Part of what makes South Florida sizzle is our
unique multi-cultural community and no weekend stirs so many dancing
feet as CARNIVAL MIAMI when live bands, calypso music and elaborate
feathered costumes fill our streets with magic! Caribbean carnivals kick
off in February - Mardi Gras season in Trinidad and Tobago - where
everyone gathers to honor the folklore, culture and religion of the
islands. Highlights include dramatic masquerade pageants, steel band
competitions and the crowning of a Carnival King & Queen.
Miami's Caribbean Festival takes place over Columbus
Day Weekend and includes music, dance, enchanting costumes and rhythmic
drumming. Guests from across the Caribbean fly in to take part in the
parades and new competitions for decorative floats and fancy dress are
added each year. In 1990, the first Junior Carnival Parade was staged
the day before the main parade to encourage all South Florida kids to
join with thousands of their Caribbean classmates and participate in
this diverse celebration.
If you wish to attend this year's 25th Anniversary
Gala, get ready for days of family fun, face painting for the kids and
lots of great ethnic foods from all across the Islands. A 6-mile parade
of 20 masquerade bands kicks off on October 9 with lots of beads,
feathers and a dazzling array of colors. Steel Bands also compete in
"Panorama," a championship match featuring musicians from across the
globe. Also filling the streets with a calypso beat, Music Trucks roll
slowly through Miami Gardens filled with racks of speakers, DJs and
feathered dancers. Finally Sun Life Stadium hosts the "Band of the Year"
competition where the judges finally bestow the Carnival Crown!
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