Today’s hearing of the
Economic Development Committee will explore the mechanisms for maximizing the
economic impact of the annual West Indian Day Carnival Parade and related
events on the New York City Economy.
History and
Background
The West Indian Day Carnival Parade and the events
preceding the Parade (the “Carnival”) has been a Labor Day tradition in New
York City for the past 35 years. The
Carnival, which takes place in Brooklyn on Eastern Parkway, has been described
as the largest cultural event in the City. The Carnival has its roots in the European
Catholic cultures which customarily held a costume festival before the first
day of Lent (the term carnival is derived from the latin word carnevale which means “to put away
meat”). The tradition was introduced into Trinidad by French settlers and has
since become a way for Caribbean people to express their roots and culture. The emphasis on carnival as part of
religious culture has gradually eroded over the years, as regional governments
began to use it as a marketing tool to attract visitors in their quest for
badly needed revenues. Nowadays,
“carnival” is celebrated at different times during the year in several
different countries and is closely linked to the tourist economy.
The West Indian carnival
tradition was brought to Harlem, New York in 1930 by Jessie Waddle. In 1965, Rufus Goring, a Trinidadian
masquerade designer, brought the parade to Brooklyn. Carlos Lezama, an early member and long time president of the
West Indian-American Day Carnival Association, Inc. (“WIADCA”) took on the
organization of the parade in 1967 and was responsible for moving the parade to
Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, its current venue.
WIADCA, a 501(c)3
not-for-profit organization has served as the primary organizer of the Carnival
since 1969 (“the Carnival”). As the Carnival
has grown over the years, several other organizations have joined in the
planning and support of the Carnival.
Prominent among the other organizers of the Carnival is the United
States Steel Band Association (“USSA”),
a group that organizes steel band competitions and the Carnival Bandleaders
Action Committee Int’l Inc. (“C-BLAC”).
WIADCA obtains the needed
permits and deals with City officials.
However, the dances, shows and parties throughout the City that are part
and parcel of the Carnival are run by individual promoters who operate
independently of WIADCA. The various steelbands and masquerade bands that
participate in the Carnival are also all privately organized. The multiplicity and autonomy of the
organizations germane to the Carnival production has led to the observation by
some that the Carnival lacks a centralized structure. The divided leadership structure has in fact created some
challenges for those involved with the event.
Estimates of the combined
numbers of parade participants including spectators vary, participation is
commonly quoted as ranging from 2 to 4 million.,,
As one reporter describes it, “[w]ith its
terrific music, spectacular costumes and spirited dancing, the West Indian Day
Parade has become the largest, most elaborate parade in the city—and the
largest one-day event in the USA and Canada as around 3.5 million persons from
all over the nation and the diaspora join in celebrating the proud Caribbean
culture.” The parade is the culminating event in what
has become a series of events spanning several days celebrating West Indian
culture. The events generally take
place from the last week of August through Labor Day, and, for the last several
years, have been kicked off by a gala reception hosted by the Mayor of New York
City in Gracie Mansion.
The magnitude of the numbers
of participants and spectators, including residents of New York City and many
from other parts of the United States and the world, has not been lost on
public and private officials or on the business community. “The stage is set
for hundreds of public officials and Caribbean leaders to meet and greet the
community as the parade attracts more
than 3 million people from around the world”.” Over the years, participation of public
officials in the parade has come to be expected. On Labor Day just past, Mayor Bloomberg, Comptroller William
Thompson and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz led the parade, as did
many other public officials. Some of the articulated goals of WIADCA are to:
Ø
Promote
the cultural art forms by educating young people in the communities on the
steelpan (the instrument played by steelbands), costume design, Caribbean folk
dancing, and Caribbean music, conducting Carnival and strengthening the support
base in the community.
Ø Increase financial corporate
support for Masquerade & Steelbands; and to
Ø Establish year round
programs to benefit New Yorkers;
WIADCA expects that, with an
aggressive plan of action to improve the Carnival, the organization can expect
to produce revenues close to one million dollars. New York City also realizes substantial
economic benefit from the festivities as the success of the Carnival translates
into tax revenues and vendor licensing fees for the City, sponsor advertising
opportunities, as well as increased revenues for the vendors, hotels,
restaurants, airlines and others that provide food, lodging, transportation and
shopping opportunities, to the parade participants. “The West Indian Day Carnival has grown from
a community-oriented festival into NYC’s biggest parade, drawing an annual
estimated revenue of $300 million to the [c]ity”. As stated by former Mayor Giuliani, “West
Indians enrich the cultural diversity of New York City and have contributed to
its economic resurgence while at the same time preserving their unique heritage
and identity…” Many believe that, with additional
investments of funding and the provision of technical assistance to sponsors of
the Carnival festivities, New York City and its residents and businesses are
poised to realize even greater economic gains.
The
Committee on Economic Development is looking to WIADCA and other interested
parties for suggestions on how to ensure that the Carnival tradition continues
to be one the City’s premier cultural events and on how to maximize its
economic impact on New York’s vast Caribbean community and on the City. This event shows great potential to
contribute to the strength of New York’s economy by enriching its cultural life
and drawing even more visitors to this great City.
