2009 DC Carnival Wrap-Up

By Karen Byer

Carnival Time Come Again!

When I started saying that as DC Carnival approached, it occurred to me that there’s hardly ever a time that this statement isn’t true. Between Carnival in T&T, Crop Over, Vincy Mas, Caribana, Eastern Parkway, Notting Hill, Miami, DC, Atlanta, etc. isn’t it pretty much always carnival time somewhere?

So it’s June 2009 in the nation’s capital. That means two things…it’s time to jump, and it’s time to wave.

The weekend started off on Thursday night with parties throughout the city. I didn’t attend any of them, (my days of partying four days straight are behind me) but word has it they were great in getting everyone in the carnival mood. The biggest one, Tribe Ignite, was at Gallery Restaurant and Lounge in Silver Spring, MD. My friends said it started a bit slow but ignited and caught fire as the night went on.

On Friday night the place to be was DV8, the party formerly known as Taboo. It was held on a beautiful estate in no man’s land MD. And had it not been for that fact, the party would have been a success. But unfortunately, as far as I’m concerned, stranding me 15 miles from my car at the end of the night after I’ve paid you $55 to entertain me, does not a successful event make.

Some other folks sought entertainment elsewhere and were not disappointed. Allison Hinds, Traffik and Iwer George performed at Crossroads and all told, brought the house down. Zanzibar on the Waterfront was another venue where people partied on Friday night.

Saturday of course was the parade. The DC parade route takes revelers down Georgia Avenue from Missouri Avenue, past Howard University. This year, there were not as many people playing mas as years gone by but that did not stop anyone from having great time. If the flags being waved were any indication, all the islands were represented. Africa also had a strong contingent and added their own brand of spice to the mix.

Indulgence had the biggest, strongest and by far the most enjoyable band on the road. My friends and I, from the moment we got on the road, had a wonderful time. The music was good, the costumes were pretty and the people were lively. It was carnival, our time to shine. And shine we did. And whine. We did that too!

As is customary after the parade, most folks went into Banneker Park where the food vendors were out in full force. After our appetites were satisfied, we enjoyed the performances of Traffik, Iwer George and Antigua’s Tizzy, who sings this year’s massive hit “Expose”.

Although, we missed the Machel concert at Zanzibar on Saturday; On Sunday, I met up with my friends to take in the wrap-up event at Indigo. This made up for all that ailed the DV8 Friday night event. Both events were held by the same people (Blu Carnival) but Indigo was incredible. It was an all-inclusive party held at the historic Decatur House in downtown DC, near the White House. It was a truly lovely venue. There was a large white tent erected in the courtyard and indoors was where you found the food and bar.

I am amazed every time that people come to party looking gorgeous and civilized then you give them free food and liquor, put soca on the turntables and they turn into crazy people. We kept joking that we shouldn’t be behaving in such a manner so close to the country’s most esteemed house. But, whatever…it was carnival!

Other Sunday events included a concert featuring Allison Hinds at Banneker Park and a pool party just outside the city in MD.

There was an after party for Indigo that really brought the weekend to a fantastic close for me. It was held at a golf club in Upper Marlboro, MD. Packed with people who didn’t want the weekend to end, this was a really good way to bid farewell to the carnival weekend and wait impatiently till we could utter the words…Carnival Time Come Again!

(Karen Byer is a contributor to Island Vibes Magazine. For comments, please feel free to contact her at karen@islandvibesmag.com.)