DETROIT, MI — Despite the downturn in the economy, is time to “jump up” in Detroit. If you are looking for a unique event Caribbean style, there is no need to go outside of Michigan. The 18th annual celebration of Caribbean culture and heritage will be held on August 14 and 15, 2010 at Hart Plaza in Detroit. This two-day event will be booming with festivities. The parade will start at the corner of Woodward and Mack at 11:00 am, and it is expected to reach the festival in Hart Plaza at Woodward and Jefferson by 1:30 pm.
Elaine Jenkins, who emigrated to the States from Jamaica said, “It is a time when people from all over the Caribbean come together to celebrate our cultural similarities. In Detroit everyone comes together, the British West Indians, the Dutch West Indians and the French West Indians and all island people in between. The best part of the festivities is listening to the music; salsa reggae, mambo, soca, meringue, calypso, pan and the list goes on.”
This event is the largest of its kind in the mid-west, and it will be packed full with Caribbean music, performances and speakers. The parade is composed of members from local Caribbean organizations, community groups, schools and businesses. The festival will be something the whole family can enjoy with live music, delicious Caribbean food, souvenirs and a family area with activities for all ages.
Attendance for the annual festival averages 100,000 over the course of the weekend, not including the hundreds of people that line the parade route. The parade will feature the colorful sights and sounds of diverse Caribbean islands. People will line the city streets waving flags that represent the various Caribbean islands while dancing along side the parade as it makes its way to Hart Plaza in Downtown Detroit.
Detroit’s “Carnival” parade was started in 1975 to bring together all Caribbean people to share their ethnicity and celebrate the magic of their culture with others. Since 1993, the celebration was expanded to include festivities at Hart Plaza including the parade.
Caribbean festivals began in the Caribbean region in the latter part of the 18th century. This extravagant pre-lenten festival of masqueraders and music is a fusing of African and early European cultures. It is this fusion that gave birth to the vibrant colorful spectacle that sweeps the Caribbean region and is now enjoyed yearly in Detroit. You can also find festivals all over the continent, including Atlanta, Toronto and Brooklyn, New York.
Kevin Forbes, President of the Caribbean Cultural and Carnival Organization said, “Colorfully costumed masqueraders from the Caribbean will be sharing in a celebration with thousands of spectators who will be singing and dancing to the beats coming from the floats. We are hoping that people will come from all over the state to join us in the festivities.”
