STILL SOME CARNIVAL LEFT IN THE TANK

 Not the last carnival of the summer

By Stephen Weir 

It didn’t stop their parade last weekend, but that province wide Saturday’s rainstorm soaked the city of Belleville almost as much as what happened in Toronto. The third annual Belleville Caribbean Parade had a start time of 1 p.m last Saturday and according to weather reports on the day, that’s just about when it started raining on the small city. By 2 p.m., there was fog and a full-blown thunderstorm. 
It takes more than rain to stop a carnival parade, but it did impact the size of the audience that normally line the side of the road to cheer on the revellers and a number of King and Queen costumes conscripted from last month’s Toronto Caribbean Carnival competition.
“Despite a little rain, the celebration was nothing short of amazing,” reported the organizers of the annual Belleville Caribbean Festival. “The vibrant culture, delicious food, and lively music brought our community together in the best way possible.”
This year, the festival in Belleville had the help of the Festival Management Committee with the organization. They brought many of the floats, the mas bands, and the performers.
Toronto Caribbean Carnival chair Jennifer Hirlehey, who also serves as co-chair for Belleville’s sister event, was exuberant with the enthusiasm displayed. “We are a small but mighty population in Belleville. What we are trying to do is share our joy and our culture with all of you. When we do [Caribbean festivals], we bring so much economic impact to Belleville,” she told the local newspaper.

The next day, Sunday, the festival continued in Belleville’s historic city core. The weather improved slightly, but there were scattered rain showers that didn’t seem to deter the performers and the audience.
“Intermittent rains didn’t dampen the spirit of the throngs of revellers attending the third annual Caribbean Festival that wrapped Sunday on the street,” wrote the local paper’s reporter David LeClair. “The smell of jerk filled the air from The Caribbean Jerk Spot vendor at the market square for Sunday’s brunch, accompanied by rainfall. Attendees and vendors took moments of cover under the pavilions in the market square, with live performances.”
The weekend festival ended on a low note. King Cosmos, the new Calypso Monarch, was listed as being the last performer of the outdoor Caribbean festival but it was not to be!

"Stephen, the rain had some effect in terms of attendance, and it brought the show to a premature end. Prevented me from performing”reported King Cosmos. “ My next gig will be in New Brunswick. September 1st weekend. In Toronto, September 7 and 8th .”

Belleville is now one for the books but that isn’t the end of this summer’s carnival season. There are two out-of-town festivals planned for this weekend, rain or shine. The city of Waterloo is staging the Ignite Festival, and Windsor has WIDAFEST. Like the Belleville festival both weekend fêtes have called upon Toronto carnival experts to hopefully pull it off!
Caribana Ignite comes to the Carl Zehr Square in downtown Kitchener, on August 23-24 with a free celebration of Caribbean culture. The event kicks off Friday evening with a glow party from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., featuring Caribbean music, dancing, and cuisine. Attendees are encouraged to wear colors representing their communities—green for Kitchener, yellow for Waterloo, red for Cambridge, and white for surrounding townships—and join in lighting up the square with free glow sticks.
On Saturday, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., the festivities continue with a street parade along King Street. Expect stunning costumes, energetic dances, and live music, including steel drums, soca, and reggae. The celebration extends to the Square with food trucks, vendors, and a Kids' Zone. In its inaugural year, Ignite has conscripted the help of the Caribbean Arts Group—the original organizers of Toronto’s Caribana parade.
Windsor International Diaspora African Festival (WIDAFEST) returns for its second year, celebrating African and Caribbean cultures with a dynamic lineup of events. The festival kicks off Friday afternoon at Lanspeary Park and runs through Sunday, rain or shine. Highlights include a street parade on Saturday at 1 p.m. along Ottawa Street, music, dance performances, traditional cuisine, art exhibits, and educational workshops. The event promises to be even more vibrant this year, featuring multiple vendors and live entertainment from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day. Notably, Chris Alexander, former head of Toronto’s Caribbean Carnival, now serves as WIDAFEST's vice president.