DC Caribbean Carnival

1999 Report


DC Caribbean Carnival, inc. (DCCC) is a community based, nonprofit organization, whose ongoing mission is to plan, organize, and produce an annual Caribbean-Style Carnival Parade - The DC Caribbean Carnival. DCCC is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes within the guidelines of Section 501 (C) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

DCCC has been successfully planning and organizing its Annual Caribbean Festival and Parade on the last Saturday of June, since 1993. This multi-disciplinary festival of culture - showcasing Caribbean music, arts and crafts,fashion, and food - is perhaps the largest Cultural Festival in the Washington, DC area.

Participation in the carnival is open to any organization and/or individuals interested in showcasing the cultural art form of the Caribbean. The 1999 carnival season began enthusiastically with the leaders of masquerade groups undertaking fundraising activities to offset costs incurred in their groups portrayals. From the attendance of these "band launchings," DCCC was assured that the atmosphere would be compelling for the staging of this common denominator of all Caribbean islands with their large African, East Indian, and European populations.

The following are the highlights of the 1999 DC Caribbean Carnival


Miss Universe 1998, Miss Wendy Fitzwilliam of Trinidad and Tobago, was the parade Grand Marshal.  A reception in her honor was held at Club 2K9 on Thursday, June 24th.  She was a special guest at Districe Cablevision on Friday, June 25th, which included meeting with local media personalities. On Saturday, June 26th after the parade, she joined Guiness Import Company executives for a "night out" on the town.  On Sunday, June 27th, she distributed prizes to the winners of the various categories from the Carnival Parade.  The prize distribution ceremony took place during the Cultural Concert at Banneker Park, sponsored by DCCC. 

 
  • The 1999 Caribbean Carnival Parade included 26 masquerade groups with 4,000 masqueraders.  There were colorful costumed portrayals by children and adults of all ages, steel bands, calypso/soca music, and Haitian music.
  • The 1999 Caribbean Carnival Parade attracted audiences of all ages, income and ethnic backgrounds, not only from the Washington metropolitan area, but also as far away as Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Miami, New York, Toronto, Montreal, New Jersey, Atlanta, and California. An enthusiastic crowd of more than 350,000 spectators lined the 3 mile Georgia Avenue parade route.

The 1999 Caribbean Carnival Parade was covered by local television stations including Channels 4 (NBC-WRC), 5 (Fox-WTTG), 9 (CBS-WUSA), Channel 10 of Virginia, and District Cablevision, as well as by radio stations WPFW-FM, WHUR-FM, WAMU,FM and WEAA-FM.  It was also covered by the Washington Post, Washington Times, Washington City Paper, Washington Informer The Howard University Hilltop Newspaper and the Caribbean Daylight Newspaper of New York.  This extensive media coverage afforded DCCC the opportunity to reach a broad segment of the community, US, and Caribbean nationals alike.

DCCC understands that Caribbean culture, is unique and that sharing the culture requires efforts to strengthen cultural ties between Americans and Caribbean people. This year, for the first time, DCCC went to the District of Columbia Public Schools to work with local students to build their costumes.  These kids took part in the 1999 parade and enjoyed the experience. Our successful parade is testimony to the effective partnership that has been forged between established organizations in the Washington metropolitan area.  Each organization contributes its own particular resources necessary to develop and encourage cross-cultural programs within the Caribbean Community in the expansion of Caribbean integration through this kind of cultural sharing and awareness.

City officials in Washington, D.C., have been very supportive of DC Caribbean Carnival, in part because of the economic impact the parade has on the city.  Our success is partially attributed to the working relationship we have established with several individuals and agencies: 

Our corporate sponsors have also been favorably impressed with the impact that the DC Caribbean Carnival Parade has had in the community. DCCC is grateful for the financial support and in-kind contributions from several corporations and individuals:

By putting on a Caribbean-style Carnival Parade, DCCC is educating children and adults in Caribbean arts, crafts, and culture. Preparing for the parade gives participants an opportunity to learn the art of costume designing and building (including the rare art of wire bending to create costumes), as well as the art of playing the steel pan, the only new musical instrument developed in the 20th century.

In the coming year, DCCC hopes to expand its educational efforts by instituting a program in Metropolitan Washington area schools to teach students the arts of costume building and design and playing the steel pan. The enthusiasm shown by students in 1999 has assured us that we are heading in the right direction as we continue to develop the economic and social interplay of carnical with the therapeutic benefits, such as music, dance, revelry, cultural awareness, and social interaction. In 2000, DCCC hopes to offer college scholarships to deserving students who meet the criteria for the planned Brian Walker Scholarship Award.

In summary, the past year has been and exciting year of growth and promise for DCCC, but many challenges remain for 2000 and beyond. With the continued creativity and tenacity of bandleaders, as well as financial support from our sponsors, we will undoubtedly be able to meet these challenges.