Aug. 23, 2023 By Carlotta Mohamed
State Senator James Sanders is inviting everyone for a day of family fun at the fifth annual Queens Carnival returning to the streets of Far Rockaway on Saturday, Aug. 26, featuring masquerade costumes, moko jumbie stilt walkers, island foods, singers and dancers.
“We are bringing the islands to Long Island. We’re bringing the happiness of the carnival in Tobago, Jamaica, Antigua and so many different places,” Sanders said. “We are inviting everyone who believes in fun to come and join us and celebrate life in the Rockaways this Saturday.”
Sanders is partnering with Assemblyman Khaleel Anderson, Councilwoman Selvena Brooks-Powers and the Rockaway Development & Revitalization Corporation for the event that is free and open to the public.
Thousands of people are expected to attend the carnival that includes a parade, music concert, food vendors, information tables by community organizations, fireworks, and a raffle for a chance to win two round trip tickets to anywhere in the U.S. courtesy of JetBlue.
“You could get lucky and be the winner of that raffle and not only have fun on Saturday, but you could find yourself extending your fun much longer and being in the second place that you love, the first of course, is the carnival,” Sanders said. “We’ve never done this before. We are grateful to JetBlue for being a partner in this endeavor and the Rockaway Development Corporation.”
The Queens Carnival Parade begins at 11 a.m. starting at Bayswater Park, located at 701 Bay 32nd St., and ending on the Rockaway Boardwalk at 9th Street and Seagirt Boulevard.
The concert begins at 2 p.m. at O’Donohue Park/B17th St. with Trinidadian musicians Rikki Jai, Ricochet, Skinnybanton, Eddie Charles. The event is hosted by WBLS Ian D Goose Eligon, also featuring Suhrawh & Kidblaze, LiveWire & Chucky and Lady Sparkles.
Sponsors of the Queens Carnival include: RDRC, Resorts World-NYC; St. John’s Episcopal Hospital; The Wave; West Indian American Day Carnival Association; Queens Defenders; Trini Delite Roti Shop; FRANC, Transit Workers Union; Wheel Chair Against Guns; Queens Carnival Committee; Emblem Health; DredSurfer; Queens Royal Priest Hood; PSEG-Long Island; REMA4US; New York Career Training School; National Grid.
