In 2020, there were no Mas bands, no costumed dancers striding down Eastern Parkway for the Labor Day West Indian Carnival parade. Once again this year, the coronavirus pandemic is thwarting plans for one of the city’s largest cultural events.
With just under a month left, West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA) board member Lionel Balmir said plans for Labor Day weekend events are still being finalized. However, those plans will not involve the signature parade that has drawn thousands of people to Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights.
“We’re not doing a parade, that’s strictly out of the question,” Balmir, said. “We’re not doing the parade because of the current situation with COVID increasing, and we’re just trying to be as careful as possible.”
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