Founded in 1967 as part of the Canada's Centennial Celebration, Toronto Carnival must now face up to the "no excuses birthday of the big three-O. As always the featured event is the free grand parade on Lakeshore Boulevard which be skipping Exhibition Stadium this year. Thousands of brilliantly costumed performers dancing to the beat of musicians on moving mega sound trucks will star in union with the beautiful people who never miss this keynote episode

The Caribbean Cultural Committee (CCC) has a number of special events recognizing the greatness of the "world's most culturally diverse City." Just before the Saturday parade the CCC will be producing the Trillium Boat Cruises, Thursday King and Queen Anniversary Extravaganza, a gala Friday evening celebrating the African Emancipation from Slavery. After the Saturday parade discover a relatively idyllic Sunday or Monday on Olympic Island for the Caribana Arts and Cultural Festival.

The two week Carijama Festival showcases the increasing popular world music called Calypso, Soca, Latin, Steelpan, Reggae, and Samba. Many original recording artists as well as local talent will be performing classics as well as the DJ's hottest sensations. Promoters have scheduled concerts all over the City while the City of York will be producing the Junior Carnival Parade on Carnival Sunday afternoon. The Saturday before Carnival weekend (Aug.1-4) is the Saturday night Calypso Monarch Finals produced by Organization of Calypso Performing Artistes (OCPA).

CARIBANA: Preparing to Exhale by Kenn F. Shah
Our keynote article from our partner and publisher Carlisle Hall of So Yu Going to Carnival (The International Carnival Bible 1-800-MONJUMP). Kenn Shah is both a founder and a 30-year participant in this evolving festival about freedom loving people.
What is Caribana?
A '96 site prepared by Black Board International.
Caribbean Culture
Caribbean Cultural Resources speaks briefly on the interaction of cultures is so well expressed in the growing number of urban Caribbean Carnival.
Caribbean Cultural Committee
producer of Caribana.

The Early Spirit of Caribana
from the book Caribana-The Greatest Celebration by Cecil Foster and Chris Scwartz . (presented by Caribana.com).
The History of Caribana
by Nicole whose geocity homepage is Duckling's Trini Tigger

1997 Official Caribana Events
The term Caribana is trademarked by the producers and the use of the term is restricted. Our Talk Talk FORUM/Carnaval Cities/Toronto bulletin board has the last word we received on 7/7/97 and may have further updates as well. Remember it is better to enter the front door so you can gain the power of our navigational bars (Frames capable browser is needed).
Calypso Monarch Competition
Toronto Carnival '97 will have three preliminaries, One semi-final and the finals on Saturday July 26, 1997 Where Victorio will defend his '96 Crown.

NEW PARADE ROUTE: For 1997, the Caribana Parade on August 2, returns to its roots as Toronto's best street party for the first time since 1990. Bands will assemble along Lakeshore Boulevard, west of Coronation Park. Beginning at 10 a.m., they will progress west along Lakeshore Boulevard for 3 km without passing through Exhibition Stadium. Judging stands will be set at the junction of Ontario Drive and Lakeshore Boulevard. Admission along the length of the route is free. As in the past, barricades will define the parade area; spectators are requested to respect the masqueraders and allow them space to display their costumes to all onlookers.

JUNIOR CARNIVAL PARADE: Sunday July 27, 1997 from 2:00 to 6:00 P.M. Eglington Avenue West from marlee to Dufferin Street For children from 3 to 16 years old Celebrate iyr cultures, dance to the music and soak up the sunshine. Sample spicey West Indian foods and tropical drinks. Come soak up the positive vibrations on Caribana weekend in Toronto's most multi-cultural Carnival neighborhood. From roties to goatees or Rastas to pastas you'll get the great atmosphere you won't find anywhere else. DIRECTIONS Only 10minutes from downtown on the Rocket Take any 32 Eglington West bus Westbound from the Eglington subway Station or East from the Dufferin subway station. Fun for the entire family Call 1-800-363-1990

Toronto has an excellent public transportation system and is very friendly to walkers in the summer.

GREATER TORONTO
GO trains from the more distant areas
areas which feature free parking. Once within the metro area you will be impressed by the efficient combination of subway, bus, and streetcar to get you where you want to go. Phone the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) at (416) 393-INFO for specific Caribana route information.Don't try driving to the parade it is quite easy to get to along Lakeshore where downtown meets the water by taking the subway or GO train and transferring to a Harbourfront streetcar.

