The Cambridge Carnival returned to the streets of Central Square for its 30th anniversary celebration on Sunday. The annual costume parade and Afro-Caribbean culture festival put on display a vibrant mix of costumes, dance, food, and music for hundreds of attendees.

Lynette Laveau Saxe is the co-founder of Cambridge Carnival and a self-described “keeper of stories.” At the Cambridge Revelers storytelling tent, she recounts the origin of the Carnival and how it symbolizes the history of emancipation from slavery, a celebration of culture, and freedom.

Cambridge Revelers is a Cambridge Carnival group founded 3 years ago to renew and revitalize the festival while helping the community understand its history and mission.

The parade proceeds along Sydney Street with musicians, dancers, and flamboyant costumes. Participants at the front hold a Panamanian flag, and a Haitian flag hangs from a food truck in the background.

The Soca Fusion Dancers perform across from University Park Commons. Soca is a traditional Caribbean dance originating from Trinidad and Tobago.

Audience members dance to the beat of a West African drum group by the Cambridge Revelers tent.

Several steel bands and percussion groups regularly join the carnival parade.

An array of stands along Sydney Street sell a variety of street foods including Samosas, Jamaican cuisine, and Korean fried chicken.

The Carnival comes alive with extravagant costumes and dazzling colors.

Dancers hold hands, forming a line as they celebrate the 30th anniversary of this Cambridge tradition.