Toppa Top 11: Walshy Fire’s 11 Things You Must Do at Miami Carnival

Words by Walshy Fire, Photo by Matt Goias—

Headed to Miami Carnival this weekend? The carnival itself isn’t ’til Sunday (on the road outside of Sun Life Stadium, home of the Dolphins and the Hurricanes) but the week leading up to it is filled with massive Caribbean events going on throughout the Miami area. The amount of choices can be overwhelming (Hit the yardie spot out in Broward? Chill out on South Beach? Go see Machel?) so we called up the one man we knew could make sense of it all, MIA’s “Prime Minister,” Walshy Fire (and a man who we recently caught up with in print and on video), for his picks on what CANNOT BE MISSED. Click through below, as we tun our usual Toppa Top 10 countdown up to 11!

Walshy on the road at Notting Hill Carnival this summer

1. Pick a Mas band

(Photo: Reid Van Renesse)

You didnt come this far to not play mas. There’s 23 to choose from—pick one out here.

2. Eat at LC’s Roti Shop

(Photo: Charles Traynor Jr.)

Miami’s #1 Trinidadian food spot—find it out on NW 2nd Ave. in Miami Gardens.

3. Swim!

4. Tribe Thursday night

Trinidad’s biggest mas band has the biggest Thursday night event at Carnival. The “Ignite” party is happening from 11 to 5 a.m., at Opium, inside the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Get your tickets here.

5. Socavivor

Go to all the Socavivor events—especially Socavivor Friday at the Socavivor Village (in downtown Fort Lauderdale). By far, Miami’s number one carnival event.

6. Amnesia Miami Mansion Breakfast Party

Unique to Carnival time, this event starts at 4am on Saturday morning at a mansion in Downtown Miami. Breakfast included!

7. RAVE

Machel Machel Machel Live! (Also Kes the Band, Patrice Roberts, Shal Marshall, Kerwin DuBois, and pretty much every other Trini soca star)

8. Miami Carnival at Sun Life Stadium

The main event.

9. Eat Chef Creole’s.

Creole food made by a Haitian who grew up in the Bahamas. This Miami-area chain is a true representation of Caribbean food.

10. Sleep

11. Delete all pics of you on ‘Net.

‘Nuff said.