Thanks for the heads up. Looks like I won’t be moving my car or I’ll never get back in (living on a one-way street right off of Georgia). Metro it is.

Where is the best area to catch the parade/festival? Any suggestions?

The Kansas, Georgia, Upshur intersection, with the benches and small park, is a good watch location, and where I’ll be viewing from. There have been some vendors down there and a good neighborhood congregation.

Yes, all of Georgia from Military/Missouri down to Howard University will be closed tomorrow. If I recall correctly, the parade starts at 11, and the police will begin closing off cross-streets at about 10/10:30 in the upper parts of GA Ave (the parade runs south), and I suspect around the same time or slightly later as you move southward.

The first year my wife and I were living in Petworth, we knew nothing of the parade. I was out of town, and she went to run errands, only to find her route home closed off. She called me to find out a way home, and after much effort, I think she drive north, and was able to cut across on military, and back down towards our home, but only after much consternation and effort.

Thank you ShermanCircle and E-Girl!! I guess I’ll try to run my errands on the “east” side before 10, and then stay on the “west” side. Thank goodness I have a designated parking spot. I’m excited to see what I can of the parade, never having seen it before. I’m also looking forward to experiencing July 4th, although my Petworth friends warn me that I may lose my hearing.

Unless you have a nice, higher elevation location, and perhaps a roof-porch, you won’t be able to see the Mall’s fireworks from Petworth.

However, shall we say ‘independent’ fireworks shows will be occuring throughout the neighborhood. Around Sherman Circle, near where I live, there have been 3-4 different families/groups that set up before sunset, and put off quite a fireworks show, all evening long. And these are not just roman candles, and bottle rockets, but shells, starbursts and other ‘real’ fireworks. They have an apparent sense of pride about the show they put on, and seemingly compete with one another to put on a better display. And it will go on all_night_long.

I have come to appreciate them. Though the next morning there is cardboard and other firework detritus on my property and around the neighborhood, it is a good show, and far better than fighting the crowds and finding parking or taking metro to the Mall.

ShermanCir, I just spoke with a longtime resident who lives just north of Sherman Cir and she spoke fondly of the families who put on the shows, basically exactly what you said, except that she was also impressed that the families always made sure to dispose of the trash and cardboard. Maybe it’s a few others, not them, who don’t have the same courtesy (I don’t know).
I live near the circle too and the shows are impressive. Even better if you can get on your roof and see amazing shows 360 degrees everywhere you look, even up into Maryland. I know some people hate it, and I can’t see how it’s entirely legal, but it is really, really impressive.

I don’t think those of you new to Petworth are aware of the absolutely major traffic disruption to the area that the Caribbean Festival is. You just can’t cross GA for most of the day. So be prepared and plan accordingly.