HARTFORD, Conn. — This Saturday, Hartford will come alive with vibrant colors, rhythmic beats and the rich cultural pride of the Caribbean.

The West Indian Independence Celebration is back — not just as a joyous street festival, but as a powerful force for cultural unity, historical remembrance and community empowerment.

For 63 years, the celebration has filled the city’s streets with music, food and a spirit of togetherness. But the roots of this annual event go even deeper — reaching back to the early arrival of Caribbean farm workers in Connecticut during World War II.

“The celebration has been going on in Hartford longer than 1962,” said Natasha Samuels, first vice president of the West Indian Independence Celebration. “We believe this started when the first wave of farm workers

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