TORONTO CARIBBEAN CARNIVAL ANNOUNCES 2021 FESTIVAL LINEUP WITH VIRTUAL LAUNCH
June 16, 2021 | Andrew Ricketts |
The Toronto Caribbean Carnival officially kicked off the 2021 Festival Season with two back-to-back events held on June 15th, 2021. The virtual launch included a media press conference, followed by an Instagram Live Event hosted by news journalist Brandon Gonez, along with a grand prize giveaway to win a 5-night stay for two at Stonefield Villa Resort in Saint Lucia.
The Live Virtual broadcast received over 16,000 views with special guest appearances by Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Toronto Mayor John Tory, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson, and soca recording artist Richardo Drue.
Brandon Gonez announced the 2021 Festival Lineup of events during the live event, including two exciting new programs, “Carnival Eats Passport Program, and a “Carnival Food Festival.” The whole month of programming will begin on July 1st, concluding on Emancipation Day, Sunday, August 1st, 2021.
This year, the Toronto Caribbean Carnival celebrates its 54th anniversary since its inception in 1967. The Festival Management Committee, producers of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival, have reimagined the carnival experience to showcase Caribbean artists, support the economic recovery of local Caribbean businesses, educating on the history of Emancipation, and celebrate Freedom and Diversity.
With the Grand Parade canceled for the second year in a row amid the Covid-19 pandemic, a curated program was developed to provide festival-goers with more personalized Caribbean experiences that meet City of Toronto Guidelines.
Each year, thousands of people from all over the world come to Toronto to experience the carnival. This Canadian staple symbolizes summer with all the events leading up to the Grand Parade, such as the King & Queen Showcase, Junior Carnival, and Pan Alive.
The “Face of the Festival” presented by Carib Beer was announced during the live broadcast by soca recording artist, Richardo Drue who crowned Lateisha Williams as the “2021 Face of the Festival” and Celena Seusahai as the “2022 Face of the Festival”. Both women will play a vital role in promoting the carnival and tackling challenging issues on women’s rights, body positivity, and discrimination.
Festival-goers can enjoy savory dishes and traditional carnival favorites by supporting local businesses with the “Carnival Eats Passport Program” from July 2nd to July 31st sponsored by Grace Foods Canada, Carib Beer and Door Dash. Participates can dine around the city to experience different Caribbean restaurants highlighted in the program by registering for a digital passport to gain rewards and prizes weekly. For more information, please visit www.torontocarnival/
The Toronto Caribbean Carnival will host its 1st annual “Carnival Food Festival” on July 31st and August 1st, 2021, with various Caribbean food and live entertainment. Further details will be announced on www.torontocarnival.ca in the coming weeks.
The 2021 Toronto Caribbean Carnival is sponsored by The City of Toronto, Province of Ontario and Canada, Bell Media, CHUM 104.5, Virgin Radio 99.9, G98.7, Carib Beer, Grace Foods Canada, OLG, Door Dash, and Go Transit.
Toronto Caribbean Carnival Festival
The Toronto Caribbean Carnival Festival, formerly known as “Caribana,” was established in 1967 as part of Canada’s 100th Anniversary celebrations by Caribbean immigrants as a cultural gift to Canada.
Produced by the Festival Management Committee, the Toronto Caribbean Carnival showcases the best in Caribbean arts. It is recognized as a significant international cultural festival, the largest of its kind in North America.
The Toronto Caribbean Carnival Festival comprises Barbados, Bahamas, Guyana, Grenada, Jamaica, Haiti, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and other countries in the Caribbean.
