Impressions: The Styles of Miami Broward Carnival

Photos by Jesse Serwer and Simone Serwer—

Visitors from New York are a huge contingent at Miami Carnival weekend but the October event (or the Miami Broward One Carnival, as it’s known in full) is a whole different animal than Labor Day in Brooklyn. For one thing, Bahamian junkanoo bands, hardly a presence on Eastern Parkway, have the most serious costumes (with Trinidad and Haiti coming at a close second), and Belize (not always a noticeable presence in BK) also shows out. And then there’s also the fact that it’s Miami. Palm trees, stifling humidity and tantalizingly beautiful women wearing close to nothing—all major factors.

The parade route is also the parking area of a football stadium—Miami Dolphins home SunLife Stadium— which requires some effort to get to. Though there’s a stage show (featured performers this year included Machel Montano and Patrice Roberts, whose “Mr. Fete” and “Wukking Up,” respectively, were probably the most ubiquitous songs pon de road), food and craft vendors and steel pan competitions, it’s all about the masquerade bands and their 18 wheelers. At this year’s Carnival, held this past Sunday Oct. 7, costumed mas players probably outnumbered observers in regular clothes.

The parade itself got off to a late start on account of rain but was supremely colorful nonetheless. Scroll through the gallery below, and start making your plans for next year…