When is Atlanta Carnival 2021?
The dates for the 2021 Atlanta Carnival will take place on Saturday, May 29, 2021
What is carnival in Atlanta?
Atlanta has its very own Caribbean Carnival celebration! Carnival in Atlanta is about promoting a deeper appreciation and understanding for Caribbean culture amongst the Metro Atlanta community. The Atlanta Carnival embraces multiculturalism and is about uniting people all across the city.
Atlanta Carnival celebrates Caribbean culture through music, dance, cuisines, masquerades, costumes as well as Caribbean cuisine. It is a fusion of influences from lots of different Caribbean cultures.
Where is Atlanta Carnival?
The centre of Atlanta Carnival is the Festival Village. This is set up for the duration of carnival and is a hub for lots of carnival events as well as where all the shops and food and drink vendors are. The address is:
Festival Village
Address:
- Central Park
- 400 Merritts Ave NE
- Atlanta, GA 30308
Check out some accomodation options here.
What is the history of Atlanta Carnival?
In 1987, a group of Caribbean islanders, from different islands came together to with the goal of familiarizing the Atlanta metro community with Caribbean culture. They wanted to do this by throwing a West Indian style of carnival. The first ever Atlanta Caribbean Carnival was held in 1988 and was the first Caribbean Carnival to kick of the US Caribbean Carnival season.
This first carnival was a huge success and brought in thousands of visitors to Atlanta for the Memorial Day Weekend. The carnival continued to grow more and more popular every year and continue to increase awareness of Caribbean culture.
This year’s Atlanta Carnival promises to be more exciting than ever before!. The Festival Village and the Atlanta Carnival Parade of Bands are guaranteed to take the Atlanta Carnival to the next level.
Atlanta Carnival The Parade of Bands
What is a Mas Band? Mas Bands are organisations who pay for the same costumes which are all created by the same costume designer. The costumed participants parade and dance together through the streets along with steelpan bands, soca musicians or even a DJ. This is what is known as playing mas.
The Atlanta Carnival Parade of the Bands is more than just watching a spectacular show. The Mas Bands compete against each other for the title of best band. A panel of judges sit along the parade route watching the performers and rewarding them marks on different aspects of their performance, including costume, energy, creativity, performance, etc.
Thousands come out to watch and partake in the Parade of the Bands, it is a colorful, vibrant and energetic spectacle. The masquerades are dressed in the most colorful, beautiful costumes that are adorned with feathers, jewels, headdresses and wings. The soca pumps loud and everyone dances the day away. Everyone is united and having the time of their lives.
Atlanta Carnival Parade Route?
- Parade assembles on West Peachtree St at MARTA Civic Center Station
- Left on Ivan Allen (Ivan Allen changes into Ralph McGil) to Piedmont Ave NE
- Right on Piedmont Ave NE to Baker-Highland Connector
- Left on Baker-Highland Connector to Central Park Pi
- Left on Central Park PI NE to Linden Ave
- Parade wil disband on Linden Ave into Central Park
Atlanta Carnival Mas Bands
Can I be a part of the Atlanta Carnival? Yes of course you can! The best way to enjoy Atlanta Carnival is to join in and play mas! There are several carnival bands that you can take part in and each offer their own unique Atlanta Carnival experience. All you have to do is pick a mas band, buy a costume and march with your band on the day.
The Atlanta Carnival Mas Bands are:
- We Kinda Ting: To check out their costumes or register to their band you can do that here wktmas.com, or call (678) 622-4452
- Fantasy Island: Within the band there are different sections. You can either buy costumes for the Edo Tribe, Zamunda, Dora Milaje or the Maasai Tribe. To view the costumes you can do that here atlantacarnival.org
- Fun Band: They are a T-shirt band and you can view their shirts here atlantacarnival.org. You can contact them here Bandleader: Oungku, Contact: (646) 403-7384, rhnfunzonesexo.com
- Taste of Elegance: To contact this band you can do this through bandleader: Karen David at (770) 837-6375 or atasteofpureelegance@gmail.com.
- Mystikal: Their theme will be Legacy. You can contact them to vie their costumes through bandleader Cherie Rhymer on (407) 310-6171 or look at facebook.com.
- Panasonic Steel Band: You can contact the bandleaders Vere Henry: (865) 256-2158, Carver Joseph: (770) 262-0443 at psteelband@gmail.com.
How much and where do I purchase tickets to Atlanta?
You can purchase a four days event bundle for $75 which will get you access to J’ouvert, the Festival Village, the Carnival Parade and the Breakfast Fete. Single ticket events cost $20 for J’ouvert, $28 general admission to enter the Festival Village and view the Carnival Parade on Saturday. To enter the Festival Village for Soca on Sunday it is $20, and it is $25 to attend the Breakfast Fete.
You can purchase your tickets here in eventbrite.com
How to get to Atlanta?
Whether you are coming from interstate or from overseas, it is very easy to get to Atlanta. Atlanta is home to the world’s busiest airport – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. There are over 150 cities that have daily, non-stop flights to Atlanta. To get a quote for a flight click here.
If you are coming from interstate than driving to Atlanta is easy to. There are three major interstates that all come together in downtown Atlanta. They are the I-20, I-75 and I-85. Get a quote for a rental car here.
Where to stay in Atlanta?
In terms of proximity to the carnival we recommend staying in Downtown Atlanta. This is also convenient because it is located near the city’s biggest tourist attractions like CNN World Headquarters, Phillips Arena, the World of Coca-Cola, the Georgia Dome, Centennial Olympic Park, and America’s Mart.
The hotels in this area are a little less luxurious than the ones you will find in Midtown or Buckhead. So if you prefer five star luxury you should look in this area. That being said there is some excellent hotels in this area. There is also a lot of very affordable options of accommodation in this area too if you have a smaller budget. Of course you can always check out private rentals too.
For more information about tours, things to do, sightseeing tours, day trips and more click here. For longer vacations check out Tour Radar for some cool trips.
What to wear to Atlanta Carnival?
Atlanta Carnival is one of Atlanta’s most legendary events. A celebration of cultures from all around the world. The parades are colourful AF, with women dressed in colourful and elaborate feather headdresses and bejewelled bras. You don’t need to dress like the people in the parade but why not wear some playful pieces that will help you stand out from the crowds. It’s the time to let your imagination one wild and get creative and wear something fun, you can check out some cool outfit ideas on Amazon. Remember though to wear comfortable shoes as you will be on your feet all day long!
Before you go!
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