THE Independence Float and Street Parade will return as part of the country’s 60th anniversary celebrations, beginning at 10:00 am on Emancipation Day (August 1) in St Andrew.

The event will start at Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre on Hope Road, then head to Half-Way-Tree, from there to Oxford Road, after which it will turn on Tom Redcam Drive and end in the National Stadium car park.

Providing details on the main celebration activities for Jamaica’s Diamond Jubilee in the House of Representatives on July 26, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange said more than 1,000 participants are expected, noting that the event was last held in 2018.

“We will have eight exciting floats, seven music trucks, seven costume groups, effigies, Jonkunnu, youth groups, and over 1,000 participants; we will have the Jamaica Constabulary Force and the Jamaica Defence Force participating as well. We will also have classic cars and bikers,” she informed.

It will also include a number of Jamaican sound systems such as Stone Love, Renaissance and Ruff Cut.

Minister Grange said it will be an exciting undertaking and encouraged families to come out and view the happenings.

“We are asking people to come out early. It’s a long time since we have been able to have an Independence float and street parade. I am really looking forward to this and I want to thank the prime minister for insisting on us doing the float and street parade, and the minister of finance for finding the additional funds so we could do so,” she added.

Meanwhile, Grange said the 2022 Festival Queen will also be crowned on Emancipation Day in the Independence Village.