Anyone living near Crown Heights knows that Labor Day means it’s time for the Caribbean pride festival known as the West Indian Parade.  If you haven’t been, that’s the one where people out dress and out dance the Mermaid Parade by a long shot.  For most New Yorkers, it’s something like Times Square on New Year’s Eve.  We stay away.

The festivities start today and culminate with Monday’s parade down Eastern Parkway. The Brooklyn Museum (our neighbor up the street) acts as a hub for the entire gig; hence, Reclaimed Home will be closed Saturday through Monday as this is right in our backyard and we feel that it will not only be crazy hectic, but nobody will be able to get through the traffic to load large pieces into their vehicles.

If you do decide to venture out to the parade or any of the weekend events, it’s worth the trip and don’t forget to bring your camera! Even I, a jaded native New Yorker, did go once…which is more than I can say for New Year’s Eve in Times Square.  I also went to the Mermaid Parade two whole times! But that was back when it first started and only included a few eccentrics.

I digress.

Here’s the schedule of events for West Indian pride:

Thursday, August 28th: Caribbean Woodstock. 7pm-1am. Tickets $30
Featuring Skinny Banton, Problem Child, Mikey, Zouk and the Gang and more.

Friday, August 29: Stay in School Youth Fest. 11am-3pm. Free
Talent show-case highlighting the leaders of tomorrow as they perform hip-hop, dance, steel-pan, karate, fashion, spoken word and much more. This event is meant to encourage young people to pursue higher education and develop their talents.

Friday, August 29th: Brass Fest. 6pm-3am. Tickets are $55
Featuring Machel Montano HD, Patrice Roberts, Farmer Nappy, more.

Saturday, August 30th: Kiddies Carnival 9am-3pm. Free
Featuring a whole bunch of cuteness along with tired parents who stayed out the entire night before.

Saturday, August 30th: Steel Band Panorama. 8pm start. Tickets are $45.
Competitive steel-pan showdown for the 2014 Panorama Championship crown!

Sunday, August 31st: Dimanche Gras. Doors open at 6pm. Tickets are $40
The final concert features the King and Queen of the bands competition and winners from previous nights. Performances from The Mighty Sparrow, King David Rudder, Lord Nelson and more.

Monday, September 1st. The Parade. 11am-6pm on Eastern Parkway from Schenectady to Flatbush. Free