Boston police announce changes to Caribbean Festival parade route after past shootings

BOSTON — The Boston Police Department has announced changes to Saturday’s Caribbean Festival parade route after shootings at past events prompted large emergency responses.

The Caribbean Parade will begin at Martin Luther King Blvd. and Warren Street at 11 a.m. The parade will step off at 1 p.m. and end at 6:00 p.m.

This year’s J’ouvert Parade is in a new location, as it will be exclusively on Circuit Drive in Franklin Park and will run from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.

The parade will assemble on Circuit Drive near the Shattuck Hospital and proceed along Circuit Drive toward Blue Hill Avenue. At its conclusion, all music will be shut off at the Zoo Parking lot and the parade vehicles will disperse taking a right onto Blue Hill Ave.

Circuit Drive will be closed to motor vehicle traffic and no parking will be available from late Friday night (after Zoo Lights closes) until Sunday morning.

Traffic will be redirected for the parade as follows:

• Outbound (West) vehicle traffic on Columbia Road will be rerouted at Geneva Avenue with all traffic being directed to turn left (South) onto Geneva Avenue towards Bowdoin Street.
• Traffic on Blue Hill Ave inbound will be directed to take a left on Harvard Ave.
• Traffic on Blue Hill Ave. outbound will be directed right onto Harvard St.
• At Blue Hill Avenue and American Legion Highway, all traffic will be directed onto Blue Hill Avenue (South) towards Harvard St.
• Vehicle traffic on Columbus Avenue will be directed onto Walnut Avenue at the intersection of Columbus Avenue, Seaver Street, and Walnut Avenue.
• No vehicle traffic on Seaver Street towards Blue Hill Avenue.

Additional street closures include:

• Walnut Ave. between Glen Road and Columbus Ave Closed except for residents on Friday at 9:00 p.m. until Sunday morning at 6 a.m.
• Talbot Ave. between Blue Hill Ave and Bernard St on Friday night at 11:59 p.m. until Sunday at 6 a.m.
• Circuit Drive between Morton St and Blue Hill Ave on Friday night at 11 p.m. until Sunday at 6 a.m.
• No planned closure for American Legion Highway but it will be closed as needed.
• Streets will be cleaned at the end of both parades on Saturday at 6 pm.

Police warn violence won’t be tolerated

Paradegoers will notice an uptick in law enforcement along the route and late-night and overnight activities will be limited, according to police.

“No guns, no weapons, no parking in many different places,” Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox said. “We expect people to come and enjoy themselves and have a good time.”

There is a heightened concern from some after a shooting at the Carribean Festival last year.

“Weapons and violence are never tolerated in our city, neither will large or loud parties/gatherings. Revelers in speaker cars or off-road vehicles are not welcome and we will take notice,” the Boston police warned.

A shooting at another festival also recently rocked the city.

As Boston Police officers were in the process of clearing people from the Dominican Festival on Circuit Drive last Sunday, they said they heard multiple gunshots coming from the crowd. Five people were left wounded.

The Carribean American Carnival Association of Boston denounced the violence writing on Facebook, “We deserve fun activities and events in our neighborhoods and we deserve to feel safe. It must stop!!!!”

Other events in Boston include the Saint Anthony’s feast in the North End which kicked off on Thursday night.

The Lafayette Bicentennial Celebration will also happen tomorrow at Boston Common.

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