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42nd Annual Labor Day Carnival Festival - Sept 3rd to Sept 7th, 2009
22 August 2009 08:18 am
Caribbean residents in New York are gearing up for one of the biggest events in the American cultural calendar - the West Indian American Day Labor Carnival to be held on Monday, September 7, 2009.
The 42nd annual festival will commence with events and live concerts, held at the Brooklyn Museum grounds and culminate on Monday September 7th, with the renowned Labor Day Carnival Parade on Eastern Parkway in Flatbush, Brooklyn. This year WIADCA joins with the American Cancer Society and the US Census Bureau with the theme "Jump for the Cure, Jump Up and be Counted, " in an effort to highlight the importance of regular cancer screenings and Census tracking in the Caribbean community. "I am committed to harnessing the titanic power of the millions of people on Eastern Parkway by putting the spotlight on important causes in our community" says WIADCA's President, Yolanda Lezama-Clark.
The Labor Day Carnival Parade showcases the unique, vibrant and energetic Caribbean cultural heritage in New York City. Grand Marshals for 2009 are: New York State Governor David A. Paterson, General Colin L. Powell (Ret), Mark Cornell, CEO-Moet Hennessy USA and Joseph J. Esposito, NYPD Chief of the Department. Leading the parade festivities, will be the VIP Awards Breakfast.
Immediately following, WIADCA president, Yolanda Lezama-Clark will join New York's Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Governor David A. Paterson and Grand Marshals to cut the symbolic ribbon at Utica Ave & Eastern Parkway at 11am.
Kicking off the weekend's events will be the Clash of the Calypso Titans on Thursday September 3rd. Also slated for a jam-packed weekend are performances by some of the Caribbean's most exciting Soca & Kaiso super-stars from many of the Islands, alongside younger calypsonians, steelband panorama competition, junior carnival and king & queen of the bands competition.
Millions of revelers and spectators are expected to attend again this year. Visitors from all across the USA, Canada, the Caribbean and other international locations attend the five-day festival annually as part of their vacation-fuelling over $200 million into the City's coffers. Last year, an estimated 100,000 individuals attended the live concerts events at Brooklyn Museum grounds.
WIADCA also supports and promotes higher education and is supported by CUNY & Coca Cola to again offer five Scholarships in three categories: Arts & Culture, Medicine, Law & Business. More than 98 College student recipients has benefited to date bringing with an additional five for 2009.
The West Indian-American Day Carnival Association, Inc. (WIADCA) is a not-for-profit, tax exempt organization established in 1967 and is the driving force behind the West Indian Carnival Festival Parade in Brooklyn. While WIADCA is most known for the affectionately named, "Labor Day Parade," its main focus is to develop, teach and promote Caribbean arts and culture in the New York Metropolitan Area. WIADCA is the organizer and registered property owner of the West Indian American Day Carnival in New York City.
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