POMPANO BEACH ? It was a good day at the track for many at Pompano Park, but rather than walking away a big winner, many left with a hearty plate of jerk pork and rice and peas.
By Georgia EastSaturday's Kulturefest at Pompano Park Harness Track was the kickoff to Broward County's Caribbean Carnival, which is in October.
Bandleaders displayed colorful sequined costumes, steel bands played rhythmic tunes and thousands of people perused vendor stalls, walking away with T-shirts, food and a preliminary taste of Carnival.
Annette Mark of Coral Springs, a newcomer to South Florida, said she hadn't made up her mind yet about playing a masquerader in Broward County's Carnival. But she spent some time at the Fungeneration stall, where colorful sequin and satin costumes caught her attention.
Mark said she is used to taking part in Carnival in Toronto, where she lived.
"Carnival is a day where most Caribbean people forget about their heartaches, their problems and their pains," Mark said. "You just get out there and do it."
For almost 20 years, Carnival has been a staple in Miami, but when organizers decided to move it to Homestead last year, some thought it was too far and launched their own Carnival on the same day in Broward County.
For the second consecutive year, Broward Carnival Inc. plans to have the event at Fort Lauderdale's Lockhart Stadium on Northwest 12th Avenue. This time around, however, they're looking for a stronger showing. Organizers said about 35,000 people attended last year's event. This year they're hoping to double that number.
South Florida's Caribbean population has swelled to almost 364,000, according to 2000 census figures. There are about 155,000 people from the Caribbean living in Broward County, about 50,000 in Palm Beach County and about 159,000 in Miami-Dade County. Many West Indian groups, however, think these estimates are low.
Andy Ansola, co-chair of the Broward Carnival group, said many of the people who took part in the Miami Carnival live in Broward and complained about having to travel so far.
"We answered the call of Broward County residents," said Ansola. "This is an event for people of different cultures and nationalities."
Some already are spreading the word about the Broward County Carnival to friends in other states. Organizers have launched a media campaign to get the news about the event out as well.
Sue Gibbons of Sunrise made up her mind early. She said she decided to play a masquerader in the Broward event. The native of Trinidad will wear an intricate costume, fashioned off a Chinese theme.
When she lived in New York, Gibbons said she never "played mas," referring to the masked costume, "because it was too cold. Now I'm telling my friends in New York to come down here and join me."
