Sesame Flyers launches 2026 junior carnival band with costume showcase in Brooklyn
Young masqueraders paraded “Sesame Carnival: Rhythm of the Renaissance 2026” at Kings Plaza Mall ahead of the children’s road march in Crown Heights on September 5.
NEW YORK, United States. A group of young revellers in carnival costumes launched the Sesame Flyers Junior Carnival Band 2026 in the Center Court of Kings Plaza Mall in Brooklyn on July 11.
Under the theme “Sesame Carnival: Rhythm of the Renaissance 2026”, teens and tweens paraded in towering feathered headpieces, jewelled bodysuits and swimsuit designs decorated with sequins and beading, dancing to soca music and waving Caribbean flags.
Sections of the band include Drumline Command, Soca Rhythm of the Renaissance and Rising Tempo, among others.
Road march ahead
The showcase gave parents an early look as they prepare their young masqueraders for the children’s road march competition on September 5 in Crown Heights.
The event is part of the Labor Day weekend festivities on Eastern Parkway organised by WIADCA, which is now in its 59th year.
The band leader and organisers said they were returning to the spirit of the Carnival Renaissance of 2024, recalling its pageantry and mas production.
‘Made for participation’
According to the band’s website, the designers want the road to look like a dream again.
“For too long, New York Carnival has seen its magic dimmed, costumes forgotten, and the road without colour, and people showing up to the parade, but not in it. Carnival is never meant to be watched from the sidelines. It was made for participation,” it said.
“We celebrate the designers, the wire benders, the Mas makers to turn raw materials into living art, and the Masquerader who bring it all to life,” the website added.
Registration is open at the Sesame Carnival Mas Camp at 3510 Church Avenue in Brooklyn.
