Civic holiday weekend has arrived, and thanks to Canada Day falling on a Wednesday, this is our first long weekend since Victoria Day! 

All the more reason to make sure you make the most of it, and with so much going on in the city, it will be hard not to. Unless you’re looking for peace and quiet, in which case you should head to the cottage because the city will be in full party mode. 

But before music festivals like Veld and OVO came around, there was always the one and only Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival (a.k.a. Caribana), and it seems to have fallen into the background in recent years, overshadowed by the new kids on the block. 

Well, this weekend turn your attention back to one of our city’s greatest summer attractions. 

As you all know, the parade kicks off Saturday morning in the exhibition grounds and makes its way down Lakeshore. The parade is the main event for the weekend, but it is definitely not the only event. There will be outdoor concerts held all over the GTA with the biggest names from the Caribbean giving live performances. 

Friday night is the kick-off party also known as J’ouvert. The party is held on Twilight Outdoor Grounds and will not be your average concert. J’ouvert traditions involve smearing paint, powder and mud on yourselves and on your fellow revellers. The headliner for the event is Trinidad and Tobago’s own Destra Garcia, arguably one of the biggest names in soca music today. 

As the weekend continues, so do the concerts with two back-to-back events at Wild Water Kingdom. No, not in the water. These concerts are held in the outdoor fields which are part of the WWK grounds, and in the Caribbean Cove. 

Saturday’s Carnival Kingdom will be in the field with headliner Machel Montano, another huge Trinidadian soca singer. While Sunday’s event is known as big people fete, aimed at an older crowd, also known as “big people”. 

If you’re looking for a more family friendly daytime event, Carnival Island on Sunday, August 2 is the place to be. The party kicks off at 10 a.m., take a ferry to Olympic Island and take in all the food, music and games that will be set up for the day. 

There is no better way to enjoy the summer sun than with the sights, sounds and tastes of the Caribbean so make sure you get out there this weekend and take it all in.