Caribbean Carnival

Trinidad and Tobago Carnival

Caribbean Carnival is the term used for a number of events that take place in many of the Caribbean islands annually.

The Caribbean's carnivals all have several common themes, many originating from Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, based on folklore, culture, religion,and tradition (thus relating to the European use of the word, not amusement rides, as the word "carnival" is often used to mean in American English). Carnival tradition is based on a number of disciplines including: "Playing Mas"/masquerade; calypso music and crowning a Calypso King or Monarch; Panorama (steel band competition); J'ouvert morning; and a number of other traditions.

Local Caribbean carnivals

Approximate dates are given for the concluding festivities. Carnival season may last for over a month prior to the concluding festivities, and the exact dates vary from year to year.

• Anguilla  – Anguilla Summer Festival, early August
• Antigua and Barbuda
  • Antigua  – Antigua Carnival, early August
  • Barbuda  – Caribana, early June
• Aruba  – Carnival, February, Ash Wednesday
• The Bahamas  – Junkanoo, late December/early January
• Barbados  – Crop Over, early August
• Belize  – Carnival, September
• Bonaire  – Carnival, February Ash Wednesday
• British Virgin Islands
  • Tortola  – BVI Emancipation (August) Festival, early August
  • Virgin Gorda  – Virgin Gorda Easter Festival Celebrations, late March/early April
• Cayman Islands  – Batabano, late April/early May
• Cuba
  • Cuba  – Carnival of Santiago de Cuba, July
  • Cuba  – Havana Carnival, July/August
• Curaçao  – Carnival, February, Ash Wednesday
• Dominica  – Carnival, February, Ash Wednesday
• Dominican Republic  – Dominican Carnival, February, Dominican Independence Day
• Grenada
  • Carriacou  – Carriacou Carnival, February, Ash Wednesday
  • Grenada  – Spicemas, early August
• Guadeloupe  – Carnaval - February, Ash Wednesday
• Guyana  – Mashramani (Mash), February 23, Guyanese Republic Day
• Haiti  – Kanaval, February, Ash Wednesday
• Jamaica  – Bacchanal, late March/early April
• Martinique  – Carnival, February, Ash Wednesday
• Montserrat  – Montserrat Festival, early January, New Year's Day
• Puerto Rico  – Carnaval de Ponce, February, Ash Wednesday
• Saba  – Saba Summer Festival, late July/early August
• Saint-Barthélemy  – Carnival, February, Ash Wednesday
• Saint Lucia  – Carnival, July
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Saint Kitts  – Carnival, December/January
  • Nevis  – Culturama, late July/early August
• Saint-Martin  – Carnival, February, Ash Wednesday
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines  – Vincy Mas, late June/early July
• Saint Eustatius  – Statia Carnival, late July/early August
• Sint Maarten  – Carnival, late April/early May
• Trinidad and Tobago
  • Trinidad  – Carnival, February, Ash Wednesday
  • Tobago  – Tobago Carnival, February, Ash Wednesday
• Turks and Caicos  – Junkanoo, late December/early January, Three King's Day
• United States Virgin Islands
  • Saint Croix  – Crucian Carnival, late December/early January Three King's Day
  • Saint John  – St. John Festival, June through July 3 & 4, V.I. Emancipation Day and U.S. Independence Day
  • Saint Thomas  – V.I. Carnival, April through early May

International Caribbean carnivals

Canada

File:Carifest 2008 054.JPG

Carifest Parade in Calgary

• "Caribe-Expo" – In the city of Ottawa in Ontario, Canada.
• "Carifiesta" – In the city of Montreal in Quebec, Canada, typically 2–3 weeks before Toronto's Caribana.
• "Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival Toronto" – In Toronto, Ontario, it draws close to a million visitors to the city. Formerly "Caribana", it is known as the best Caribbean carnival outside of Trinidad and Tobago.
• "Carnival"(cancelled)  – In the city of Hamilton, 1 week after Toronto's Caribana.
• "Carifest" – In the city of Edmonton in Alberta, Canada.
• "Cariwest" – Held annually the second week of August in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Cariwest boasts an amazing display of masqueraders in the main parade, and is a beautiful festival full of food and entertainment in the heart of downtown.
• Barrie's Caribfest (parade has been cancelled since 2011) is Canada’s second largest Caribbean festival. It is held on the shores of Lake Simcoe in the beautiful city of Barrie. However, the activities extend throughout downtown Barrie as the costume bands wind through downtown streets, along Lakeshore Drive to Centennial Park, the location of the main stage. This dynamic, exciting event features some of the best Canadian and international Caribbean performers in music, dance, costumes, and world drumming.

