Dozens of carnival aficionados attended the annual Caribbean Cultural Showcase at Von King Park in Bedford-Stuyvesant on June 24. Fort Greene based-Caribbean cultural organization Tropical Fete, presented “Carnival Jungle: Sweet for Days” — their new carnival designs for 2018. Guests enjoyed the visual and musical entertainment, and many were especially big fans of the group’s steel pan ensemble, said one of the organizers.
“The guests really liked the steel pan performance — they loved it,” said Shaquella Makeda Daniel. “They went crazy for it, and they asked the band to keep playing the songs over and over again.”
Every year the group reveals and debuts their new designs for the year. Four new costume sections were unveiled at the showcase, and there was also stilt dancing and a spoken word session.
Daniel said a very modest crowd turned out to see the unveiling, and because it was held in a park, they were able to draw in people who were not aware of the event.
“The turnout was okay. It wasn’t spectacular but we got feedback from people in the park, and a lot of them were saying ‘Wow what’s going here,’ and they stayed to watch,” she said.
