The 44th annual 2011 West Indian Day Parade

whynot_31

I recently saw youth group practicing steel drums at Classon and Pacific, so Labor Day can't be far away.

Those who want to see the concerts and shows that happen behind the Brooklyn Museum are well advised to buy their tickets in advance:

http://www.wiadca.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=101:44th-annual-west-indian-carnival-festival-2011&catid=1:news-latest&Itemid=2

tsarina

Bring on the Noise! Bring on the Funk![u][i]

MOD

LOCK YOU DOORS!!!!!!

whynot_31

[readers: Mama is referencing an ancient thread]

Tsarina-

some classic Blackstar (filmed on Flatbush Ave and featuring GAP), might help set the mood.....

some random youtube coverage of last years parade.....

pragmaticguy

Please, let's not rush things. Summer seems short enough as it is.

bkchickie

Mmmm. Already thinking about the food....

And, could someone PLEASE finally explain the "lock you doors" to me? There are so many threads referenced when I search for it by the phrase.

booklaw

It's just a reference to paranoia.

whatchuwant

A completely uncalled for reference, IMO.

PragmaticGuy said:

Please, let's not rush things. Summer seems short enough as it is.

+1

whynot_31

....practicing

MOD

Nice, can't wait!

xlizellx

I can't wait for the food and music either!! -- although it means I start work the next day. So maybe let's pretend it's really far off....

whatchuwant

The rhythm section rocked. The horn section....they gots a little more practicing to do.

whynot_31

Based on the T-shirts, the group seemed to be affiliated with Medgar Evers College.

....but some of them were way too young for college, so it wasn't a traditional MEC student group.

I suspect they will look snazzier in uniforms at the parade.

mha

Yep, the West 'Indigene' Day Parade...

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=120414

whyfi

whynot_31 said:

....practicing

OT, but turn off the photo GPS tags on your phone. That, or strip the metadata before you post them online. You don't need some idiot that you irked online tracking you down. This case is pretty harmless, but I've seen people posting boastful pics (look at my new $6k bike!) from their homes, with maps attached to said pics.

/tinfoil hat

whynot_31

Whyfi-

Thanks, but my identity is not a secret.

BTW, don't forget about J'Ouvert!

Here's one person's impression of the event:

J'Ouvert or Jouvay is the pre-dawn parade / party / roving band that begins after the Dimache Gras show ends at the Brooklyn Museum sometime after 2AM (but a lot of people take a break and then J'Ouvert starts to really cook around 4AM — and J'Ouvert will still be going at dawn, if you want to "sleep in" until 6AM!). By tradition, no amplified music is allowed, only steel drums.

Steel bands (25 of them this year!) will begin gathering at the intersection of Empire Blvd, Flatbush Avenue, and Ocean Avenue at about 2AM, and a procession will start at 4AM: East on Empire, then South on Nostrand to Lefferts Blvd, the end of the procession.

Do NOT wear nice clothes! You may WILL get hit with paint, mud, talcum powder and who knows what else.

Do NOT come just to watch...you are not just encouraged to participate, you are expected to participate. As one previous attendee blogged "I was warned to Dance or go home by a very large Haitian woman in a skimpy French maid's outfit."

Do Bring Water to Drink

source: http://brooklyn.com/eventdetail-20090907012.html

whyfi

I'm guessing that your response is partially for the benefit of My Home is Anonymous, but there's a pretty big difference between "not a secret," and "broadcasting." Don't be silly. That, or get it over with and post your address in your sig line.

whynot_31

Whyfi- Nope, my stance is not related to your guess. Please see your PM.

Back on Topic:

I wonder if tickets to these events are already sold out....

MOD

Buy tickets? Has that always been there?

Why pay for a seat, when all the fun is in walking around and checking out the people, dancers and amazing food stands.

whynot_31

Mamacita said:

Buy tickets? Has that always been there?

Why pay for a seat, when all the fun is in walking around and checking out the people, dancers and amazing food stands.

