Organized by the West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA), the New York Carnival is considered the nation's largest Caribbean cultural festival attracting more than a million jubilant participants and spectators.
WABC-TV Channel 7 was a proud sponsor of the 2025 New York Carnival Parade and streamed the event live on abc7NY.com, our mobile and connected TV apps, YouTube and TikTok.
You can re-watch the 2025 New York Carnival Parade here:
Crowds of marchers and spectators descended onto Eastern Parkway to celebrate the New York Carnival Parade, more commonly known as the West Indian Day Parade to many.
For reveler Eugene Jarvis, it was a celebration worth waiting and driving into the city for.
"We live in upstate New York, we drove two hours to get here," Jarvis said. "Awesome, just the vibes of the Caribbean, the people, the food, the music."
Other spectators like Kim Eastwood agreed.
"I love it. It's nice weather, nice culture, everybody just having a good time," Eastwood said.
Caribbean culture on full display at 2025 New York Carnival Parade
The party started at midnight with J'ouvert festivities, then slid right into the parade. From steel drums banging away, to island heritage on full display.
The theme of this year's parade was "Vive Le Carnivale," with the event featuring dazzling costumes, pulsating rhythms and vibrant performances from across the Caribbean diaspora.
"This is a costume from the Barbados Carnival which is called Crop Over, and the parade that I was in is called the Kadooment, " said reveler Andrea Brown about her outfit.
Nyallah Fowler, the Miss 2024 Panamanian Queen, explained the inspiration behind her outfit for the parade.
"That it's beautiful, it's colorful and it's all love," Fowler said.
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For reveler Yaridzel Morrison, she says during the parade she is celebrating life, including the party, the food and everything about the countries being celebrated.
Among those in attendance also included New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who reflected on his history with the parade.
"When think about it, I've been participating and marching and enjoying this parade since I was a 15-year-old boy," Adams said. "So now, to be out here as the mayor means a lot, and this is a very rich and important community and I'm happy to be here enjoying this celebration."
On Saturday night, community members were treated to the sound and friendly competition between steelbands competing for bragging rights, part of the weekend-long festivities that kicked off ahead of the parade on Labor Day.
Steelbands compete for bragging rights in Brooklyn Panorama ahead of Carnival
New York's weekend-long Caribbean Carnival dates back to the 1920s, when it's believed to have started in Harlem before moving to Brooklyn in the mid-1960s, where it continues to draw millions of people each year.
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