For more than three decades, revelers have flocked to South Florida to experience Miami Carnival and that didn't change in 2022 as thousands gathered to celebrate the Caribbean culture.
Held for the 38th time, the event - which began last weekend and concluded Sunday - included the annual J'ouvert on Saturday and the Carnival parade and concert at the Miami-Dade County Fairgrounds in southwest Miami-Dade.
Organizers said each year the event gets bigger and better.
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"In Caribbean culture, Carnival was started when slaves wanted to express themselves and plantation owners did not want them to express themselves, so they started their own carnival," said Miami Carnival legal advisor Marlon Hill.
Over 21 masquerade bands paraded throughout the Carnival in bold costumes expressing different themes of their ancestry and heritage.
"It's all about your individual self-expression, through the costume, the food that you eat, through the music. Whether you love soca or calypso, punta, punta rock, salsa all those music reflected here," Hill said.
The events started Friday in Broward County and concluded with two days of music, costumes and culture in Miami-Dade.
Participating bands, each with their own theme, strolled along the parade route and ultimately performed on the main stage in the hope of becoming Band of the Year. A costume competition was helped with competitions for best king, queen and individual costumes.
Carnivals are held not just throughout the Caribbean, but also in Toronto, New York City, and London.
