Coronavirus Update NYC: J'Ouvert canceled but some virtual events will go on

J'Ouvert Brooklyn 2021 canceled due to COVID-19 concerns

ByEyewitness News WABC logo
Monday, August 30, 2021
J'Ouvert canceled but some virtual events will go on
The J'Ouvert celebration, normally held on Labor Day in Brooklyn, is postponed for another year, Mayor Bill de Blasio officially announced on Monday.

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- The J'Ouvert celebration, normally held on Labor Day in Brooklyn, is postponed for another year, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Monday.

"This is never easy for people to postpone a cherished tradition, but I think it's the right thing to do and a great alternative has been put together that will link us from this year to next year when we can bring everything back," de Blasio said.

West Indian American Day Carnival Association said the parade carnival will once again be mostly virtual, although there will be in-person events.

"In order to keep our communities safe and sound and just be prepared for another pandemic that may hit us hard again, we want to take preventative measures and find alternative ways to celebrate our culture and what it means to be Caribbean," Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn said.

A three-day festival of "virtual and smaller in person events" will be held starting Thursday, September 2.

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