by Doreen Mayers

Created on: July 24, 2008   Last Updated: August 06, 2008

The Favorite Labor Day Tradition is the annual West Indian Day Parade that is held in Brooklyn New York. The Parade was first started in the 1920 honoring immigrants from the Caribbean. This Parade original location was Harlem USA. This parades honors working people of all classes and races. Today, this parade is known as The American West Indian Day Parade and is a major Labor Day celebration in Brooklyn New York. The event commences the Thursday before the Holiday, and goes through the Labor Day Holiday weekend. This is one of the largest of all parades held in the city, drawing a million plus spectators to the parade grounds each year to join in the celebration.

The weekend of Labor Day all over Brooklyn New York you will hear the happy renditions of Caribbean music played by steel bands and drums. Participants in the parade are from Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad, Guyana, St. Lucia and many other Caribbean Islands, we also have neighboring country of Canada, visitors attending this parade because it is one of a kind in the United States. It draws a large crowd of tourist to this location. This weekend it marks the end of summer and the beginning of fall and everyone wants to get out enjoying that last warmth of summer before getting back to work and school. For many working people, this is the last vacation day for the summer, and this moment is truly enjoyable by celebrating with family and friends.

The Labor has become the focal point in a large city such as New York City people from miles around comes here just to attend the fun fill event with New Yorkers. There are many Labor Unions showing representation at the Labor Day parade. This has become and International Labor Day Celebration for working people all around the world, since we are joined by visitors from outside the United States. The Labor Day Parade is a big festival similar to Madi Gras and Trinidad Carnival. It is traditional yet very entertaining and fun for the whole family. The participants of the parade are around the ages of 5 years old to about 70 years old as long as you can jump and dance in step with the beat of the steel band.

The Labor Day Parade route starts at Utica Avenue in Brooklyn and goes along Eastern Parkway ending at Grand Army Plaza Brooklyn. Along the parade route they are millions of onlookers and vendors with foods and crafts from the West Indies, delicacies that only a Caribbean national knows the culinary art, handmade crafts and other West Indian goods are being sold.

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