HOW TO DO NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL RIGHT THIS YEAR
This Bank holiday weekend see’s Europe’s Biggest Annual Street Party return to the Streets of London for its 50th year, originally started as a way for Afro Caribbean communities to celebrate their culture it has now become a celebration of the diversity of London.
Set over 2 days Notting Hill Carnival 2016 is set to be an array of colourful street parades, culinary food and musical delights to suit every taste, so here are our Carnival musts from what to wear to what to do.
1) Ditch the heels
Carnival screams comfort since you will most likely be walking around for the whole day if not dancing, a pair of comfy flats, whether they be loafers, ballet pumps or trainers are the ultimate solution especially if your planning on dancing behind one of the floats and following the carnival route for a while.
2) Its carnival, no time to be a wallflower
Take advantage of the ability to scream colour and pattern without being judged, the louder the better. Butterflytwists Chloe ballet pump are the perfect hat trick combining bright colours and Bold Prints in 2 different colour and animal print combinations, my personal favourite is the coral leopard print pump. Why not accessorise these beauties with your mandatory carnival whistle, Flag and a pair of Clubround Raybans in Copper flash at £162 a pop.
3) Don’t forget your essentials
Carnival is an experience best to be prepared for but keep it minimal. Don’t forget the sunscreen, bottled water, a waterproof rain Jacket, depending on the weather (this is London after all), tissue for impromptu toilet stops at the many scattered porta loos and cash for drinks and food.
4) Go off route and get your groove on.
Carnival isn’t just about the parade, and for first time goers it is easy to miss the other side of carnival. The side streets are home to a host of Pop Up sound systems and DJ’s to suit every musical taste from House, Garage, Soca, Reggae, Dubstep, Calypo and many more.
So if you’re at carnival to party hard then the last thing you want to do is worry about your feet. There is no “No trainer’s policy” on the door for this party so take full advantage and embrace wearing your most comfortable trainers, a pair from the Butterflytwists SportsLux range is the perfect choice combining both urban fashion and leisure footwear.
You wont be caught out on the style front wearing a pair of our sneaker style High top Madison’s in Black and white. Bold yet understated enough to let your outfit do the talking. Team with a Colourful festival playsuit like this one from ASOS.
5) Eat Caribbean Food
You cannot go to carnival and not be drawn by the tantalising smells of the open air barbecues. Make sure to grab a taste of the Caribbean; Jerk chicken and rice is the choice of dish especially if you’re a novice to Caribbean cuisine. Here at ButterflyTwist HQ our go to Favourite Is Boom Burger, just off Portobello Road, who will be serving Jerk chicken burgers and wings throughout Carnival.
If your feeling on the adventurous side why not try some curry goat, salt fish, patties or traditional Caribbean Curry and a refreshing glass of Sugar Cane.
6) Stay Safe
Notting Hill Carnival is amazingly fun but with an estimated 1 million people visiting every year its important to stay safe.
Its best to meet with friends, family etc before you enter the Carnival as the likelihood of finding them once you’re in the thick of it is highly unlikely.
Make sure you grab yourself a Carnival Route Map, that way you can plan your carnival experience.
Take a small secure bag, as although our lovely London Police shall be there in abundance enjoying the festivities with us it can only be expected in such busy areas that the likelihood of pickpocketing is high.
7) Not ready to wind down yet.
So Carnival is coming to an end but you feel like you’ve only just begun and “can’t stop the feeling” as Justin Timberlake would say then head on over to one of many Carnival after parties happening across the whole of London on both the 28th and 29th August. Check out The Timeouts Carnival feature for some of the best places to warm up and end your carnival experience.
http://www.timeout.com/london/clubs/notting-hill-carnival-warm-up-and-after-parties
So that is it Butterfly Twists readers, all that is left for me to say is enjoy the festivities, shake a leg and don’t forget your ballet pumps ;)
