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  BY STEPHEN WEIR The Toronto Caribbean Carnival Launch: A New Era, a New Home, a New Auidence photo by Gilbert Medina The ribbon has been cut, the songs have been sung, and the costumes have been strutted. Make no mistake, as of 2 p.m. last Saturday, the 2024 Toronto Caribbean Carnival is officially underway! For the first time this century, the launch was not held at Nathan Phillips Square, and it wasn’t free. Patrice Roberts sings at opening at right - G. Medina Still, this change didn’t stop an estimated crowd of 2,000 from traveling out to the Scarborough Town Centre to take in the vibrant costumes, listen to live music, and indulge in Caribbean food. Speaking outdoors on a temporary parking lot stage, Jennifer Hirlehey, the executive director of the Festival Management Committee (FMC) and the festival, stated, “The FMC has made significant improvements over the last year.” In previous years, when the festival launched at City Hall, many important speakers would appear at Nathan

  Meanwhile at Scarborough Town Centre                        NDP leader MPP Andrea Horwath tours Carnival Flavours with two Mas Models                      - photo by Herman Silochan    Following the late afternoon ending of the Emancipation Day happening along Bloor Street, many of the participants piled into cars and made their way to the Scarborough Town Centre for the windup of the last Toronto Caribbean Carnival event scheduled for 2022.   Called  Carnival Flavours ,  the three-day fete was held outdoors at the  Scarborough Town Centre .  Pan. Calypso. Dance. Food.  Costumes. Every form of Carnival Arts was on stage performing on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings on the mall’s huge parking lot. Carib Beer, one of the Carnival Flavours had a large beer tent on site.   “We had an incredible turn-out, and for the most part the weather held up,” said Carnival COO Chris Alexander. “Because of Covid restrictions we were limited to how many people could come in.  Basically we were so

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 f