The streets of downtown Kitchener were alive with colour, music, and energy as the city hosted it’s first-ever Caribana Ignite festival.
“Downtown Kitchener is electric today,” said Mayor Berry Vrbanovic.
The event, an expansion of the well-known Toronto celebration, brought hundreds of residents and visitors together for a vibrant showcase of Caribbean culture.
For the first time in its 50-year history, Caribana made its way outside of Toronto, and the Kitchener community welcomed it with open arms. From the pulsating rhythms of soca and calypso to the dazzling costumes and flavourful Caribbean cuisine, the festival transformed downtown Kitchener to showcase “the true essence of carnival.”
‘Singing and dancing on the street’
The highlight of the weekend was the grand parade, where participants adorned in elaborate, colourful costumes paraded through the streets, dancing to the beats of steel drums and DJs spinning Caribbean hits.
“It’s like the happiest kind of music in the world. And it’s so happy, everyone’s going to be singing and dancing on the street,” said attendee, Stef-Han Singh.
“We’ve been really excited for weeks. Honestly, we’re just really happy to have something close to home. And I don’t have to wake up really early in the morning to get ready to go downtown. It’s right here, right in our backyard,” said Stef-Han’s sister, Sierrah.
The parade route, which went down King Street from Queen to Waterloo Street, was lined with spectators of all ages, many of whom were experiencing Caribana for the first time.
“Kitchener is a place of festivals so it’s wonderful that Caribana has come here to us,” said Kitchener resident, Trish Stewart.
Families, friends, and even tourists who travelled to Kitchener for the event were seen enjoying the festivities. Children waved flags from various Caribbean nations, and food vendors served up traditional dishes like jerk chicken, curry goat, and plantains, adding to the festival’s authentic atmosphere.
“I think it’s important for us to celebrate our culture in the united way and I think that expanding it just makes a whole lot of sense,” said Kirk Roosevelt McFarlane, who travelled in from Toronto.
A cultural celebration
Beyond the parade, organizers planned activities that highlighted the history and significance of Caribana, giving attendees a deeper understanding of the traditions behind the festivities.
“It’s about emancipation and the freedom of so many Caribbean diasporas. It’s the first time in a long time all the islands are coming together to showcase carnival in the truest form,” said Everton Dixon, board member of the Caribbean Canadian Association of Waterloo Region.
“It’s important because at this point in time, we have a large Caribbean heritage in surrounding areas, and it’s great for people to understand the culture, see the culture,” said Daren James, committee member of Caribana Ignite.
A new tradition in the making?
Many attendees, organizers and community leaders expressed hope that the festival would become an annual tradition in the city. The success of this year’s event has already sparked discussions among organizers and city officials about making Kitchener a regular stop on the Caribana circuit.
“That’s our goal, why stop at one? Let’s go for many years to come,” said James.
With its successful debut, organizers say Caribana Ignite brought the spirit of the Caribbean to a new audience and laid the foundation for future celebrations.
“So the goal is to continue unifying and showing an example of the great representation that Kitchener-Waterloo has of the Caribbean diaspora in this area. We won’t stop here,” said Dixon.