Cambridge Carnival, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

"Cambridge Carnival is a colorful and festive celebration rooted in African traditions. This free festival is celebrating 24 years this year and is considered a Cambridge Institution, and is the largest festival in Cambridge with thousands of attendees. The highlight of the festival is a grand costume parade accompanied by rich rhythmic musicality promoting all types of cultures. Participants can be seen as revelers masquerading through the streets in dazzling handmade costumes, dancing to the beat of the Carnival. The festival is also an opportunity to celebrate Cambridge’s diversity, enjoy international foods, and purchase multicultural crafts from around the world!" (Source: Cambridge Carnival Website, http://cambridgecarnival.org/).



At the end of the long parade through the very windy and sunny streets of Cambridge, I was impressed that this happy and friendly man indulged me for one last photo. I think he would have rather taken off his costume and sat down to rest a bit. Thank you, my friend!



The woman above, Miss Carnival, led the parade. I am always partial to anyone who wears a full range of fruit on his or her head!

"Cambridge Carnival is the most unique event in the City of Cambridge. It is planned entirely by the community for the community. The organizing committee works hard year-round to plan an event that is inclusive, engaging, and reflective of the city’s diversity. The event is organized by a non-profit volunteer community organization made up of a diverse group of individuals. Members of the group either live and work in Cambridge or run local businesses and have a desire to promote, preserve and share the history and culture of the Caribbean and Carnival traditions based on the models of Trinidad and Tobago and Brazil. The festival is a vehicle to bring together Cambridge’s diverse community for a spectacular annual costume parade and celebration." (Source: Cambridge Carnival).



The participants range from very young.......



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...... to young adults.....



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....to the exotic and young at heart.



The largest and most ungainly costumes were the responsibility of  the adults. These out sized works of art were particularly hard to manage this year in the brutal wind that gusted through the parade route.



It was a lot to maneuver but, they seemed to always have a smile to share.



Even at the end of the parade route where I visited many of them, they had one last brilliant smile to share.







The costumes weren't just two-dimensional front views - most had elaborate rear details, too.



One last smile.....



....before she finally gets to remove the costume and take a break.



This gives a good illustration of some of the internal structure for the heavier and more unwieldy costumes - a three-wheeled trike helps the participant keep it balanced through the long parade.



What a wonderful group of happy, friendly people on a beautiful late summer day in Cambridge.



As they turned off the parade route after passing the reviewing stand, their support vehicles and crews parked by the MIT Stata Center to load it all up until next year. What a great event!