The major New Year's Eve parade in Nassau, Bahamas, is called Junkanoo.
Junkanoo is a Bahamian street festival featuring elaborate costumes, dancing, percussion, brass instruments, and competitive performances by organized groups. The main parades take place in the early hours of Boxing Day and New Year's Day, with the New Year's event beginning after midnight on December 31.
The festival's history is commonly connected with African cultural traditions and with celebrations held by enslaved people in the colonial Bahamas. Over time, Junkanoo developed into a major national cultural expression, with groups competing in categories that include music, costume, and performance.
Junkanoo is sometimes mistaken for a general Caribbean carnival. The events share features such as costumes and street music, but Junkanoo has its own Bahamian history, rhythms, parade structure, and calendar. Nassau's Bay Street is a central route for the modern celebrations.