The Toronto Caribbean Carnival was originally three days long but over the years grew into a three-week festival. For 2021, there is no Grande Parade but the festival still promises to be a relief for a pandemic-weary city. (Photo courtesy of Toronto Caribbean Carnival)
Toronto is ready to grind as the 54th anniversary of its Caribbean Carnival kicks off this weekend.
An annual summer celebration that consistently draws more than a million people to the city and is considered North America’s largest festival, Toronto Caribbean Carnival brings music, food, and colourful costumes.
The popular Grand Parade is cancelled for the second year in a row amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But fans will be able to enjoy a curated program that has been developed to provide festival-goers with more personalized Caribbean experiences.
The Toronto Caribbean Carnival, formerly called Caribana, will host its first annual “Carnival Food Festival” on July 31 and will host another on August 1, with various Caribbean food and live entertainment venues participating, including an event outside Scarborough Town Centre for Carnival Flavours. Revellers will be able to enjoy the tastes of the Caribbean while supporting restaurants and carnival artists.
Toronto Caribbean Carnival in Photos
The Toronto Caribbean Carnival was established in 1967 as part of Canada’s 100th Anniversary celebrations by Caribbean immigrants as a cultural gift to Canada. (Photo courtesy of Toronto Caribbean Carnival)
Beautiful costumes are a trademark of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival, considered the continent’s largest street festival. More than 1.3 million visitors attended in 2019. (Photo courtesy of Toronto Caribbean Carnival)
Music is an important part of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival. The festival showcases a mix of musical styles from the Caribbean and includes genres such as soca, calypso, dancehall, chutney, and reggae, several of which rely on steel-pan drums for their danceable beats. (Photo courtesy of Toronto Caribbean Carnival)
The Toronto Caribbean Carnival and its colourful costumes have been a mainstay attraction in Canada’s largest city for more than five decades. (Photo courtesy of Toronto Caribbean Carnival)
The largest of its kind in North America, the Toronto Caribbean Carnival Festival comprises Barbados, Bahamas, Guyana, Grenada, Jamaica, Haiti, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and other countries in the Caribbean. (Photo courtesy of Toronto Caribbean Carnival)
MORE ABOUT TORONTO CARIBBEAN CARNIVAL
Website: www.torontocarnival.ca
