Celebrate the Caribbean
Feel the rhythm of Carnival culture with steel drums, stilt walkers, and costumed dancers at this island family fête!
Get moving at Afro-Caribbean dance workshops, play steelpan, create a carnival headdress, and enjoy the flavors of the islands at our pop-up food marketplace.
Presented with the West Indian American Day Carnival Association.
SCHEDULE
WIADCA Carnival Headdress Workshop
🕒 10:15 am – 12:15 pm & 1:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Visit the ColorLab Art Studio and make your own vibrant carnival headdress and bracelets with WIADCA, the West Indian American Day Carnival Association. Join WIADCA for a procession to the rooftop dance party at these times: 11:30 am, 12:15 pm, 2:00 pm, and 2:45 pm.
C is for Carnival Storytime
🕒 11:00 am – 11:20 am
Kick off our day of celebration and learn about the ABC’s of Carnival at a special storytime with Atiba T. Edwards, Brooklyn Children’s Museum’s President. Go on a journey through the alphabet exploring Carnival traditions and their meaning in Caribbean culture as Atiba reads C is for Carnival by Yolanda T. Marshall.
Sounds of Steelpan with Harmony Music Makers
🕒 11:00 am – 1:30 pm & 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Join the pannists of Harmony Music Makers as they introduce the significance of steel-pan in Caribbean culture and teach the basics of playing the instrument.
Afro-Caribbean Dance with CarNYval Dancers
🕒 11:30 am – 12:00 pm & 1:45 pm – 2:15 pm
Immerse yourself in the movements of Afro-Caribbean dance with CarNYval Dancers dance group. Afterwards, join in and learn a few dance moves!
Kalinda Workshop: Rhythm, Resistance & Caribbean Identity
🕒 12:15 pm – 1:15 pm
Learn about the Caribbean martial art of Kalinda through this workshop which combines music, movement, storytelling, rhythm studies, oral tradition, and collaborative participation. Presented by Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival and Something Positive.
Steelpan Storytime
🕒 1:15 pm – 1:45 pm
Learn about the origins of steelpan in this storytime that celebrates World Steelpan Day (8/11). Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival presents a reading of Spree: The Boy Who Made the Steelpan Sing by Celeste Mohammed with live interactive Steelpan accompaniment.
Sesame Flyers – Youth Company / Moko Jumbies and Rhythm section
🕒 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm
See the colorful costumes of the award-winning Sesame Flyers International! Youth Dancers and Moko Jumbies (stilt walkers) will lead dance performance culminating in a musical performance featuring the rhythms of the Caribbean.