The month-long event, believed to be the largest street festival of its kind in North America, returns after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. It will last until July 31.
“We’re really excited to be back and welcome everyone,” said Laverne Garcia, executive chair of the festival’s management committee.
“It really is for all people. Although it is the Caribbean’s largest cultural festival, it also has something for everyone. … It’s about equality, it’s about diversity. A lot of people don’t realize that the roots of carnival are emancipation and that’s why there’s a big celebration.”
This year, children and families are invited to take part in the new ‘Kiddies for Mas’ carnival on Sunday in Scarborough Town Centre, as well as the Junior Parade set for July 16, also in Scarborough.
KIDDIES FOR MAS Jr. King & Queen Showcase will be presented at a new venue, Scarborough Town Center (Triton Rd and Borough Dr car park) on 10 July 2022 from 2pm to 8pm.
Free for kids 12 and under pic.twitter.com/O8FVHNhCmt — Toronto Carnival (@GoTOCarnival) June 25, 2022 The carnival will then conclude with the Grande Parade along Lake Shore Boulevard West on July 30. This year’s parade is slated to feature more than 10,000 colorful masquerades and a dozen mas bands, who will march and dance along Lake Shore Boulevard West and into the Fairgrounds.
After two years of lockdowns and canceled events, the 55th Caribbean Carnival in Toronto is an expression of all we have lost and an opportunity to be reborn. We look forward to seeing your photos! Tag us using #OnDeRoadAgain #TorontoCaribbeanCarnival pic.twitter.com/XZVBUM6jut
— Toronto Carnival (@GoTOCarnival) June 19, 2022
Some of the other highlights of the final weekend include the King and Queen Showcase on Thursday, July 28, the Ontario Steel Pan Association’s Pan Alive Showcase on Friday, July 29 and the new Carnival Flavors event on Sunday, July 31.
Hundreds of thousands of revelers are expected to attend the final weekend of Toronto’s Caribbean Carnival, which coincides with Emancipation Day, a symbolic celebration of the abolition of slavery in 1834 across the British Empire.
Speaking during Thursday morning’s launch event, Toronto Mayor John Tory said events like the Caribbean Carnival are needed to “bring people together.
He said this festival serves as a reminder of “how much we respect each other, how much we embrace each other, how much we need each other to make this city the place it is.”
Today, we officially launched this year’s @GoTOCarnival!
A big thank you to all the dedicated staff and volunteers who helped make this day – and the Toronto Caribbean Carnival Month – a reality. I saw this hard work in action today, meeting residents enjoying the festivities. pic.twitter.com/wvpZkyEti1 — John Tory (@TorontosMayor) July 7, 2022 As part of the carnival launch, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland also announced $1 million in funding from the federal government’s Tourism Assistance Fund. This money will be used to modernize the festival, expand its offerings and improve visitor experiences through the development of a new app as well as upgrades to its website to better support online ticket sales. These funds will also allow organizers to host Toronto Caribbean Carnival themed events throughout the year. The Toronto Caribbean Festival, formerly known as Caribana, was first established in 1967. Festival events are typically attended by more than 1.2 million people, including 180,000 tourists.
