The three-day Baltimore Washington One Carnival drew over 35,000 locals and visitors to the 42nd annual celebration at Druid Hill Park, where they relished in colorful costumes, music, Caribbean food and art.

The celebration traces its roots to Trinidad and Tobago, where French settlers brought the masquerade party tradition with them to the islands in the 18th century. The settlers also brought enslaved people with them, and the bright and colorful Carnival costumes date back to African tradition. The feathers were used on headdresses to symbolize perseverance and the journey into a spiritual rebirth.

“Today, Carnival is an act of celebration for freedom throughout the entire Caribbean and the Caribbean diaspora across the world where people celebrate their culture and remember all the pain that their ancestors endured.”

Northeastern University, ECDA (Early Caribbean Digital Archive)