For Caribbean Mardi Gras, the place to be is Trinidad

By: Hickory Record Staff | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: February 01, 2009

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad --

Mardi Gras in the U.S. means New Orleans. In South America, it's Brazil, and in Europe, it's Venice.

But in the Caribbean, Trinidad is the place to be for carnival, with a celebration of culture, calypso and cuisine, complete with parades, elaborate costumes, bands and masquerade balls.

Carnival events begin in the days leading up to Mardi Gras, which will fall on Feb. 24 this year. Festivities include Kiddies Carnival, where children and teenagers dress up and dance; the Panorama steel pan competition; and Kings and Queens Costume Competition, where costumes of dragons, butterflies or insects can weigh up to 200 pounds and are usually attached to wheels for mobility, with such special effects as fog, light shows and fireworks to impress the judges.

Another event, J'Ouvert, takes place before dawn on Carnival Monday. Revelers dress in old clothes and cover themselves in oil, grease, paint, chocolate or mud before parading to soca and calypso until the sun comes up.

For more information, see www.goTrinidadandTobago.com.