The Orlando Carnival Association will be hosting the 21st annual 2008 Orlando Carnival from May 23rd – May 25th 2008. Now in its 21st year, the theme of this year’s Carnival is “Caribbean Unity”. This Caribbean-style Mardi-Gras will be held downtown Orlando at the Orlando Sports Campus. Carnival is a Caribbean-style “Mardi Gras” that is celebrated all over the world. Long know for its pageantry and fanfare, Orlando’s Carnival has grown larger and larger each year. Today, the Orlando Carnival consists of live shows, including Kiddies Carnival, J’ouvert, Miss Orlando Carnival Cultural Pageant, steel band music, dj’s, calypso, ethnic foods, souvenirs and the grand finale, which is a street parade.
The Carnival festivities will kick off with the 2nd Annual Miss Orlando Carnival Cultural Pageant on 12th April at the Florida Mall Hotel, where some 12 contestants from the Caribbean, South America and other parts of the world will compete for the title.
Kiddies Carnival, another major event will be held as part of the Caribbean Business Expo, on Saturday, 24th May at the Central Florida Fairgrounds.
J’Ouvert, the beginning of the street parade, will kick off on Sunday, 25th May at 2:00 am, from the Amway Arena, downtown Orlando, with thousands of merry makers dressed as devils, ghosts, witches, African warriors and more, and with the inevitable steel drum music.
The Carnival festivities will culminate with the Grand Street Parade commencing at 12:00 noon on Sunday 25th May. This signature event will feature colorful costumes, floats and live music, and masqueraders will “jump up” from the Amway Arena to the Orlando Sports Campus, where there will be lots of ethnic foods, entertainment, souvenirs and friendly people. Over 20,000 spectators are expected from all over the United States, Canada, South America and the Caribbean to take part and observe the 2008 Carnival festivities. All are invited to share this unique experience. Plan on spending this fun-filled memorable weekend experiencing the rich culture of the Caribbean, right here in Orlando.
There’s lots of excitement in the air and everyone is holding their breath waiting for the 2008 Orlando Carnival festivities to begin!
Will there be a dance in any of the hotels like previous years?
Need more advertising for Orlando Carnival, there was no flyers, or advertising sent out, or made to the public. Thanks
Didn’t know about it, need to be made more public.