With the Taste of the Caribbean & Jerk Festival and West Indian Independence Parade traditionally taking place in August, the Wadsworth Atheneum joined in the festivities with a Caribbean-themed party yesterday. Stilt walkers moved through the crowd as De 4AhWee Steel Band and Amandla Reggae Band enlivened Atheneum Square. The Caribbean American Dance Company performed as museum visitors created glitter-covered headdresses.
The “parade” was the event highlight, with dozens of young folks dancing in vibrant Trinidad-style costumes. The colorful outfits were made during Mas Camp, an annual program run by Institute for Community Research’s Connecticut Cultural Heritage Arts Program and the Connecticut International Carnival Association.
Each young woman in the program designed and created entire costumes, then formed the band called
Exotic One’s which will also be making an appearance in the major parade on Saturday.
Later this month the Institute for Community Research will host an exhibit opening to showcase many of these costumes. Some of the works will be masqueraded live with the Hartford Steel Symphony providing the beat. The costumes will be on view there through late September.
But for this weekend, there are a few things to know if coming into Hartford to watch the parade which marks the independence of Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago, along with the independence of other Caribbean islands.
It starts in the vicinity of Main Street and Capen Street, or Main and Battles depending on which source of information you follow. That’s 
only a one-minute difference when walking, so don’t sweat it. The parade begins around 11 and generally lasts for several hours, though I was assured that the bands and floats would be more prompt this year. In any case, a parade in August is not like one in March– bring lots of water and put on the sunscreen.
If you miss the start, look for the parade on Main Street, Trumbull Street, or Asylum Street. It ends in Bushnell Park, where there will be food and music until 8pm. Soca, reggae, dancehall and other musical acts will include Samantha J, Tifa, Kranium, Tanto Metro & Devonte, Marcia Grffins, Duane Stephenson, Edwin Yearwood, Pretty Boy Floyd, and more.
There is construction along the north side of Bushnell Park, so the route is different this year. According to CTTransit, from approximately 10-6 on Saturday there will be no bus service on Pearl Street between Main and Ford, Asylum Street between Main and Cogswell, Farmington between Asylum and Broad, Albany Ave between Main and Edwards, Main Street between Trumbull and Windsor Street, and Capen between Main and Barbour.
