When's that West Indian parade?

Subject: When's that West Indian parade?

The one that's usually rowdy?

labor day. it starts the night before.

and its the highlight of the summer, and the only time you can ever find good corn on the cob in this damn city.

That parade is the best one in the city. It's not the same since Giuliani banned alcohol sales though. I miss the $1 Red Stripe truck!

Past which avenue do people find the parade unsafe? It's a rowdy crowd alright. A bit too rowdy at times. I believe a friend refered to it as a stab-fest.

i usually watch at nostrand, as thats where i live, but i've gone as far east as utica. stab-fest? hardly. though stabbings have happened over the years, it hasn't quite reached "festival" levels. and from what i understand, most of that violence has not been at random.

what always cracks me up is when people drive in from jersey and see me walking around my block and "welcome" me to my own hood. it only happens during the labor day parade.

t-fal wrote: stab-fest? hardly. though stabbings have happened over the years, it hasn't quite reached "festival" levels. and from what i understand, most of that violence has not been at random.

Let me put it this way: Labor Day is the single biggest day of the year for trauma at the Kings County Hospital Emergency Department, beating out New Year's Eve and Fourth of July. I still go to the parade in years that I have that day off, but don't kid yourself- it can be dangerous.
It's true that a lot of the violence isn't random.

I agree with t-fal. In the early days of the parade they were incidents of violence but have given way to a more civilize gathering. Perhaps the banning of alcohol have contributed to that. I am looking forward to attend the parade this fall.

What's the story with alcohol at street festivals? I know it was banned for a number of years but I've started seeing people selling beer again at street fairs. I haven't been to many this year so I haven't fully explored what the situation is, anyone know? Just wondering if the ban was lifted now that Guiliani is gone.

The parade and festival is a blast, just try and use common sense, like everything else regarding safety. I've never had a problem. Here are some pictures from last year's:

http://www.redlipstick.net/wip/index.html

Carnivore wrote: [quote=t-fal]stab-fest? hardly. though stabbings have happened over the years, it hasn't quite reached "festival" levels. and from what i understand, most of that violence has not been at random.

Let me put it this way: Labor Day is the single biggest day of the year for trauma at the Kings County Hospital Emergency Department, beating out New Year's Eve and Fourth of July. I still go to the parade in years that I have that day off, but don't kid yourself- it can be dangerous.
It's true that a lot of the violence isn't random.

I think last year it wasnt bad, the most serious incident was some people got run over by one of the floats.

Personally, it's the complete opposite of a good time for me. I just stay home all day or go away for the weekend.

Subject: pitu

Gun Play on the Parkway . . . it used to be memorialized in Calypso songs. But that was the 70's!

I've had a great time bouncing down the road every few years. If anything, it's too much like the blowing up the Macy's Thanksgiving balloons now -- too many people show up as spectators and don't want to dance!

The Brooklyn Museum hosts a pan (steel drum) competition saturday or sunday -- I've never been, so I can't say . . .

I've always hated parades -- maybe with the exception of the Halloween one in the Village -- and grew up avoiding them all like the plague. Living 2 blocks away from one is not something I'm looking forward to. I'm pretty sure I'm skipping town. I can let my roommate have fun with that.

It is fun but you will notice that someone gets killed every year... either run over by a truck, or shot, or stabbed. Also I think NYPD practices their crowd control methods there because there are so many people, and it can be a pain trying to get a good location on eastern parkway.

if i remember correctly, there were no deaths in 2002, and it rained. there was one fatal stabbing in 2003 down around utica ave, and it rained. there were the injuries related to some kids getting hit by a float last year, but at least it didn't rain. and who knows about this year. i can't remember what happened in 2001, because i was helping a friend move that day. and it was sunny as hell.


but yeah, be careful: because it used to have a bigtime rep for violence... but mostly now its an event that people take their kids to.

t-fal wrote: if i remember correctly, there were no deaths in 2002, and it rained. there was one fatal stabbing in 2003 down around utica ave, and it rained. there were the injuries related to some kids getting hit by a float last year, but at least it didn't rain. and who knows about this year. i can't remember what happened in 2001, because i was helping a friend move that day. and it was sunny as hell.


but yeah, be careful: because it used to have a bigtime rep for violence... but mostly now its an event that people take their kids to.

I don't know about the kids but a middle aged women who was working in the parade was crushed and died last year.

was she middle aged? i thought she was younger. maybe i just assumed it was a kid because of all the kids crowding around certain floats. i remember watching last year almost expecting someone to fall under the wheels of a float.

Hmm, I did a little Googling and found an article about a 21 year old girl, crushed but survived. I swear I remember seeing some woman on the news who was a grandmother and got run over in the parade, but maybe I'm mixing things up. I also found this:

"Last year, (2003) an aspiring teacher was shot to death in a dispute during the parade. In 1999, two 11-year-olds were crushed to death between two vehicles involved in the caravan. Later that night, an 18-year-old was fatally crushed after he fell from a truck and his clothing got caught in its wheels."

Link to source

I was living on St Johns for the parade last year and I remember venturing outside in the evening to what looked like a warzone of drunk, loud people. I was pretty grossed out. There was trash and food everywhere. I'm sure Washington will fare no better this year, except my apartment is now in the front of the building. :x

I barricade myself in my apartment for the West Indian Day Parade. I hate parades; I won't even go to the PR parade.

Jose wrote: I barricade myself in my apartment for the West India Day Parade. I hate parades; I won't even go to the PR parade.

Ditto. Parades blow.

daveb wrote: [quote=Jose]I barricade myself in my apartment for the West India Day Parade. I hate parades; I won't even go to the PR parade.

Ditto. Parades blow.

but i'm a sucker for fireworks...

Fireworks are a horse of a different color.

Jose wrote: Fireworks are a horse of a different color.

every thread MUST be derailed at least once, this is my good faith effort at doing so...

Jose wrote: Fireworks are a horse of a different color.

ahhhhhh memories of skipping grammer school and going to chinatown to buy fireworks and exploding trash in cadman plaza with m-80's and launching bottlerockets at the jehovas witnesses building in brooklyn heights.

Captain M wrote: [quote=Jose]Fireworks are a horse of a different color.

ahhhhhh memories of skipping grammer school and going to chinatown to buy fireworks and exploding trash in cadman plaza with m-80's and launching bottlerockets at the jehovas witnesses building in brooklyn heights.

Where did you go to school?

i am a former band geek. i have no choice but to LOVE parades, especially those with drumlines.

drums and bagpipes will bring a tear to my eye...

What time is the parade going on? Trying to book my flight to return after it's all over...

Candicissima wrote: What time is the parade going on? Trying to book my flight to return after it's all over...

I think it's scheduled to end at 5pm, but the fun (or madness, depending on your perspective) continues into the night.

By the way, for those who are planning to go to the thing, is anyone interested in going as a DH group?