The tickets are for the nightly events that occur behind the museum.

I'm pretty sure that the grandstands they set up in front of the museum on the day of the parade are only for VIPs; regular folks couldn't sit there by simply buying a ticket.

P.S. I totally agree, the real fun to be had is by walking around, looking at the outfits, sweating in the heat, and eating.

whatchuwant

That's a monster 4 day event, culminating in the actual parade. It's where all the community mas groups get to compete and display their costumes on a stage, along with musical performances. There are also TONS of food stands and whatnot throughout the parking lot.

In the past, tickets were $20 for each night. Last year, it looked like they were turning people away, but I think that's because at a certain hour, they don't let anyone else in since it gets close to closing time.

whynot_31

Despite an earthquake and a tropical storm, this festival officially kicks off on Thursday.

Ready, set, go....

The banners seemed to have survived the storm nicely

marla_singer

There are often steel drummers at Classon and Pacific, no? I think there's a little school or something there, because I see them pretty often throughout the summer. I'm not sure what it is. But that's also where that guy who has a giant cart full of drums has a base as well, based on how often I see him there.

homeowner

whynot_31 said:

Based on the T-shirts, the group seemed to be affiliated with Medgar Evers College.

....but some of them were way too young for college, so it wasn't a traditional MEC student group.

I suspect they will look snazzier in uniforms at the parade.

These kids are from MEC Preparatory School. They practice marching on Eastern Parkway throughout the school year.

tonypags314

I've seen old ladies get trampled. There are certain areas you need to stay away from because NYPD bottlenecks the crowd. I always go out for corn and chicken, then come back to St. Johns to get my keg party on. This will be my 6th year. I love it!

idlewild

tonypags314 said:

I've seen old ladies get trampled. There are certain areas you need to stay away from because NYPD bottlenecks the crowd. I always go out for corn and chicken, then come back to St. Johns to get my keg party on. This will be my 6th year. I love it!

Agreed. As much fun as the parade is to watch, the NYPD does a terrible job administering crowd control. They force a gallon of milk into a tube of toothpaste. I very much fear that the tight quarters and heat will one day cause a massive riot or a few deaths. This nonsense really does need to be dealt with. I am still going to look for the fried food and mac n' cheese stands though.

bkchickie

Idlewild said:

Agreed. As much fun as the parade is to watch, the NYPD does a terrible job administering crowd control. They force a gallon of milk into a tube of toothpaste. I very much fear that the tight quarters and heat will one day cause a massive riot or a few deaths. This nonsense really does need to be dealt with. I am still going to look for the fried food and mac n' cheese stands though.

Ugh, so true! We did the parade one year, and got caught in one bottleneck. I was truly frightened that someone was going to get trampled. No thanks. We sneak out to the parade route for some food, and then head home. That, and those floats are too damn loud.

whynot_31

Lots of videos of last years parade on Youtube.

....I think it is NYC's largest parade.

whynot_31

http://www.viceland.com/blogs/en/2011/09/01/blow-the-brain-with-below-the-brain/#more-39678

rezist

Idlewild said:

Agreed. As much fun as the parade is to watch, the NYPD does a terrible job administering crowd control. They force a gallon of milk into a tube of toothpaste. I very much fear that the tight quarters and heat will one day cause a massive riot or a few deaths. This nonsense really does need to be dealt with. I am still going to look for the fried food and mac n' cheese stands though.

Seconded. I've always been surprised at the number of people and the low level of incidences that occur and or are reported. There are many other smaller events that go on elsewhere in brooklyn that get a little out of hand each year. I've seen groping and drug dealing at the parade proper, some arguments, a few fights over the years. It's only natural that as the years go by and more people attend, something will eventually happen.

I remember years back driving through bedstuy after the parade ended and finding myself and a few passengers in the middle of a massive glass bottle war, where there was heavy police presence.

whatchuwant

whynot_31 said:

Lots of videos of last years parade on Youtube.

....I think it is NYC's largest parade.

It's the largest parade in the country.