Caribbean: West Indian American Day Parade via Crown Heights, Brooklyn – Part 2

A few weeks back, when it was steamy and hot, Short and Bald went to Crown Heights to see the largest street parade and festival in the U.S. It’s the West Indian American Day parade – the highlight of New York’s week-long Labor Day Carnival and it’s held on the first Monday in September.

Bald: It travels past the Brooklyn Museum and Botanical Gardens along Eastern Parkway and ends up at Grand Army Plaza.

Short: Between 2 and 3 million people attend. Bald, hold my hand – I don’t wanna get lost!

Grand Army Plaza is an 11 acre circle that provides a grand entrance to beautiful Prospect Park. It was created in the late 1800’s and is sometimes called Brooklyn’s Arc de Triomphe. Eight roads meet here and new high-rise apartments have made this one of the most sought after areas in Brooklyn.

Bald: It’s crazy with traffic, but on weekends, they close off some roads for a wonderful fruit and vegie market at the park entrance.

This is the Soldier’s and Sailors’ Memorial Arch, opened in 1892. On the inside of the arch are statues of Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant. On top, is Columbia (a symbol of the US) riding a chariot.

Short: Cool!

Bald: You are! Now get down off that arch!

Looking down Eastern Parkway, you can see the huge crowds lining the end of the parade route.

This is the Brooklyn Public Library’s Central Library. Opened in 1941, it holds over a million items. Recently, it was beautifully renovated.

Beautiful, imposing entrance. The gold figures and simple, elegant columns look very Egyptian.

Bald: That explains it! I once ran into Ramses IV here in the Cooking section.

Our first glimpse of the dancers!

Bald: And I think that’s my old mate Ramses IV waiting to cross the street. Just finished his shopping. This crap economy has hit Pharoahs and paupers alike!

Some of the costumes are really sensational. And there sure is a lot of flesh on display.

Short: Sometimes, TOO much.

Bald: And sometimes, just the right amount!

Feathers and fur – what a combination!

Short: What kind of feathers are those, Bald?

Bald: Look like pheasant and ostrich to me.

Short: And these feathers?

Bald: These are from the very rare Ronald McDonald Bird.

Short: Dyed?

Bald: Dead. In fact, extinct!

All the marchers are cool about having their photos taken. With bodies like these, who wouldn’t be!

Bald: That guy on the right has a similar physique to mine, actually.

Short: If you mean he has two legs, two arms and a head, you’re right. Apart from that, there are some major differences, Bald.

Bald: Oh, I see what you mean. He has hair.

Short: Yes, that’s what I was getting at – the hair. Oh, my dear Bald…

Beautiful smile! Unfortunately, there’s been some violence at this parade in the past, but more recently, it’s returned to its joyous, sassy self.

Pretty sexy stuff. And a few dancers put on some very raunchy moves!

All colors of the rainbow! And the imposing Brooklyn Museum in the background. Live bands and DJ’s play from floats as they glide by, so there’s a constantly changing soundtrack of beats and sounds.

Coming or going, there’s eye candy here for everyone!

Clearly, a lot of effort goes into creating the costumes – and they must be heavy to wear. But after walking the length of the parade route, these girls were happy to stand for quite some time while we all took photos. “Wings” are popular.

As the parade reached its climax, the floats became more and more elaborate. Unfortunately, that meant the crowd got larger – in some places it was 10 to 20 deep from the barricade, making it almost impossible to get good photos.

You can see how complex this float is – even if you can’t quite make out what it is!

This one is a scorpion – and it’s being moved along by one person!

A butterfly-type contraption! Official photographers are allowed inside the barriers to get million dollar shots, while Short and Bald type people have to resort to desperate measures.

Short: Bald, can you get off my shoulders now? You’re pretty heavy!

Bald: Just give me another half hour…

Can’t help you here… Big, purple, feathery, orange and black,,,

Bald: Some kind of mutant ostrich/butterfly?

Short: An Ostrifly! Or a Butterrich!

Hundreds of street vendors sell flags from all the West Indian countries and, of course, Bob Marley bits and pieces.

You can see how big the crowd is in front of the Brooklyn Museum. This subway entrance was closed during the parade.

Brooklyn Museum is the second largest art museum in New York and one of the biggest in the country. It’s famous for its large ancient Egyptian gallery and African art collection. The Beaux-Arts building was built using classical masonry techniques and opened in 1897. A controversial, but, we think, beautiful lower-level glass foyer was added in recent years.

Short: They also have some fantastic visiting exhibitions.

Bald: If you’re in town, go! It’s right on the park and makes a fantastic day out.

Up on Bald’s shoulders, Short took this photo looking down Eastern Parkway. There were literally millions of people milling off into the distance. Smoke from roast pits and smokers filled the air.

Short: It was starting to get a bit scary, actually. So many TALL people!

Bald: We actually got separated a few times – thank god for cell phones.

Locals have the best vantage points, up and away from all the craziness.

On the way home, we walked back through Grand Army Plaza past the Bailey Fountain, opened in 1932. It’s a cool, shady spot on a hot summer day.

Once again, there were hawkers selling West Indian, Caribbean flags.

The fountain was named after a Brooklyn philanthropist who built it in honor of his late wife.

Short: I should be late more often. Maybe you’ll build me a fountain, Bald.

The fountain features mythical figures and a couple of nudes! One male, one female representing Wisdom and Felicity. Up to you to work out which is which!

And what good water fountain is complete without this crazy guy – Neptune, the god of water.

Bald: He’s obviously having a fun time in there. Just like we did today.

Short: Yeah. Either that, or the water is INCREDIBLY cold! Yowwwweeeee!!!!!

What a fun day! The West Indian parade is just about the biggest outdoor event we’ve ever attended. There is a huge amount to see, but to be honest, it was a little bit overwhelming.

Bald: Looking forward to a quiet cup of tea after that, eh, Short?

Short: First one home has to put the kettle on.

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