Thousands flock to Lake Shore for Caribbean Carnival Parade
Posted August 5, 2012 7:09 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
TORONTO, Ont. – The spirit of the islands has taken over Toronto, with more than a million people from all over the world estimated to have turned up for Saturday’s Caribbean Carnival Parade.
Vibrant costumes, floats and steel-pan bands, could be spotted winding their way from Exhibition Place down a 3.5-kilometre stretch of Lake Shore Boulevard.
The weather for the parade was perfect, with sunny skies and warm temperatures greeting the revellers.
The parade, which began in 1967, “was a gift for the 100-year-anniversary of the independence,” said chief officer Chris Alexander.
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Last year more than 1.2-million people from around the world attended the parade, which features mass bands, revellers and Caribbean music.
“Dance music of the Caribbean, (you’ll) probably hardly hear any reggae, it’s mostly soca,” Alexander said.
There was also be plenty of judging going on through the parade route, which began around 10 a.m.
“We have an amazing parade inside Exhibition Place which many people don’t know, we have a judging stage,” Alexander said.
And as parade founder Charles Roach told 680News, you can expect to see many Caribbean flags waving around the city.
“Jamaican, Guyanese or Trinidadian,” Roach said.
You can find more information on the parade and route here. Information on road closures can be found here.
