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Tonight. I snoozed and now I lose out on the summer best masquerade fete – Beyond the Mas. By Stephen Weir I f you don’t have a ticket for tonight’s Toronto Caribbean Carnival Gala put your wallet away.   Organizers of the “Beyond the Mas – A Celebration of Freedom” fete report that the 400-seat event is sold out. This time it is true, if you snooze you loose.   What you are going to miss is a formal party where the guests are encouraged to come in their finest Mas costumes, and dance and play with the Hoi  Polloi of Toronto’s festival world. You are also going to miss a luscious Caribbean dinner with island influenced cocktails! “This is not your average gala,” one organizer told the Caribbean Camera. “This will be a fabulous interactive party where the ticket holders are part of the magic and the thrill of Carnival.” Beyond the Mas – A Celebration of Freedom is being held this evening at the Riviera Banquet Hall ( 2800 Highway 7). The event starts at...

By Stephen Weir Photos by Don Moreland The annual Toronto Caribbean Gala was held on Friday night in a new location this year. The only formal event for the three-week festival was staged at the Riviera Events and Convention Centre in Woodbridge, northeast of the city of Toronto. This was first time in over ten-years that the Gala was not held at the Liberty Grand Ballroom at Exhibition Place.  The Riviera Events and Convention Centre bills itself “s one of the largest Banquet Halls in Ontario, with the ability to host up to 1400 guests in our second level ballroom.” However, Friday’s Gala was not a sold-out event and many seats were left empty throughout the dinner and entertainment performance. The Carnival Gala took advantage of the space to create a large performance areas both inside the banquet hall and in the foyer. Pan Fantasy, The Omega Band, Miami based, former Trinidad Junior Calypso and Young Kings Monarch Roger George, and the Neema Children’s Choir all perfor...