What you need to know about the Carnival’s Crown Jewel
The Grand Old Grande Parade.
Best hang on to
your feathers.
Sure the parade is in its 52nd year
and it is very much the same old same old. However, there are additions and
changes to the grand old Grand Parade that spectators should be aware of to get
the most out of the August 3rd world famous road march.
First of all the parade is bigger,
noisier and longer than last year – the route is 8km in length almost twice the
distance in2018. The parade is larger and will take much longer to
play out along Lakeshore Blvd and in the Exhibition Place grounds. Third, the
pan orchestras are back in the parade and will certainly make themselves heard
above the roar of the crowd.
Chris Alexander the head honcho at the
carnival office spoke to the Caribbean Camera about the changes and upgrades to
the Saturday parade.
The bands, beginning at 9.30 am will
present themselves in this order: guest bands, competitive bands and then
non-competitive bands. Steel bands will round out the parade. Everyone (and
there are thousands and thousands participants) will leave Exhibition Place, go
westbound on the Lakeshore for about two kilometres before turning and coming
back eastbound on the Lakeshore back to Exhibition Place to be judged. The
first Band should be arriving at the judge’s stage at about 11:30.
There will be six zones for spectators
and masqueraders, one of which will be a paid area in close proximity to the
judging area.
Trust us - come early and stay
late. The actual parade will start about 9.30 am, with the ribbon
cutting ceremony taking place around 10.30. The Caribbean Camera has
not been told what VIPs will be at the kick-off but we do know that His
Imperial Majesty Ooni Adeyeye Babatunde Ogunwusi (Ooni of Ife) has announced he
will be there and is bringing culture and diversity in unity to this year's
Toronto Caribbean Carnival!
Most of the big bands will be on the
road in the late morning and early afternoon. The non-competing
bands and pan orchestra will bring up the rear. The last band is
expected to cross the line at 6.30 and the pan groups an hour later. The parade
will end, or so they say, at 8pm!
The organizers have saved the best for
last! Bringing up the rear will be world travelling Trinidadian
jazzman Etienne Charles who is going to put the dingolay into next
week’s Toronto Caribbean Carnival. Earlier this month the trumpeter
called the paper from Spain to say that he was going to lead the
last non-competing Mas Band in the Carnival’s grand parade. When you
hear his trumpet coming down the road you will know the Mas portion of the
parade is just about over (but stick around for Pan).
“ No big surprise, I am calling the band
Etienne Charles Brass Band!” he told Stephen Weir. “The band is about reviving
the tradition of live brass bands on the road for Carnival. A tradition we have
revived to great effect in Trinidad.”
The FMC does charge admission
in most of Exhibition Place and parts the parade route - $15 for kids, $20 for
seniors and $25 for everyone else. VIP tickets can be purchased which give
premium viewing and food options.
There is always free viewing
along Lakeshore, but, it is a long circuitous route to get from the Go and TTC
stations at the north side of Exhibition Place past the pay areas and down to
the Lakeshore. It is an onerous walk for families with little children, seniors
and people with vision and mobility issues.
There are very tall chain link fences
separating the audience from the masqueraders.
Chris Alexander has made several ominous
warnings to parade goers to respect the Mas (don’t storm the fences) and to not
bring weapons to the festival. When one hears that type of warning there is an
implication that weapons are routinely carried so we hope that people will take
Mr. Alexander’s advice. Rest assured there will be police, private security and
parade marshals.
There will be many opportunities on the
grounds of Exhibition Place and along the Lakeshore to purchase water, alcohol
and mouth watering Caribbean food. Of course because of changes in the law,
expect to smell the sweet smell of ganga in the air.
Can’t make it to the parade? Catch
CP-24’s live television coverage with former face of the festival Raesha
Sirois with Nathan Downer and
Grande Parade Post Script
After the parade there are lots of After
Parade Saturday Night parties at bars, hotels and fairground. The
parade is putting on what it calls the Wine Down Festival in the Parking Lot of
Ontario Place. The 3-hour fete starts at 6pm and general admission is free.
Machel Montano and Sean
Paul are the big draws at Carnival Kingdom, Saturday night at
the Markham Fairgrounds. Sunday and Monday Drake’s OVO takes over
Ontario Place.
We love free so don’t miss the many
steel drum, singing (including a performance by the “Godfather of
Dancehall” Johnny Osbourne)and dancing performances by top named Caribbean and
Canadian artistes at Harbourfront’s August 4th and
5th Island Soul festival.
The Jambana Reggae festival is
free on Sunday in downtown Brampton and has a pay event in Toronto
on Monday night. Speaking of Monday events there is also the annual
free Calypso Stars performance at Harbourfront’s large lakeside
outdoor concert theatre at 3pm with the city’s top calypso singers. Pan
Fantasy is also performing free at Harbourfront at 1pm.
One final note, if when Carnival weekend
ends and you can’t remember where you are or have been. And maybe you are
shocked to find you are suddenly married come to the Closing Anglican
Church Service and pray for forgiveness and promise not to misbehave next
year! The service is on August 11th at the St. James Anglican Cathedral,
65 Church Street, Toronto at 4:00 pm
Comments