Junkanoo is reminiscent of New Orleans' Mardi Gras and Rio de Janeiro's Carnival, but it is distinctly Bahamian and exists nowhere else. Parade participants are organised around a particular theme. Their costumes, dance and music reflect this theme. At the end of the Junkanoo procession, judges award cash prizes. The three main categories for the awards are: Best Music, Best Costume and Best Overall group presentation.
The most spectacular Junkanoo parade occurs in Nassau. However, you can also experience it on Grand Bahama, Eleuthera, Bimini and Abaco. It's held on Boxing Day (December 26) and New Year's Day (January 1) from 2:00 a.m. until 8:00 a.m.
If you wish to experience the cultural festival of Junkanoo, plan ahead and arrive early. In Nassau, some of the best views are upstairs on Bay Street, or on the street-side bench seats, which you may reserve in advance.
Junkanoo is the largest festival in the Bahamas and can be traced back to our African roots, mostly made up of families, friends and neighbors gather within groups usually from 500 to 1,500 members -- who perform together at the parade. This Parade take place twice per year, Boxing Day (December 26th) and again on New Year's Day ( Jan 01)
Thounsands of dancers dance through the historic streets of Nassau, (city captial ) with an expolsion of wild colour cardboard sculptures, as the rhythms of goat skin drums,brass horns and cow bells echo across the city, The roof tops becomes alive, you could even see the buildings dancing to that native beat. Weather you're young, old, deaf or blind when that junkanoo beat get a hole of you. You;re going to love it. Picture your self as you listen to the Junkanoo beat on this page being in Nassau (Downtown) as though possessed with this beautiful music that lifts your spirits beyond the flesh.
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Costume design is tied to a theme and is a carefully guarded secret. Themes vary greatly -- they can be contemporary, based on the past or anything the group chooses.
Junkanoo costumes that may have once been discarded as rubbish after the parade, are now being preserved for posterity. The winning creations are placed in the Junkanoo Museum, formerly located in downtown Nassau at the Prince George Wharf. The museum is temporarily closed, because it is being relocated.
Visits today
As Junkanoo traditions have evolved, so, too, have the costumes. Sea sponges, leaves, fabric and shredded paper have at one time or another played their part in costume construction. Costumes today are made out of crepe paper that is meticulously glued to fabric, cardboard or wood. They usually consist of a headdress, shoulder piece and skirt, which are elaborate and brilliantly coloured. Group members make their own costumes and it may take them up to a year to complete the intricate creations.
Junkanoo Festival
