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How to get around as J'Ouvert, West Indian Day parade take over Brooklyn
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Sep 3, 2026
Modified Sep 4, 2026
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Participants wear colorful costumes in the annual West Indian Day parade on Sept. 4, 2023.
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Sep 3, 2026
Modified Sep 4, 2026
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The annual West Indian American Day Carnival on Monday will turn Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway into one of the largest cultural celebrations New York City has to offer.
Masses of people are expected to flock to the parade on Monday, which officially steps off at 11 a.m. and runs until 6 p.m. They'll celebrate Caribbean culture with elaborate costumes, vibrantly decorated floats, and bands playing steelpan, soca, calypso, and reggae. Along the parade route, vendors will be serving dishes like jerk chicken and roti, along with refreshing tropical beverages.
But the broader celebration extends far beyond those hours. It’s the culmination of the NY Carnival Week, organized by the West Indian American Day Carnival Association. The events include Blocko Mania on Thursday and Soca Fest Music Festival on Friday, both featuring live musical performances. Saturday will bring the YouthFest and Junior Carnival, celebrating youth during the day, and then in the evening, New York Panorama, a steel-pan competition ahead of the parade. Unlike the main occasion, these events are ticketed and held at and around the Brooklyn Museum.
J’Ouvert, a traditional pre-dawn street celebration kicking off Carnival in Caribbean cultures, also takes place Monday. Its name comes from the French words "jour ouvert," meaning "daybreak" or "morning," and it signals the start of Carnival. The official J’Ouvert event in New York City, held by J’Ouvert City International, was moved to daylight hours due to safety concerns in 2017, and now begins at at 6 a.m.
Below we’ve included a list of street closures for the parade and the days leading up to it:
Parade routes and road closures
Street closures for the parade are already in effect to allow for construction, according to the Department of Transportation. Organizers haven’t shared the main parade route just yet, but according to the department, parade routes for J’Ouvert and the West Indian American Day Carnival will stretch along the following streets and will be in effect through the festival day:
- 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 street closures include:
- Grand Army Plaza (entire circle)
- Butler Place between Grand Army Plaza and Sterling Place
- St. Johns Place between Underhill Avenue and Grand Army Plaza
- Flatbush Avenue between Grand Army Plaza and Caton Avenue
- Washington Avenue between Sterling Place and Lincoln Road
- Bedford Avenue between Eastern Parkway and Empire Boulevard
- Rochester Avenue between East New York Avenue and Sterling Place
- Buffalo Avenue between Eastern Parkway and East New York Avenue
- Ralph Avenue between Eastern Parkway and East New York Avenue
- Ocean Avenue between Empire Boulevard and Parkside Avenue
- Nostrand Avenue between Empire and Linden boulevards
- Eastern Parkway (main and service Roads) between Plaza Street East and Howard Avenue
- Lincoln Place between Eastern Parkway and East New York Avenue
- Rockaway Parkway between East New York Avenue and Kings Highway
- East New York Avenue between Howard and Utica avenues
- Parkside Avenue between Park Circle and Flatbush Avenue
The following streets are also closed for the West Indian American Day Junior Carnival parade Route on Saturday:
- St. John's Place between Kingston and Franklin avenues
- Franklin Avenue between St. Johns Place and President Street
- President Street between Franklin and Classon avenues
- Classon Avenue between President Street and Eastern Parkway
- Washington Avenue between Eastern Parkway and Carroll Street
- President Street between Classon and Washington avenues
- Washington Avenue between Sterling Place and Empire Boulevard
Parade and Labor Day Weekend transit changes
The MTA has not announced specific bus route detours yet, but the parade does cut off several lines, including the B44 and B49.
Aside from the parade road closures, there will also be changes to public transportation over Labor Day Weekend. Generally, the MTA runs buses and trains on a Sunday schedule on Mondays. For more information, check the MTA’s website.
Correction: This story has been updated to correct the schedule for J’Ouvert City International's celebration.
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Race And Justice Unit
brooklyn
events
new york city
Catalina Gonella
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