Dust off the plumes, re-bend the costume wires and pull out the flatbed trailer and sound system from storage, because Boston Carnival returns to neighborhood streets on August 27 after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19 protocols. The Caribbean American Carnival Association of Boston (CACAB) announced that the 49th annual Boston Carnival will return, along with the early morning J’Ouvert Parade.
“I want to tell people that we would like you to come to the 49th anniversary celebration of the Boston Carnival and don’t think about the factionalists, think about where God has brought us, where we are today – 49 years of carnival,” said CACAB. President Shirley Shillingford. “We had nothing in 2020 and we had a Pandemic Carnival concert in 2021, but we’re back in 2022 with the Parade and everything else that goes with Carnival.”
Ruth Georges, a spokeswoman for CACAB, credits the full return to leadership of Shillingford, who has led the effort since 1991.
“We’re looking forward to celebrating with our bands who are participating in Carnival and J’Ouvert this year,” said Georges. “Boston Carnival is here to stay, and we must continue to build partnerships and continue to work with those who see the value in building community through the celebration of our heritage together.”
In previous years, the Carnival has attracted more than 200,000 people to various events throughout the weekend. CACAB noted that the events bring a lot of visitors to the city and a lot of money spent at businesses in and around the Dorchester and Mattapan neighborhoods.
However, this year has brought some controversy with some local groups calling for a boycott of the 2022 Boston Carnival, Shillingford said. This has happened before, she noted, and this time it revolves around the money taken to hold the Pandemic Concert last year and to plan for this year. She also claimed that she simply has historical grudges based on the fact that she is Jamaican and Carnival originates from Trinidad.
“It’s really painful to hear from our people — that we get all this money and no one knows what they do with it,” Shillingford said. “Most of the people who create this thing are from one country and they have a problem with me because I’m Jamaican and Carnival didn’t start in Jamaica, of course.
Shillingford added: “I say I don’t need to know how to bend a wire or attach a feather to still be a good administrator. The proof is in the pudding – its 49 years. This is.”
Some of the most popular masquerade groups, or Mas Bands, will march – including Misfit Carnival, Nightlife Nation, No Behavior Crew, French Konxion, Hyde Park Lions Club, JAB Family Boston, Smoov Network, Socaholics and Island Vybz.
One of the weekend’s most popular events, Shillingford said, is the J’Ouvert Parade, founded by Andre Modestee and Althea Modestee-Labad in the 1990s. This year, starting at 5 a.m., the “dawn” parade will returns to Talbot and Blue Hill streets to kick off the party. Other highlights will also include the Youth Carnival on August 21st and the Boston Carnival Brunch on the City Hall Patio on August 26th.
“It’s the biggest event in town. It brings a lot of tourists and money to the city,” Shillingford said. “If the city says there’s no more carnival, I don’t think a lot of people in the city would feel like they’ve lost anything.”
“The community here would have lost a lot because one day the community can let their hair down and be in the park and enjoy themselves. The community would miss him.”
List of Boston Carnival events –
•Sunday, August 21 – Jr. Kids Carnival. at White Stadium, sponsored by Puma Athletics.
• Friday, August 26 – Boston Carnival Breakfast hosted by Councilwoman Ruthzee Louijeune, 9 a.m. to noon on the City Hall patio.
•Sat., Aug. 27 – J’Ouvert Parade – Let’s Get Dutty! – 5:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., meet at the corner of Talbot Avenue and Millet Street, proceed to Blue Hill Avenue at Columbia Road.
•Sat., Aug. 27 – CACAB Boston Carnival Parade, 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm Masquerade bands, live music, food, drink, vendors and more. The parade starts at MLK Boulevard in Roxbury and continues down Warren Street, then down Blue Hill Avenue to end at the entrance to Franklin Park.
