because it was afraid other Europeans would invade the empty land. Entire plantations moved to Trinidad from Haiti. When abolition arrived in 1838, Trinidad Carnival flowered into the beautiful celebration of freedom that we know today.
New York Carnival
Carnival is not just a parade. It is a series of community events. New York Carnival includes a Soca Concert, Youth Fest and Junior Carnival Parade, a Steel Panorama, and a Dancehall Concert. It all builds to a climax at the West Indian Day Parade on Labor Day.
“Soca” is a Trinidadian blend of African and East Indian musical traditions. Trinidad’s largest ethnic community is of East Indian descent. Soca developed in the 1970s as sort of Trinidadian soul music.
Most Americans focus on the Parade, but preparations begin six months ahead. If you really want to experience Carnival, join a mas (masquerade marching group). Then you’ll know and love Carnival in its fullness as a family and community celebration. You will have an unforgettable experience and make lifelong friends.
New York Carnival (also called Labor Day Carnival) celebrates both Carnival and Trinidad and Tobago Independence Day which was August 31, 1962. Trinidad Carnival itself is a celebration of African heritage and freedom which arrived in full on the islands on August 1, 1838. It may also be related to the yam festivals of West and Central Africa that take place in August or September. All of this is part of why Black August is a celebration of freedom fighters.
The Festival brings around two million people to Brooklyn. You should go at least once in your New York life.
Every region, country, town, community, and family has its own unique Carnival traditions, but New York Carnival will be familiar to people throughout the Caribbean, including South America’s and Central America’s Caribbean coasts. The festival both draws on and influences many Caribbean traditions including: Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, Barbados, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and Granada, Guyana, Suriname, and Belize.
It’s a traditional Pre-Lenten festival, but February is too cold to wear carnival costumes outdoors, and the Carnival vibe cannot be confined indoors. New York City also has an English heritage, and many former English colonies celebrate Carnival away from Lent.
By the way, “Trinbagonian” is the correct term for the people of Trinidad and Tobago. We use “Trinidadian” because that is what most Americans use. Tobago is a unique island with its own distinct culture. You should definitely visit, if you go to T&T.
Tickets and Information
New York Carnival is produced by WIADCA, the West Indian American Day Carnival Association. They deserve a lot of credit and support for keeping our traditions alive. Knowing our heritage traditions makes us better New Yorkers.
Facebook @newyorkcarnival
Instagram @newyorkcarnival