Hope you've been practicing your dance moves, because Carnival is back in town.
Although the parade itself takes downtown Tampa by storm on Saturday, April 30, Tampa Caribbean Festival Inc. is hosting an entire slew of events this weekend to celebrate this year’s Carnival—a colorful party filled with dancing, music, and larger-than-life costumes.
The parade will take off at 1 p.m. from Perry Harvey Sr. Park—located at 1000 E Harrison St.—while live music starts at 4 p.m. The lineup features genres from African music to reggae, with artists like Olatunji and Nadia Batson alongside other classic Carnival acts.
According to the Tampa Caribbean Festival Inc. Facebook, VIP tickets for this weekend’s celebration are already sold out, but general admission passes are still available. Tickets start at $35 and can be purchased on eventbrite.com.
In addition to the parade and live music, there will also be food for sale, local vendors slinging their wares, and kid-friendly activities present at this weekend's Carnival party.
Tampa Caribbean Festival Inc. is hosting many other events this weekend that coincide with its annual Carnival celebration—including several pre and after parties. For more information on these various events, follow its Facebook at @tampacaribbeanfestival or website at tampabaycaribbeancarnival.com.
This is the first year that Tampa Caribbean Festival Inc. is teaming up with Visit Tampa Bay for its annual Carnival celebration. The two organizations held a press conference with the City of Tampa last week to announce their collaboration and get the city ready for Saturday's event.