Hub Caribbean festival remains a joyous event to the end

Although many in attendance said the parade and festival seemed smaller compared with past years, couples posed for photographs as they danced on the sidewalks, mothers laughed with their children as they watched brightly dressed dancers pass by, and nearly everyone had a flag of at least one Caribbean country draped, tied, or otherwise decorating their bodies.

Teenagers milled through the streets in an effort to keep pace with the 2-mile parade, which stretched from Martin Luther King Boulevard in Roxbury to Franklin Park, while families staked out pieces of sidewalks with folding chairs.

The carnival, which began Thursday, ended yesterday with a predawn parade, with the main procession in the afternoon.

Men in orange shorts and feather headdresses as large as 6 feet in diameter stomped their feet and interacted with the crowd at Blue Hill Avenue and Seaver Street. Another group of dancers, donned in blue sequins, shimmied to the upbeat music.

Gloria Hall, 26, of Dorchester, danced the length of the parade route in a bright orange outfit complete with sequined boots, feathers, and body glitter. Dancing in the heat was difficult, she conceded, but the drumbeats and support from other dancers kept her going.

“The best part is jumping up with the band and seeing all the people’s faces in the crowd as you dance,’’ said Hall, whose sister and daughter danced in the parade, too. “It’s a family tradition. I’ve been doing it since 1996.’’

Kevin Pringle, 48, a former Dorchester resident who lives in Billerica, ate a chicken dish under a shady tree. “It’s a festive mood,’’ Pringle said.

Like many spectators, Pringle did not seem worried about a recurrence of the violence that had marred some previous festivals. He also waved off a fatal shooting that occurred early yesterday on Seaver Street.

“It’s a nice day; everyone is nice. Even the police officers seem to be having a good time,’’ Pringle said.

A 45-year-old man was found fatally shot on Seaver Street at 4 a.m. yesterday. Police said that killing and another fatal shooting about a mile away in Dorchester, were not believed to have been related to the festival.

Police arrested 34 people Friday on drug, weapons, and other violations in an effort to preempt violence at the festival.

Seven people were arrested as of 8 p.m., yesterday, said police spokesman James Kenneally. Most of the arrests were for disorderly conduct; two were charged with firearms offenses. As of 9 p.m., 140 citations had been issued for public drinking.

Joan Rapley of Dorchester, who waved a Jamaican flag and danced to music from a passing float, also dismissed the worries.

“You know what? I’m here every year,’’ Rapley said. “I love seeing all the islands get together to celebrate their cultures.’’

Sarah Flibotte of Malden, who accompanied Rapley, said she enjoyed the cultural smorgasbord.

“There’s a little bit of everything from everywhere,’’ said Flibotte, who added that she tried to sample a dish from almost every vendor.

John M. Guilfoil of the Globe staff contributed to this report.