Toronto – Massive Caribbean Carnival Took Over the City

As crowds flooded Lake Shore Boulevard on Saturday to celebrate Toronto’s 57th annual Caribbean Carnival Grand Parade, Mayor Olivia Chow was seen present at the festivities. She was seen dancing in costume with revelers during the parade, which caps off a month of festivities celebrating Caribbean culture.

Decked in a purple and pink feathered costume, Mayor Chow said, “Every part of my body is moving.”

The streets of Toronto transformed into a colorful celebration of Caribbean culture at the annual Carnival Grand Parade despite the blistering heat.

Federal NDP Leader, Jagmeet Singh, who was also present said he’s been going to the festival since he was 19. He told CBC News:

“This is one of the premier events for the City of Toronto,” he said. “The vibes, the energy, the people.” The carnival is “a time to celebrate and take up space.”

Over the last few weeks, multiple events were held across the city, with Saturday’s Grand Parade as the main celebration. The 12-hour parade with floats, bands and costumed revellers started at Exhibition Place in the morning, moving through the Princes’ Gates and headed west along Lake Shore Boulevard West W. where it turned just west of Jameson Avenue to head east on Lake Shore before returning to the Exhibition Place grounds. The stretch of Lake Shore Boulevard West was closed to traffic at midnight Friday and expected to reopen at 7 a.m. Sunday. 

Previously known as Caribana, the Toronto Caribbean Carnival is now North America’s largest outdoor street festival. In 2023 alone, the carnival attracted 2.3 million visitors and contributed $480 million to Ontario’s GDP. The city said it was expecting just under a million people to attend this year’s parade.

A free event on Sunday, featuring Calypso artists, steel bands and DJs was scheduled was scheduled for Neilson Park in Scarborough.