It’s Carnival!

In Brazil, New Orleans, and Trinidad and Tobago — the best-known meccas for Carnival celebrations — it’s a two-day fiesta meant to exorcise the demons of pleasure, lust, drunkenness, and revelry before the piety of the Lenten season washes away a season of sin. In the Magic City, there are no such spiritual intentions affixed to our annual balls-to-the-wall bash. Miami Carnival is simply about looking fly, dancing suggestively, consuming mass quantities of inebriating substances, and soaking up as much Caribbean flavor as a single-day parade can allow. If you’re heading out to Bicentennial Park to celebrate island-style, we’ve got some advice for you.

Point number one: This is a one-day parade with a week of anticipation. True Carnival babies know we’re talking about days of celebration, so plan accordingly. The festival culminates with Sunday’s parade, but the whole week will be jam-packed with fetes and bashments, so visit www.partyspree.com to get complete details about events throughout the city. Point number two: If you’re planning to rock out at Bicentennial, sunscreen is of paramount importance. The parade begins at 9 a.m., and they won’t kick everyone out until 11 p.m. So break out your strongest SPF and stay hydrated, and you’ll be in good shape for the afterparties. Point number three: This is Miami’s biggest celebration of Caribbean culture. Downtown will be transformed into a sea of flag-waving hands and a riotous kaleidoscope of color and sound. Park your car and ride the Metrorail if you want to avoid traffic before and after you enjoy the incredible costumes, steel bands, calypso, soca, and reggae music. Oh, and expect to eat jerk chicken, roti, curry crab and dumplings, escovitch fish — all the flavors of the archipelago will be up for grabs. Admission is $20 in advance, more at the gate. Are you ready? Visit www.miamicarnival.net for even more details.
Sun., Oct. 12, 2008