How You Can Enjoy The Largest West Indian Parade In The U.S.!

Photo By Sfmission.com via Empireguides.com

The West Indian Day Parade will shimmy into its 45th year on Eastern Parkway this Labor Day, bringing with it the usual abundance of feathers and glitter and a healthy dose of gut-thumping bass.

Read: 7 Ways to Enjoy Carnival in Trinidad When You’re a Chilled Out Boomer

Yet, despite the parade’s long tradition and the more than 1 million spectators, many newcomers to the quickly shifting neighborhoods along Eastern Parkway have never have experienced the borough’s biggest celebration.

West Indian pride truly shines through as everyone meets up block by block for food, music and fun. It’s a huge family reunion.

While the celebration might seem short to some, the days of festivities leading up to Labor Day may come as a surprise to the uninitiated. Beginning on Thursday evening with a costume competition behind the Brooklyn Museum, the party features concerts all day Friday, a children’s parade and a steel drum competition on Saturday, a kids’ costume competition on Sunday and, of course, the traditional pre-dawn dance party J’ouvertalong Empire Boulevard and Nostrand Avenue on Monday morning.

Read: What Is Labor Day?