Caribbean Day Parade a Huge Success
29 June 2008 10:52 PM | By Prince Of Petworth in Neighborhoods - Park View, Neighborhoods - Petworth
Holy awesome. I think this was my favorite Caribbean Day Parade yet. Every year I get down to Georgia and New Hampshire too early. And every year I say I’m not going to come as early next year. But man was it worth the wait. Everyone was in a super good mood. Despite the brutal heat, the atmosphere was absolutely electric. The music? Phenomenal. The dancing? Off the hook, as the kids say. The costumes? Brilliant. But of course words can do this parade no justice. So I’ll post some of my favorite photos after the jump and I’ll continue to post some cool pics throughout the week. So if you took any photos that you are particularly proud of send them to princeofpetworth@gmail.com and I’ll post throughout the week. Best photo gets a free PoP t-shirt of course. So what was your favorite part of the parade?
MPD was out in full force and some even managed to have some fun.
Dancing on the trucks.
Trinidad represent.
Sweet costumes.
Get your Voodoo on.
What’s a parade without politicians? Mayor Fenty represent.
Council member Bowser represent.
More dancing on trucks.
More costumes.
The construction workers may have had the best view.
Riding in style.
Snakes were a plenty.
In case MPD needed some back up the Guardian Angels were in full effect.
Lots of folks on stilts.
I was attacked by the mud people. And damn did I get sunburned…
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30 June 2008 9:05 AM | cristobal Said:
man, they blew the gay pride parade out of the water…i hope some of the drag queens and gay bars took notes for next year!
30 June 2008 9:17 AM | GforGood Said:
Yep, it was pretty pretty cool. That poor snake dune needs a new belt though – what would his mama say him showing is underpanties all over the place?
30 June 2008 10:25 AM | Herb Said:
Sunscreen! Always wear your sunscreen!
30 June 2008 11:31 AM | Golden Silence Said:
Some of those fools don’t care that their drawers are showing.
Nice photos. That parade brings much needed life and color to the Georgia Ave. strip. And that photo of the girl grinding up on the cop has me cracking up.
30 June 2008 11:51 AM | Markus Said:
Is that a U Maine shirt?
30 June 2008 12:21 PM | GforGood Said:
Golden, yeah I know. I am actually considering wearing my panties on top of my suit trousers.. that might look hip. Or something.
30 June 2008 12:27 PM | matt91 Said:
Sure looks like a Univ of Maine shirt, but I’ve never seen that logo before.
30 June 2008 2:06 PM | Quincy St Neighbor Said:
What time did the parade arrive at the Petworth Metro?
30 June 2008 2:14 PM | bogfrog Said:
What was the mud all about? I walked through GA Ave when it was already over leaving work at 4pm. Some very muddy ladies wearing almost nothing
30 June 2008 2:16 PM | Kalia Said:
I don’t think it arrived at Upshur and Georgia until around 12:30 or 1, we were so hot and thirsty we almost left but then finally we heard…no felt the boom boom boom of the first group! So glad we stuck around, it was awesome
30 June 2008 2:29 PM | Kalia Said:
The truck that lead that group had a sign on it that said it was The Mud Farm. It looked like they had a smaller truck towards the back where you could get muddied up and join the fun. The pic PoP has of them has a lot more people in it than where we saw them.
30 June 2008 3:57 PM | PetworthRes Said:
The stilt dudes are Moko Jumbies, very cool. Did you know Bill Clinton had moko jumbies in his inaugural parade?
anyway, found some stuff online about the guys spread with oil and mud:
From the Patois for “devil” and “molasses” the Jab Molassie is one of several types of devil mas. He strikes fear into the hearts of children and adults alike, as he threatens to smear them with his black oil, carried in a oil tin. The simple costume consists of short pants or pants cut off at the knee, with a wire tail, mask and horns and a pitchfork. The whole body is smeared with grease or mud, red, green or blue paint.
When Jab Molsassies choose to daub themselves with mud this is what is popularly referred to as mud mas. Not all of the traditional elements are transferred to this expression of the character but a good time is had by all. The Jab Molassie wines to the accompaniment of imps beating tins who attempt to restrain him by pulling on the rope or chain around his neck.
30 June 2008 3:58 PM | GforGood Said:
“Some very muddy ladies wearing almost nothing”
What? Where? When? Arrrgghh… I missed that part!
01 July 2008 2:23 PM | Peg Said:
Great pics! Sorry about your shirt and even sorrier about that painful looking sunburn!! I think the parade needs a Bahamian Junkanoo contingent if it doesn’t already have one. They can be heard from miles away, so parade watchers don’t give up in the heat. I don’t do hot weather parades anymore because, being made of sugar, I just melt away! ;-}
03 July 2008 11:28 AM | IMGoph Said:
what’s the deal with the kenyan flag on that one float? kenya is a long long way from the caribbean.
07 July 2008 7:03 PM | lola gets Said:
No, the “mud people” are those persons celebrating Mas with Jouvet. These persons stay up all night long mixing the mud and partying. They then smear the mud on themselves and try to get it on others as well. By doing so, they are honoring the darker spirits, the darker sides of humanity.
I did research on this some years ago when I was asked to partake in the rites. I choose not, hehe.
L