West Indian Day Parade Returns To Brooklyn: What To Know

CROWN HEIGHTS— The annual West Indian American Day Parade will close streets across Brooklyn Monday, with thousands expected to line Eastern Parkway for the city’s largest Caribbean celebration.

The parade officially steps off at 11 a.m. and runs until 6 p.m.

Bands will fill Eastern Parkway with steelpan, soca, calypso and reggae as parade participants move along the route in elaborate costumes and decorated floats.

Food vendors will serve Caribbean favorites including jerk chicken and roti, along with tropical drinks. Vendors will also sell parade memorabilia and other goods along Eastern Parkway.

The parade caps New York Carnival Week, organized by the West Indian American Carnival Association.

Events continue Friday with the Soca Fest Music Festival from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. at the Brooklyn Museum.

Saturday features YouthFest and the Junior Carnival from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., followed by New York Panorama, a steel-pan competition, with gates opening at 6 p.m. and the competition beginning at 7 p.m.

All three events take place at the Brooklyn Museum and require tickets.

Which Streets Will Close?

Street closures have already begun, according to the New York City Department of Transportation.

The main parade and J’Ouvert routes include:

• Eastern Parkway between Ralph Avenue and Plaza Street West
• Flatbush Avenue between Grand Army Plaza and Empire Boulevard/Ocean Avenue
• Empire Boulevard between Flatbush and Nostrand avenues
• Nostrand Avenue between Empire Boulevard and Rutland Road

Additional closures include parts of Grand Army Plaza, Butler Place, St. Johns Place, Washington Avenue, Bedford Avenue, Rochester Avenue, Buffalo Avenue, Ralph Avenue, Ocean Avenue, Lincoln Place, Rockaway Parkway, East New York Avenue and Parkside Avenue.

The Junior Parade on Saturday will also close portions of St. Johns Place, Franklin Avenue, President Street, Classon Avenue and Washington Avenue.

Why Are There Extra Barricades?

The New York Police Department typically lines Eastern Parkway with steel barriers to separate parade spectators from the route.

This year’s setup adds two lines of barricades along the service road days before the parade.

The barriers have created obstacles for people trying to cross the street or reach vehicles.

“It’s like they’re encaging us, like animals,” Georges Nathan, a 78-year-old resident of an apartment building on Eastern Parkway, told the Gothamist.

The parade has drawn heightened security in recent years. Six people were shot near the parade route last year as the celebration ended, according to police.

How Will The Parade Affect Transit?

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has not yet announced specific bus detours for the parade.

The event will affect several bus routes, including the B44 and B49.

Subway and bus service will also follow the agency’s regular Labor Day holiday schedule, which generally means Sunday service.

Riders should check the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for the latest service changes before traveling.