What You Need To Know About The West Indian Day Parade Monday

CROWN HEIGHTS, NY — The best party of the year is back in Brooklyn this Labor Day: The West Indian American Day Parade.

The festivities start on the streets at 6 a.m. on Monday with J'Ouvert, or "daybreak" in Creole.

J'Ouvert is a joyful commemoration of the end of slavery in the Caribbean and the impact of Caribbean culture worldwide.

Then, the West Indian American Day Parade will begin at Lincoln Terrace Park in Crown Heights at 11 a.m. Monday.

The parade will make its way west on Eastern Parkway from Lincoln Place to Grand Army Plaza and feature two legendary contests — the steel pan drum band contest and the costume contest.

The parade is a dazzling array of floats, sequins, skin, feathers and body paint. Two people will also be crowned king and queen of the parade.

Thousands of people attend every year, including politicians and leaders from all over the borough.

Here are the roads that will be closed to accommodate the parade from Sunday to Monday.

• Grand Army Plaza (Entire Circle)
• Buffalo Avenue between Eastern Parkway and East New York Avenue
• Rochester Avenue between East New York Avenue and Sterling Place
• Ralph Avenue between Eastern Parkway and East New York Avenue
• East New York Avenue between Howard Avenue and Utica Avenue
• Eastern Parkway between Howard Avenue and Grand Army Plaza
• Washington Avenue between Sterling Place and Lincoln Road
• Flatbush Avenue between Grand Army Plaza and Caton Avenue
• Ocean Avenue between Empire Boulevard and Parkside Avenue
• Butler Place between Grand Army Plaza and Sterling Place
• St. Johns Place between Underhill Avenue and Grand Army Plaza
• Rockaway Parkway between East New York Avenue and Rutland Road
• Parkside Avenue between Park Circle and Flatbush Avenue
• Bedford Avenue between Eastern Parkway and Empire Boulevard
• Empire Boulevard between Flatbush Avenue and Nostrand Avenue
• Nostrand Avenue between Empire Boulevard and Linden Boulevard
• Lincoln Place between Eastern Parkway and East New York Avenue