Miami Carnival Inc. was incorporated in 1999 and represented the merging of two separate Miami Carnival Organizations – Caribbean American Carnival (incorporated in 1991) and Carnival Association of South Florida (incorporated in 1996), who had previously held competing Carnivals on the same date. Also included in the merger were representatives of the original West Indian American Day Carnival Association (incorporated in 1984).

Miami Carnival has been an Annual Event since 1984. Within two years of its inception, it had grown from a small neighborhood festival to an international event bringing live bands and calypsonians from the islands. Inquiries came from New York and other major cities. The present Carnival, the Caribbean Mardi Gras, has become the foremost revenue-producing festival for South Florida and is the most popular Carnival in North America, with airline and hotel bookings being confirmed as early as November of each year for the following October’s Carnival. The “Caribbean Carnival Circuit” starts in February with Trinidad & Tobago and ends in October with Miami. In 1993 the International Caribbean Carnival Association was incorporated and this organization is still headquartered in Miami. The President, Treasurer and Trustee of ICCA are all Board Members of Miami Carnival Inc.

The first Junior (Kiddies) Carnival Parade was held in 1990 at Bicentennial Park in downtown Miami on the day before the Miami Carnival. The Junior Carnival grew by leaps and bounds each year, with categories of competition being added each year. In its ongoing outreach program and acknowledging the thousands of Caribbean residents in Broward County, Miami Carnival Inc. partnered with the Broward County Library in 2002 to present the First Annual Miami Carnival • Broward County Library Kiddies Carnival and the City of Fort Lauderdale agreed to include it as a part of their Sun Trust Jazz Brunch on October 6th, one week prior to the Miami Carnival Parade. The Carnival was a huge success and it was again held in Broward County in 2004. In 2004, to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Miami Carnival, this huge event was brought back to its home in Miami-Dade County and in 2005 it will again be celebrated at Peacock Park in Coconut Grove, one week before Columbus Day.

The Present Board of Directors of Miami Carnival Inc. is comprised of:
Mr. Selman Lewis
Mr. Carl Assam
Mrs. Kathryn D’Arcy
Mr. Vincent Lila
Mr. Raymond Luke
Mrs. Joan Ragoonan
Mr. Sidney Roberts
Mr. Ruthven Williams