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J'Ouvert, Pre-West Indian Day Parade Event, Starts At 2 AM!
By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 2, 2012
Modified Sep 2, 2012
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By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 2, 2012
Modified Sep 2, 2012
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Millions will attend the West Indian-American Day Parade tomorrow (Monday, September 3) at 11 a.m., but the celebration actually gets started in a few hours at 2 a.m. with J'ouvert. Here's how the Daily News describes it: A "predawn, precarnival procession that features hand-pushed racks of nonamplified steel bands and other percussionist instruments, masqueraders wearing in oil, mud, powder and paint and revelers satirically costumed to mock celebrities and VIPS."
However, after last year's West Indian Day Parade-related issues—the dirty dancing with cops, a City Councilman being arrested by cops—the West Indian American Day Carnival Association is emphasizing that it has no part in organizing J'ouvert: “People have even tried to sue us for something that happened at J’Ouvert. When the lawyers call we have to tell them they have the wrong people." In other words, if you swallow too much baby powder (it's enthusiastically thrown in the air), it might be your own fault!
The parade starts at Grand Army Plaza, and then heads down Flatbush Avenue. The MTA has suggested subway lines to get there (the 2's Church Avenue stop is closed). You can share your photos with Gothamist, by sending them to [email protected], tagging them "gothamist" on Flickr or #gothamist on Instagram, or Tweeting them to us @Gothamist. And here are some J'ouvert videos, so you know what you might be missing—or hearing at 2 a.m.:
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west indian american day parade
west indian day parade
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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