Notting Hill Carnival the mecca for people like me immersed in Caribbean air.This is Europe’s biggest street festival. Notting hill carnival is held every August bank holiday weekend.The streets of west london are transformed into a Caribbean themed festival,awash with colourful floats,steel pan music,brightly costumed dancers and plenty of amazing Caribbean food.So am i here to talk about the festival…Mmmm…maybe…but it is more to do with what to see and what not to see for a family.Remember I have a young urchin whom I dragged to the whisky festival (read my post ) and now to the Notting hill carnival.
My tips here are for families with babies and toddlers eager to travel to experience the fun and still make the most of it.
How to travel :Remember this is a festival on a bank holiday.Roads and public transport in west London will be very busy on August Bank Holiday weekend. Make sure you make the most of the weekend, and of this fantastic annual event, by planning ahead.I always prefer tubes for travel on this weekend. Paddington (Hammersmith & City and Circle lines) as the nearest tube station.Then walking down to Notting hill is the best way forward.If you have toddlers who are hyperactive then carrying a stroller is the best idea as there is ample to walk and squeeze through crowded places.Try to travel early before the planned closures and to a decent viewing place.I always reach the place by 11 am to avoid the build up of crowds.
Food: You are in a food blog and I wont talk about Caribbean food is silly.I gorge on it like anything. There is a plethora of flavours to try like jerk chicken, curried goat, rice and peas. If its sunny you can see stalls of rum punch selling off the cart.Beer is the official drink for the festival and every pub and nook and corner sells it in batches.Some people prefer carrying their own.But yes keep yourself hydrated.My personal favorite is Mama’s jerk chicken which is too good.As for the toddlers I personally carry some juice,cakes and sleek sandwich cause all that dancing can exhaust.
Music:The sound of music echoes through the streets and beyond that.I listen to jazz and reggae everyday and that is not I am looking for.I am a traditional on this day and nothing is more fitting than steel bands,soca and calypso.Every now and then I break into a jig with my little Rio tap dancing to the tunes.I would say ear plugs are a must for children less than five years.Its also nice to carry a few maracas.
Safety: Security is very high as every 10 steps you would have policemen standing maintaining the decorum and law and order.Any out of hand behavior is straight taken into account and befittingly handled.They will guide you infinite number of times to the nearest stations. Hand over maps and guides regarding the festival whereabouts.I always prefer the mornings and if you are looking for night outs then I am not the right person.
Cleanliness: Remember I have an OCD so I am not sure if every once is looking for this information.But First day First show is the best show.The roads are clean and people are just getting into the mood.The music is live and dancers are sprite.There are couple of dustbins and mobile toilets stationed for the festival goers.The problem starts when people go really high and there is nausea all around.
Every year the carnival authorities update their website with all the information.For those looking for carnival intensive information.This is the website to visit. http://www.thenottinghillcarnival.com/
Please drop me a reply if you want to anything specific about the carnival and how to plan better with a family.
See you at the masquerade.This has been my third year and will never miss it in the future.