Photos by: Jetta Photo

Miami Carnival kicked off in style when the children of South Florida got their chance to celebrate their Caribbean culture. The young masqueraders (age 14 and under) paraded around Central Broward Regional Park, dancing in their brightly colored costumes to classic Caribbean Soca music.

With more than ten junior masquerade bands, the Junior Carnival is growing. This year was the best ever, making it a mainstay of Miami Carnival. The day provided the attendees the opportunity to experience the young performers show off their heritage.

The Junior Band of the Year was won by Fun Generation, with Natural Disasters in second, and Major Players holding on to third place. The Junior Queen was won by Shani Butler from Fun Generation, while the King of Carnival was taken by ten year old Brendon Simmons from the band Natural Disasters.

Next Sunday, 13^th October, the adults will take to the road to show what they can do in the largest carnival in Florida.