Fete Until You Sweat

A few words of advice for those rare locals who (for God knows what reason) hate to party: Steer clear of downtown Miami today. In fact, if you’ve got an aversion to loud music, allergies to hot women in sequin-glitter-and-feather-festooned bikinis, and no interest in celebrating with Caribbean folks, just lock yourself away for the whole week. Miami Carnival will be in full swing today, and the raucous street parade and festival will create some serious jamming all along Second Avenue and Biscayne Boulevard en route to the festival grounds at Bicentennial Park.

“The Miami Carnival is in its 23rd year, and it’s become an institution in Miami. Visitors will be coming from all over the world for this event. The city and the county have been tremendously supportive,” says Selman Lewis, chairman of Miami Carnival. “There are over 25 events happening here for the Carnival weekend,” he adds. Parties and concerts will be happening all week, aside from the big street parade that begins today at noon. At the culmination of the festival, soca music lovers will be in heaven; almost every contest-winning, hit-song-performing Caribbean artist you can think of will be onstage at Bicentennial Park. Barbados’s Allison Hinds and Biggie Irie, Trinidad’s Iwer George and the Invaders Steel Band, and Jamaica’s Jovi Rockwell will make the crowd jump, wave, and sweat, while Lord Nelson and the Mighty Shadow will represent for older calypso lovers. Visit www.miamicarnival.net to plan your party schedule.
Oct. 3-8, 2007