Party With Caribana This Weekend

Sunglasses? Check. Free spirit? Check. All set for a weekend full of Caribana? You bet.
Toronto’s Caribbean Carnival is celebrating its 41st anniversary in 2008 and the party is better than ever. The festival began back in 1967 as a community heritage project for Canada’s Centennial and it has grown into the largest Caribbean festival in North America.
This year’s events begin on Thursday, July 31 and end on Sunday, August 3, 2008. The Scotiabank Caribana King and Queen Show is on this Thursday, July 31, at Lamport Stadium. But the biggest event of the weekend is definitely the Scotiabank Caribana parade on Saturday, August 2, 2008. The vibrant costumes and pageantry kick off at Exhibition Place at 10 a.m. and continues west along Lake Shore Blvd for a 1.5 km stretch. The event is free and police say they’ll be out in full force.
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Traffic in the downtown area, Lakeshore Boulevard West, Queen’s Quay West and on the Gardiner Expressway, is expected to be very heavy.
The Toronto Police Service strongly urges people to use public transit when coming to the downtown area.
The following road closures will take effect from Saturday, August 2, 2008, at 1:30 a.m., until Sunday, August 3, 2008, at 6 a.m:
1) Eastbound: Lakeshore Boulevard West, from Colbourne Avenue to Strachan Avenue,
2) Westbound: Lakeshore Boulevard West, from Strachan Avenue to Parkside Drive
Parade Route Map:

And if you’ve still got some energy left over, head to the north end of the city for the Carnival in Yuh Backyard. The Caribana party features over 30 performers of reggae, soca and calypso tunes. The party takes place at Bella Gardens (12700 Jane Steret in Woodbridge) beginning at 7 p.m. and tickets are $40 a pop. Leave the kids at home for this one as the event adults-only, ages 19 and up.
If the backyard party doesn’t keep you up “˜til the wee hours of the night, you may want to check out De Caribana Lime – Caribana on the Island – on Sunday. This party features performances, song, dance, food and storytelling all day long beginning at 10 a.m. on Olympic Island. It’ll cost you a $5 ferry ride to get over there, but the event itself is free.
The multicultural atmosphere of our city and the numerous visitors who flock here to enjoy the big weekend festivities really add to the celebration. If you’ve never participated, get out and experience the vibe. For more information on Caribana, check out caribanafestival.com.