Crown Heights Readies for Labor Day Parade, J’Ouvert Festival

This coming Monday, September 2nd, is Labor Day, and will see street closures and a large influx of people to Crown Heights. The West Indies.Day (Labor Day) Parade takes place each year on Eastern Parkway, and begins early in the morning with the J’Ouvert Festival.

by CrownHeights.info

This coming Monday, September 2nd, is Labor Day, and will see the annual West Indies Day (Labor Day) Parade and Pre-dawn J’Ouvert festival in Crown Heights.

Each year, the Labor Day Parade is held on Eastern Parkway, closing down the main thoroughfare from Grand Army Plaza through Ralph Ave.

Prior to the parade, the J’Ouvert festival takes place, on Flatbush Ave, closing down the streets of Flatbush Ave from Grand Army Plaza through Empire Blvd, and Empire Blvd from Flatbush Ave through Nostrand Ave. The festival continues down Nostrand Ave to Rutland Rd.

The West Indies Day Parade has historically been fraught with violence, and will again this year be under the watchful eye of thousands of police officers, 300 floodlights and about 60 cameras along the two-mile parade route.

The following is a complete list of street closures for the Parade beginning at 11:00am:

-Grand Army Plaza (Entire Circle)
-Buffalo Avenue between Eastern Parkway and East New York Avenue
-Rochester Avenue between East New York Avenue and Sterling Place
-Ralph Avenue between Eastern Parkway and East New York Avenue
-East New York Avenue between Howard Avenue and Utica Avenue
-Eastern Parkway between Howard Avenue and Grand Army Plaza
-Washington Avenue between Sterling Place and Lincoln Road
-Flatbush Avenue between Grand Army Plaza and Caton Avenue
-Ocean Avenue between Empire Boulevard and Parkside Avenue
-Butler Place between Grand Army Plaza and Sterling Place
-St. John’s Place between Underhill Avenue and Grand Army Plaza
-Rockaway Parkway between East New York Avenue and Rutland Road
-Parkside Avenue between Park Circle and Flatbush Avenue
-Bedford Avenue between Eastern Parkway and Empire Boulevard
-Empire Boulevard between Flatbush Avenue and Nostrand Avenue
-Nostrand Avenue between Empire Boulevard and Linden Boulevard
-Lincoln Place between Eastern Parkway and East New York Avenue

For the J’Ouvert Festival starting at 6:00am through 11:00am:

-Grand Army Plaza (Entire Circle)
-Buffalo Avenue between Eastern Parkway and East New York Avenue
-Rochester Avenue between East New York Avenue and Sterling Place
-Ralph Avenue between Eastern Parkway and East New York Avenue
-East New York Avenue between Howard Avenue and Utica Avenue
-Eastern Parkway between Howard Avenue and Grand Army Plaza
-Washington Avenue between Sterling Place and Lincoln Road
-Flatbush Avenue between Grand Army Plaza and Caton Avenue
-Ocean Avenue between Empire Boulevard and Parkside Avenue
-Butler Place between Grand Army Plaza and Sterling Place
-St. John’s Place between Underhill Avenue and Grand Army Plaza
-Rockaway Parkway between East New York Avenue and Rutland Road
-Parkside Avenue between Park Circle and Flatbush Avenue
-Bedford Avenue between Eastern Parkway and Empire Boulevard
-Empire Boulevard between Flatbush Avenue and Nostrand Avenue
-Nostrand Avenue between Empire Boulevard and Linden Boulevard
-Lincoln Place between Eastern Parkway and East New York Avenue