As the sun beat down upon the streets of Moss Side, the joyful sounds of steel drums filled the air. Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the Manchester Caribbean Carnival has returned with a bang.
Spanning over this weekend (August 13 and 14), Alexandra Park is playing host to the Carnival with plenty of booming music, delicious food and extravagant costumes, following a short hiatus over the last two years due to the COVID pandemic.
This year, the Carnival is focussing on the theme of ‘Unity’, whilst celebrating Manchester’s rich Caribbean and African history in the Moss Side community. The carnival will also mark 60 years of Jamaican Independence.
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The original Manchester Carnival started as an impromptu parade set up by locals, mostly of Trinidadian and St Kitts & Nevis origin. Since then generations of people from the Caribbean islands have come together in Moss Side to unite the people of Manchester with culture, music, heritage and solidarity.
Leading the parade on Saturday was a fabulous steel band, whose infectious rhythm instantly brought the streets to life. Hundreds of people lined the streets as the procession made its way from outside Alexandra Park.
It went down Claremont Road, then on to Yarburgh Street and up to Chorlton Road. From there the parade turned right on to Stretford Road and then right on to Old Birley Street.
It then followed onto Greenheys Lane West, round to Chichester Road South and on to Moss Lane East, passing by Moss Side Brewery and the Power House. It then turned on to Upper Lloyd Street before making its final stretch back on to Claremont Road, where the party continued.
Traffic was halted as families watched and danced and sang, and almost every window lining the route held residents watching on with pure joy.
Following the steel band was a series of floats containing community groups and dance groups including the Claremont Troupe Exclusive, The African Corner, Jet Black Dance Academy and the Future Shapers Preschool & Wraparound Care, each pulled along by local businesses including Davy Transports Services.
The dancers brought power and performance in every sense of the word, in brightly coloured, feather-clad costumes. Encouraged by the crowds, the DJs on each float commanded the atmosphere, creating a festival vibe and making it impossible not to dance.
Upon returning to Alexandra Park, numerous food stalls lined the entrance. And inside the park there was plenty to do with lots of theme park rides and live music to keep the carnival going. Later dancehall icon Serani will headline the stage.
You couldn’t have asked for a better day for the long awaited return of this legendary party. The event is free and more details can be found on the website .
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