Caribbean Carnival/Friends Of Culture (Friends Of Culture) was registered as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in Louisiana, June 21, 2001. Its founder, president, and CFO is Marilyn C. LaForce, a native of St. Lucia. One of the main goals of the organization is to provide a cultural link between the Greater New Orleans area and the island nations of the Caribbean. Under Ms. Laforces's leadership (FOC) is the producer and promoter of Bayou Bacchanal, the original Caribbean Carnival in New Orleans and the premier Caribbean organization within the state. January 2020, FOC registered as a DBA, producing our second festival, "Curry With A Flavor". The Carnival is one of the many unique events of New Orleans. The most remarkable features of Bayou Bacchanal are the

masquerade Masquerade or Masquerader may refer to: Events * Masquerade ball, a costumed dance event * Masquerade ceremony, a rite or cultural event in many parts of the world, especially the Caribbean and Africa * Masqueraders, the performers in the West ...

rs who dance through the city streets to the pulsating beats of steel pan drums, which are indigenous instruments of

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

. Moreover, Bayou Bacchanal, like other Caribbean carnivals, encourages full participation for visitors in the

parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, float (parade), floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually ce ...

who normally dress in exotic-islander costumes, but it is not required. Anyone may join the parade as it snakes its way to Crescent Park to finish the carnival with

concert A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variety a ...

s, authentic

Caribbean cuisine Caribbean cuisine is a fusion of West African,"Cuisine."
(Caribbean.

, arts and crafts. Bayou Bacchanal is only one stop for the carnival lovers. Throughout the year, party goers will follow the Caribbean party to cities all over North America. For example, a group of people may participate in the Caribbean carnival in

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, drive to

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

for another, afterward leave to

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

's event and then make a final stop in New Orleans, Louisiana for Bayou Bacchanal. Every year almost every major city in North America holds a Caribbean carnival. Bayou Bacchanal takes place every first Saturday of November where the weather is near perfect in New Orleans for outside activities.

External links

The official website of Curry With A Flavor Festival

The official website of Bayou Bacchanal

Video of Bayou Bacchanal 2003

Video of Bayou Bacchanal 2004

History of the Caribbean festival
Caribbean-American history Festivals in New Orleans Trinidadian and Tobagonian-American culture Carnivals in the United States