Boston's Caribbean Carnival is set to fill city streets with costumes and festivity on Saturday, and while the community gears up to celebrate, safety and police staffing concerns have cast a bit of a shadow over the annual tradition.
The J'ouvert parade — which means "daybreak" in French — kicked off at 6 a.m. at Franklin Park, and a main parade will follow at 1 p.m.
"You don't have to fly back home to enjoy it," David Macgyver said, speaking of Caribbean culture. "It's right here in America now."
Crowds from all over the region were congregating in celebration of Caribbean culture, and to be entertained with dancers, bejeweled costumes, food, vendors and more.
“This is the part you stay up all night, you got to prepare yourself for this," parade attendee Royaltee Jay said.
Circuit Drive was filled with music and dancing throughout Saturday morning, with crowds of people letting loose and celebrating.
"No matter if you want to dance or not, you're going to end up dancing," Carmela Aurelus said, who traveled from New Jersey to Boston for the event. "You're going to have fun."
Amid the preparations for the festivities, there have been safety concerns in the community, after a shooting last weekend that happened as a different festival was wrapping up in Franklin Park. At last year's Caribbean festival, eight people were shot near the parade route.
At the time, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu stressed that the violence was unrelated to the parade.
Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox held a news conference earlier this week to share some of the department's security plans.
Boston police are taking all-hands-on-deck approach to the carnival this weekend. In fact, Commissioner Cox said that practically the entire force would be working this weekend. The police union, though, said there aren't enough officers to patrol both the Caribbean Carnival and Saint Anthony's Feast in the North End.
There are some changes at both events this year in an effort to boost safety.
At Saint Anthony's Feast this year, anyone under 21 must have a parent or guardian with them. Backpacks, open containers and outside beverages are not allowed. The feast ends at 9 p.m. each night.
As for the Caribbean Festival, this year's J'ouvert Parade has a new route exclusively on Circuit Drive from 6 a.m. until 10 a.m. The Caribbean Parade kicks off at 1 p.m. with a hard stop at 6 p.m. It will begin at Martin Luther King Boulevard and Warren Street.
After the parades conclude at 6 p.m. on Saturday, streets will be cleaned and cleared. No loitering will be allowed in the area. Late-night and overnight activities will be limited.
Wu said that the city has been planning for this for months.
"There's a rhythm to these events, especially the large annual events we cherish and celebrate so the planning starts immediately after the event happens for the next year," Wu said. "We want to ensure that everyone has a good time, that safety is first and foremost as with everything we do in the city but these festivals are really important to Boston's economy, to our culture and to our community."
Police are emphasizing that they have a zero-tolerance policy for violence, and they're urging people who see something to say something.
