The littlest masqueraders get a day of their own at Franklin Park when the Boston Society of Caribbean Culture and Heritage stages its Kiddies Caribbean Carnival. Young children parade in small mas bands, decked out in the full sequins-feathers-and-regalia treatment, while soca plays and families cheer them through the park.

The event exists to keep Boston’s half-century Carnival tradition alive by starting kids early, and the atmosphere matches the mission: a daytime, family-first celebration with music, food, and plenty of room for toddlers to dance along. The midday children’s parade is the centerpiece, with festivities carrying on through the afternoon. It suits Caribbean families passing the culture down and any Boston family after a joyful, kid-scaled introduction to Carnival — smaller crowds and softer edges than the main parade weekend, with every bit of the color.