Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway exploded with color, music, and culture on Labor Day as the New York Carnival marked its 58th anniversary with a massive celebration of Caribbean pride and creativity.
Organized by the West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA), the event is recognized as the nation’s largest Caribbean cultural festival, drawing more than a million revelers and spectators each year. WABC-TV Channel 7 proudly sponsored the 2025 New York Carnival Parade, streaming the festivities live across abc7NY.com, mobile and connected TV apps, YouTube, and TikTok.
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For many, the parade—often called the West Indian Day Parade—was a long-awaited highlight of the summer. “We live in upstate New York, we drove two hours to get here,” said Eugene Jarvis. “Awesome, just the vibes of the Caribbean, the people, the food, the music.” Fellow spectator Kim Eastwood agreed: “I love it. It’s nice weather, nice culture, everybody just having a good time.”
The festivities kicked off at midnight with J’ouvert, rolling seamlessly into the grand parade, where steel drums echoed, and Caribbean heritage took center stage. This year’s theme, Vive Le Carnivale, brought dazzling costumes, pulsating rhythms, and vibrant performances representing the full sweep of the Caribbean diaspora.
“This is a costume from the Barbados Carnival called Crop Over, and the parade I was in is called the Kadooment,” explained reveler Andrea Brown, proudly showcasing her outfit. Nyallah Fowler, Miss 2024 Panamanian Queen, described her look as “beautiful, colorful, and all love.” For reveler Yaridzel Morrison, the day was about more than spectacle. “I’m celebrating life—the party, the food, everything about the countries being celebrated.”
The celebration also drew dignitaries, including New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who reflected on his lifelong ties to the Carnival. “I’ve been participating and enjoying this parade since I was a 15-year-old boy,” Adams said. “Now, to be out here as mayor means a lot. This is a rich and important community, and I’m happy to celebrate it.”
Festivities stretched beyond the parade, including Saturday night’s spirited steelband competition, where community bands faced off for bragging rights.
The New York Carnival’s roots trace back to the 1920s in Harlem before moving to Brooklyn in the mid-1960s, where it has since grown into one of the city’s most vibrant and unifying cultural traditions.
