This year's Caribana festival, with tomorrow's signature colourful parade, will be the biggest ever, organizers say, despite the months of political wrangling that delayed preparations for the annual event.
By Jeff Gray"It's not only a black community affair," festival chief executive officer Eddison Doyle said yesterday. "It's for all Torontonians. Let's enjoy and see what each other has to offer."
The 39th annual parade goes west from Exhibition Place along Lake Shore Boulevard to Parkside Drive, with ticketed viewing areas along the route, which will be closed to traffic.
In all, there are a record 35 bands or floats participating this year, including floats from police, the Canadian Forces and even "a Chinese marching band," Mr. Doyle said.
Last night was the annual King and Queen Extravaganza competition at Lamport Stadium in the west end, the site of tonight's Pan Alive steel-drum band competition.
The festival, which is technically called Toronto Caribbean Carnival this year after tortuous negotiations ended in a peace deal between rival organizers, has long been plagued by political infighting and financial problems. And police announced this week that with the blessing of organizers, closed-circuit cameras will keep watch over the informal, late-night weekend street parties along Yonge Street, where violence has broken out in the past.
The festival attracts tens of thousands of visitors from the United States and the Caribbean, and has also become a draw for many black celebrities, such as National Basketball Association superstar Shaquille O'Neal and rappers Jay-Z and Ludacris.
Mayor David Miller said yesterday that he was looking forward to having curried goat in the hot sun, and that the city is committed to the festival's long-term survival.
"Curried goat on the lakeshore on a steaming hot day, what more could you want? . . . Everybody's going to jump up on Saturday."
Caribana's other main weekend event is the picnic on Olympic Island, which runs from noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday and Monday. Organizers promise musical performances, dancing and comedy, along with Caribbean art, crafts and food, and face-painting and costume-making workshops for children. Admission is $21 for adults and $13 for children and seniors.
