Music, colorful costumes and Caribbean food will fill the streets of Boston Saturday as the city hosts the 53rd annual Caribbean Carnival.
Boston police say the carnival is one of the largest cultural events in the city. The festivities kick off with two parades before the main festival gets underway.
The city has made several changes to the event following gun violence surrounding the carnival over the last two years.
The J'Ouvert Parade kicked off at 6 a.m. Saturday near Shattuck Hospital. The parade is scheduled to end at 10 a.m. in the Franklin Park Zoo parking lot.
The main Caribbean Carnival parade begins at 1 p.m. at MLK Boulevard and Warren Street. It will travel to Blue Hill Avenue before ending in Franklin Park.
The festival has a hard stop time of 10 p.m.
Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox says Boston police are working with Massachusetts State Police to keep people safe. He says late-night activities surrounding the carnival are typically a concern.
"We tend to see the most violence associated with late night parties and loud parties in general throughout the summer we will be addressing large parties and certainly late-night activities but always we need the public support with that if you see something say something"
Cox also urged people not to bring weapons to the event.
"Don't come here if you have a weapon, it's not needed we have public safety that are here to try to keep you safe around that it usually leads to bad things"
Boston police will be out throughout the festivities as they work to prevent violence and keep crowds safe.
Parking restrictions will be enforced around Franklin Park. Officials are urging people to take the MBTA or use alternate transportation.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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