NEW YORK (September 11, 2009) - Saint Lucian nationals joined their Caribbean friends and relatives to celebrate the spirit of Caribbean culture on Brooklyn's Eastern Parkway this past Labor Day Monday for the 42nd West Indian American Day Labor Day Carnival Parade, where Caribbean culture, cuisine and camaraderie took center stage for the day.

"It was yet another beautiful spectacle of the creative Caribbean spirit in New York City," said Lorine St. Jules of the Saint Lucia Tourist Board in New York, who joined fellow West Indians and Friends of the Caribbean for the customary spirited festivities of the holiday weekend.

Saint Lucia was represented on the parkway by the Karma carnival band whose revelers kept Saint Lucian flags flying high in their adopted homeland. And of course, as the weather chills down in New York after Labor Day, the message to New Yorkers is, "You've seen the Caribbean in New York, now that summer is over, it's time to keep up the heat - and see Saint Lucia and the Caribbean yourself."

Photographs of the Saint Lucian celebration are available here:

1) http://docs.google.com/View?id=dgsbbfz_1161ft3pcqc6

2) http://docs.google.com/View?id=dgsbbfz_1163fv8zq9cj

3) http://docs.google.com/View?id=dgsbbfz_1165hw5wfxfb

4) http://docs.google.com/View?id=dgsbbfz_1167z5x28sf5

Photo Credit: Margot Jordan

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ABOUT SAINT LUCIA
 
One of the Windward Islands of the West Indies' Lesser Antilles, Saint Lucia (pronounced Saint LOO-sha) is nestled halfway down the eastern Caribbean archipelago. The "Helen of the West Indies," Saint Lucia is known for its natural beauty and diverse attractions, including the signature Piton Mountains - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - a tropical rainforest with one of the world's few drive-in volcanoes. Its rich cultural offerings include the bustling marketplace in the capital of Castries, quaint fishing villages along the coastline, and the annual Saint Lucia Jazz festival. Saint Lucia's wide range of accommodations includes world-class, five-star resorts; all-inclusive resorts; intimate inns and value-oriented properties. For information about the island of Saint Lucia, call (888) 4- STLUCIA, or visit www.stlucia.org.