Martin Luther King had a dream! In 1967, so did the creators of Toronto’s Caribbean Carnival – to showcase Caribbean Canadian culture in Canada! The result was then called Caribana which they based on the huge and exciting Trinidad & Tobago Carnival. The founders of Caribana envisioned it as a gift of culture to Canada. This Carnival is a cultural explosion of Caribbean music, (Calypso, Soca, Reggae, Hip Hop, Chutney, Steel Pan and Brass Bands) Caribbean cuisine, revelry as well as visual and performing arts. According to the organizers, it is the largest Carnival in North America! The Carnival is now called Toronto Caribbean Carnival and is run by the Festival Management Committee, a group of business people and City of Toronto officials. It is aimed at not only continuing this gift of culture but also at fiscal stability for all participants in Carnival and for the benefit of the City of Toronto, the Province of Ontario, and the Government of Canada and the corporate sponsors.
This Carnival is being held in Toronto July 8 to August 12, 2018 with Carnival Weekend being August 3 to August 5, 2018. The main events of the festival are: the Pan Alive (August 3), the King & Queen Xtavaganza (August 2) and the Grand Parade or Parade of Bands on August 4th. There are also many parties at night clubs which usually start late around 11:30 and go until sunrise.
The Grand parade – imagine pulsating rhythms of Calypso, Soca and Steel Bands dancing along Lakeshore Blvd., with thousands of brilliantly costumed MAS Bands spirited together. Each year, TorontoArtsandEvents! is amazed by the colours and the artistic genius shown in the parade!
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For tics and more info go to: Peeks Toronto Caribbean Carnival
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