Paraders celebrate Toronto Caribbean Carnival downtown
CBC
Revellers transformed Lake Shore Boulevard into a dazzling spectacle of feathers, embellished costumes and dancing on Saturday as the city celebrated the Toronto Caribbean Carnival's Grand Parade.
The parade caps off a month of festivities celebrating Caribbean culture.
Mayor Olivia Chow helped kick things off at the parade, dancing with revellers Saturday morning in a purple and pink feathered costume.
"Every part of my body is moving," said Chow from the parade sidelines.
WATCH | Chow dances with revellers at the Grand Parade:
Toronto is home to the largest carnival in North America, organizers said. The city said it is expecting just under a million people to attend this year's parade — the 57th annual carnival in Toronto.
Carnival also marks emancipation, the end of slavery. Several countries in the Americas and the Caribbean islands celebrate the festival every year.
Participating in the parade, known as playing mas, is "pure happiness," said Amber Wilson. She's been doing it for more than a decade.
People can choose a musical band they want to play mas with, she said. The band then designs participants' outfits.
"Putting them on is a very skilled and time consuming process," Wilson said.
This year, Wilson said she's parading with Saldenah Carnival, one of Toronto's longest-standing and most successful bands.
Karissa Singh, who is also parading with Saldenah, says she was up since 5:30 a.m. to get into her costume.
"But it feels like it's all worth it to come here on the stage and party with everybody we love," she said.
Faith Hilliman-Foster says playing mas is a chance to "take part in my culture and express it through my city."
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