West Indian Day Parade in New York concludes summer - officially

by Amy Judd | September 2, 2008 at 09:08 am

393 views | 0 Recommendations | 0 comments

The 102nd annual Farwell Labour Day celebration took place yesterday in New York, officially ending summer.

The weather was great, and the crowds were numerous.

Sunny skies and temperatures in the 80s made it a glorious way to conclude the four-day festival.

"It's been going great," Committee Treasurer Barb Jones said. "The weather has been beautiful for all of the activities. Everything has been very well attended."

A second demolition derby was scheduled this year. The entertainment stage was moved for better viewing and more tents and seating were added.

"We tried to keep most of the entertainment local," Jones said. "It was all free and we had a lot of participation. All were very, very entertaining. We hope to build on that for next year and have even more."

She believed attendance was up over last year, possibly because more people were staying closer to home to celebrate the holiday weekend due to the high price of gas.

One of the highlights was the annual Labour Day parade, with the theme 'Making Memories'. Also, the West Indian Day Carnival and Parade took place, featuring floats, dancers and bands, all celebrating the cultures of the Caribbean. There were over one million spectators for the parade alone.

The Labor Day Carnival, or West Indian Carnival, is an annual celebration held in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Its main event is the West Indian-American Day Parade, which attracts up to one million spectators who watch the parade on its route along Eastern Parkway. The large parade is held on the first Monday in the month of September.