This year's Toronto Caribbean Carnival ends with Carnival Flavours

All things Carnival will be on stage at Toronto Caribbean Carnival last hooray weekend.

 

By Stephen Weir There is a saying amongst Toronto carnival lovers, “It never rains on the Caribana Weekend”. With a good forecast from the Weather Network and a lot of finger crossing on the part of the Festival Management Committee, it looks as though that 54-year old adage is going to ring true for at least one more summer.

 

This Friday, Saturday and Sunday the wrap-up to the 2021 Toronto Caribbean Carnival will be held outdoors at the Scarborough Town Centre.  Pan. Calypso. Dance. Food.  Costumes. Every form of Carnival Arts will be on display for three-days.

 

When the Carnival first announced its plans for the month of July, this weekend’s fete was earmarked to be a Caribbean Food Truck round up in the Scarborough Town Centre’s parking lot.  That idea was scrapped two weeks ago because another Food Truck festival – Street Eats – had already locked into the Scarborough Town Centre for the rest of the summer.

Street Eats food truck







Instead the Carnival is now teaming in with Street Eats Festival, bringing for three days everything Caribbean -- except Food Trucks -- to the northern section of the huge mall parking lot (beside the Swiss Chalet restaurant). The Carnival is rebranding this big event as the culmination of their highly successful July Carnival Flavours that has already brought thousands of people (including people in Mas costumes) to over 20 different Caribbean restaurants across the GTA.

So this weekend’s free Carnival Flavours will have food vendors, and lots of entertainment. As for the food trucks they are at nearby Street Eats adjacent to Carnival Flavours area.

Mas costumes - Anthony Berot (right)






“Aside from the food and the craft vendors there will also be a Carib Beer Tent and cultural entertainment featuring Mas, Pan, and Calypso to keep the spirit of Carnival alive!” explained Eric Delfish, one of the festival’s organizers. “Vendors are there from 2pm to midnight each day. The free entertainment begins Friday 8 - 10pm, continues Saturday from 2-4pm and 8-10pm. Sunday, the last day, the entertainment runs from 2pm. - 8 pm.

 
Earlier today (Tuesday) the festival posted the line-up of performers and Mas Bands that will be taking to the stage.  IT is a who’s who of carnival.  Eleven Mas bands will present male and female models showing off their latest parade costumes. Canada’s top pan orchestra Pan Fantasy will perform on Saturday. New Dimension Steel Orchestra will entertain on Friday and the Island Accent Steel Band will close out the festival on Sunday.
Pan Fantasy (left)







Other performers booked for the weekend include former Calypso Monarch Macomere Fifi  and veteran Calypso singer/composer Gunney.  Dance Caribe will perform twice and CBC’s Kevin Carrington will be the MC and Ring Master at this busy busy event.

 

For a complete entertainment line-up and free ticket information consult the Carnival’s website at: https://www.torontocarnival.ca/carnival-weekend/

And, if you don’t believe that it never rains on Caribana Weekend consult Canada’s Weather Network https://www.theweathernetwork.com/ca

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