The second day of Miami Carnival at the Miami-Dade Fairgrounds means it is J’ouvert. The celebration started as soon as the sun went up. Paint, powder, and Soca music is what J’ouvert is all about.
The paint party has been a tradition for the last three decades at Miami Carnival.
J’ouvert means "daybreak" in French and is considered the start of Carnival. On Saturday the event began at 7 am.
Before the music started there was a moment of silence for Miya Marcano, who went missing last month and found dead in Orlando last week.
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“Miya was a kid when she joined the Miami Carnival," Joan Justin, the chairperson of Miami Carnival said. "She competed in the junior Carnival queen. She got the title of the queen. Today is a day of celebration so we could celebrate life. We could celebrate each other and again in memory of Miya today.”
The banners of Miya drove the crowd in her memory.
“Coming together and being one and celebrating our Caribbean nations,” Carnival attendee Miriam Farrall said.
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Farrall says this is her 8th year celebrating J’ouvert. She says the festival in Miami is like the one back home in Trinidad and Tobago.
"We celebrate in our countries normally. We celebrate our day, a festival so this is like a festival for us. The theme is always getting together family friends your group representing your country," Farrall said.
Jouvert usually lasts from early morning to late afternoon so revelers can rest up and prepare for Carnival Sunday which is the main event of Carnival.
There will be beautiful costumes, masqueraders, feathers and Soca music. The celebration starts Sunday at 11 a.m.
