Belleville, Ont. hosts first-ever Caribbean festival

Belleville, Ont., hosted its first-ever Caribbean festival in Belleville, Ont. on Saturday, and people turned out in droves to feel the energy of the islands.

The festival has been in the making for many years now, according to Karen Clayton-Babb, one of the festival’s organizers.

“There is Caribana in the Toronto areas, so over the years, we’ve been thinking about getting a festival like that to Belleville,” she said. “However this year, we really started working early to get it together.”

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

The goal of the festival is to celebrate and showcase Caribbean culture, which has a vibrant presence in the city.

“We hope that the community can become more visible, and I think this event is one such activity and forum to make that happen,” says Clayton-Babb.

“And the festival itself, it can be used as an event to bring people into the community.”

Musical acts were performed for a crowd on the city’s main street, which had many people dancing and singing along.

Music is a very important part of Caribbean culture and is used as a tool to bring people together, according to Django Panfiyah, one of the festival’s performers.

“Because of the livelihood of the people, music drives everyday life,” he said.

“Music drives everyday work. Music is like a part of the energy to work, and to become successful. That’s why the music spreads across the world, and people love that energy.”

Organizers and city officials hope that this celebration can become an annual event and bring more Caribbean culture to the city.