A unique attraction distinguishing this Caribbean event is its location. This dynamic, exciting event features some of the best Canadian and international Caribbean performers in music, dance, costumes, and world drumming. Events are held from Friday to Sunday throughout every third weekend of August. The Grand Parade in Toronto is held on the first Saturday of August to commemorate the abolition of the slave trade on August 1st, 1838.

France

2014 Tropical Carnival of Paris

• Carnaval Antillais de Colombes – every year late June.
• Carnaval Tropical de Paris – every year early July.
• Carnaval of French West Indies, about two months between the Sunday of Epiphany and Ash Wednesday

Germany

• Berlin – Karneval der Kulturen (Carnival of Cultures), every year in May (Whitsuntide weekend)

The Netherlands

• Rotterdam – "Summer Carnival" Zomercarnaval: occurs every year in July. Each year there are more than 800.000 visitors.

United Kingdom

File:LeedsCarnival20085617.jpg

Chapeltown Carnival, Leeds

Leicester Caribbean Carnival

• Birmingham – Birmingham International Carnival
• Isle of Wight  –
• Leicester – Leicester Caribbean Carnival
• London – Notting Hill Carnival - in Notting Hill, Northwest London,
• Leeds – Leeds West Indian Carnival - sometimes referred to as Chapeltown Carnival; the oldest West Indian Carnival in Europe.
• Manchester – Caribbean Carnival of Manchester - the second oldest Caribbean Carnival in the country - in Alexandra Park
• Nottingham – Nottingham Caribbean Carnival, at the Forest Recreation Ground in Nottingham,
• Bristol – St Pauls Carnival
• Preston – Preston Caribbean Carnival

United States

• Atlanta Carnival 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.
• Boston, MA – last Saturday in August, Dorchester, MA
• Cambridge, MA – Cambridge Carnival International, Sunday following Labor Day  – 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.
• Dallas Carnival - Typically held the 3rd week in September
• Austin, TX – Carnaval Brasileiro, February 3
• Miami Broward Caribbean Carnival Miami, FL – the second weekend in October, Columbus Day weekend.
• Houston, TX – usually the weekend around Fourth of July.
• Jersey City, NJ  – the fourth Saturday of July from Lincoln Park (Jersey City) parade route leading to the Festival at Exchange Place.
• Long Island, NY – weekend after Labor Day Carnival – Held in Hempstead
• Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Carnival, Parade of the Bands, fourth weekend of June.
• Minneapolis, MN – CARIFEST – usually held the fourth weekend of July along West River Road right next to the Mississippi River. (www.Carifest.org)

Labor Day Carnival

• New Orleans, LA – in November, the bayou Bacchanal is held on the first Saturday in downtown and Armstrong Park.
• New York, NY – Labor Day Carnival – held in Brooklyn, along Eastern Parkway, with over 2.3 million visitors annually
• Orlando, FL – usually held the last weekend in May, which is typically Memorial Day weekend. Most recently been held at the Citrus Bowl.
• Raleigh/Durham, NC CaribMask usually held on the third Saturday in August.
• San Francisco, CA – Carnaval San Francisco – last weekend in May, usually falls on Memorial Day weekend
• Seattle, WA – Pioneer Square, annual Fat Tuesday celebration.
• Tacoma, WA – PLU campus Carnival, near Fat Tuesday
• Tampa, FL – usually held the beginning of June in St. Petersburg, FL (Greater Tampa Bay Area) at Vinoy Park. Recently moved for 2011 to Raymond James Stadium.
• Norfolk, VA – Virginia CaribFest,(2nd weekend in July)
• Washington D.C. – DC Caribbean Festival, usually between June 16–24 every year.
• Worcester, MA  – Worcester Caribbean American Carnival, The day after Boston, MA Carnival.
• Charleston Carifest, Charleston, SC – third weekend in June (a week before DC Caribbean Festival).

See also

• Antigua Carnival
• Caribbean
• CARIFESTA
• Carnival Road March
• J'ouvert
• List of calypso musicians
• List of chutney musicians
• List of islands in the Caribbean
• Mardi Gras
• Trinidad Carnival

External links

• Barrie Carnival
• Caribbean Carnivals database
• Carnival Info
• Information about Moko Jumbies and a USA band
• Miami Carnival's Official Site
• Broward County In South Florida's Carnival Site
• Caribbean Carnaval Official Site
• Carnaval Tropical de Paris
• Caribbean Choice Carnival Connection