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Photos by Cindy Palmer Photography
NY Labor Day Parade 2008
Date: Monday 1st September 2008
Location: Eastern Parkway. Brooklyn, NY
Promotions: West Indian American Day Carnival Association
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As we embark yet another year on the Eastern Parkway and get ready to play "Mas", it seems as though the parade gets bigger and better every year (if that's even possible). Ah remember coming to my first Labor Day on de Parkway, I was about 18yrs and was shocked to see so many island folks in one place - and such a diversity - I felt like I was in Trinidad for ah second.

Now mind you, it's not just us island people that come out, this parade has turned out to be one of NYC's largest and most diverse in 40 or so years than it's been running, each coming year, a good bit of new soca and reggae hits are released with the artists repping them on the floats. I even remember a younger Machel Montano and his "Big Truck" and jamming with my girls behind the big truck. It was one of the best and most memorable experiences I could remember.

As for J'ouvert ... well that's a whole other story. I do remember having one of the best "Trini style" corn soup early J'ouvert morning, coming right from Calypso City (you remember that club?) and then running home to shower and change to return for the ultimate "Jump Up" on de Parkway. I also remember getting back home around 10pm and feeling like my foot was going to fall off. I guess it's the price we pay for a good fete.

Now getting back to 2008, we decided to take a stroll down de parkway and catch the parade as it was coming up. Now with the crowd on the sidelines so thick it was so hard to walk, getting through was a mission, or more like mission impossible! Finally I got thru all that thick thick crowd and decided it was time to eat, cause all my nose smelling was some good food!

So get this, I went to get some corn soup, and de guy give me this big big piece ah corn... lawd. Ah could'nt even hold it! It went down rhel good though. Ok, with my belly full, we set off to link up with the rest of the crew who were jamming with Hawks Int'l. Well, that was yet another mission impossible for sure!

We completely missed when the band passed and with all the barricades and huge amounts of people all over the place it was hopeless! Big Steeeuuups!!! We did manage to jam randomly with other floats passing by but after hearing that D’Bandit (Toronto) was runnin' chunes with Hawks Int'l, we were too vex to enjoy the rest of the day! Not to mention everything was already fuzzy with all the drinkin', jammin' and no sleep. Next year we jamming with the band from start to finish fuh sure!!!

Overall, the day was not an entire bust. The weather was great, we eat ah food and there weren’t any violent incidences while we were out there (not like last year). 2009 we ready fuh yuh!

Picture Dis Juice

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Related Galleries
 NY Labor Day 2008 Coverage
NY Labor Day 2007 Coverage