GO Transit guide
(unofficial-thank you Tom Box . ) Toronto info (416) 869-3200 (7 days). This service is known as Government of Ontario Transit. GO Transit operates trains over six routes. The Lakeshore line has all-day service, seven days a week, between Pickering and Oakville. The hub of the 49 station network is the Lakeshore Station at 65 Front Street West (near Bay & York) known as the Toronto Union Station which also integrates the web of transit from the:
Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)
For further information on TTC routes, schedules, and fares, telephone (416) 393-4636 (07:00 to 22:00, 7 days a week). A TTC Customer's Guide is available in 15 languages for free at the TTC Customer Centre at 1900 Yonge St., Metro Hall, all other city halls in Metro, public libraries and most cultural centres. Late-night buses and streetcars, running specific routes every morning from 1 a.m. to 5:30 a.m.
Subway map
is simple but you may wish to enter stations into the Subway Navigator.
Take a Ferry to Olympic Island
The two day Caribbean Arts and Cultural Festival is held here on the beautiful treelined shore of Toronto Harbour.

What a difference a border can make. This piddly amount here is about the sum total we could find on the web and we've not been able to locate mapping software for Toronto to do our own version. Check Caribana.com to see if their map has arrived yet.
Downtown Toronto by city.net
Major Streets & landmarks.
Downtown Toronto by utexas
Better street detail, simple black & white.
Toronto: Vicinity by expedia
You can zoom in once to a fair downtown map.

Parading Bands
1997 30^th Anniversary Caribana Parade Line-UP
Official Line-up of who is in the parade.
G.R.E.S. Unidos do Canada
All are welcome to come dance or play the samba. Founded in 1989 and has won "Best Traditional Ensemble" and "Best Theme" in the Toronto Caribana Carnival since. INFO CALL (416) 381-3945 or (416) 378-9478

FREE WEB PAGE for Toronto Carnival Bands Carnaval.com's will give any Toronto Carnival Band it's own easy to update (no software required) web page and an easy to remember name like www.carnaval.com/YourNameHere. Go to the Toronto Carnival Bulletin Board to see how we're doing

Caribana Past Winners
Band of the Year from 1968 to 1995 Honored Kings and Queens and some of the more decorated and distinguished of the many thousands of dedicated contributors.
1996 Caribana Awards

Other Festivals
So Yu going to Carnival CALENDAR
a big monitor helps.
World Famous Canadian Festivals

Louis Saldenah Mas-K Club Hayden's Section Leaders
Louis Saldena won in '96 for the 9^th time. From '96 by the Nicole Trini Trigger.
Unidos do Canada '96 photos & theme

Travel Tales
Brazil Carnival and Toronto
"Look at that guy with the video camera. None of those shots are going to show the dancer's face, I bet the wife won't see that tape." (presented by Caribana.com).

Trinidad & Tobago's Calypso, Soca & Steelpan
Lots of links on our T&T Carnival page.
Roots of Haitian Music, Rara-Rock and Boukan Ginen
by Tim Perlich an excellent piece of web journalism and a cover story for Now magazine. Boukan Ginen likes to play at Toronto Carnival. Be here with careful with the Voodoo links at Haiti Archives They are part of the World History Archives which includes many other web resources to the Caribbean, Americas, Africa, etc.by Haines Brown.
5th World Congress of Orisha Tradition and Culture
If this voodoo interests you may wish to learn more about this event happening in San Francisco at the beginning of August '97.
Print a Music Cassette Label
Cool Tool for sound mixers. Need a >3.0 Browser for the javascript.
Till You Sweat from WORD Magazine
by Andil Gosine Does calypso suffer from acute 'Trinidadian-ness'? When will the long wait for the Trinidadean music superstar crossover end. These questions and more are examined. (presented by Caribana.com).

Arts Development
About Culture and Canada
Some carefully chosen words from Toronto's Dancemakers which bear repeating including; "Culture is something we nurture and support because of its potential to enrich our lives - not because of its potential to improve our economic well-being. So, let's get the basic premise out of the way first. The only thing that should matter when we look at the arts is their spiritual value! "