It is hot outside and you are sitting inside trying to find something to do. Little did you know, that a carnival or festival was going on somewhere in Toronto. That is one of the many benefits that we get from living in such a diverse society. Whether it would be JAMBANA, or Caribana, or Afrofest, Brazilfest, Toronto Jazz Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Taste of the Danforth, or Salsa on St. Clair; there’s always something to do with friends and family in the city of Toronto. This is just a select number of festivals that will keep you busy and entertained throughout the hot days of Toronto; and you can look forward to them every year. These events have become the soul of the cultures of Toronto, and at each festival or carnival you can find a little taste of one of the corners of the world.
JAMBANA Festival takes place at Downsview Park and it goes on from the afternoon to the early night. It is a festival where you can always bring your family to enjoy the Jamaican delicacies and see award winning reggae performers hit the stage and entertain you through the day.
Another great carnival that happens in the summer in Toronto is Brazilfest. The Brazilian top Choice Award Association voted Brazilfest as the best outdoor Brazilian event in Toronto. It’s another place where you can go and enjoy the delicacies of another beautiful corner of the world, and enjoy the music and culture of Brazil.
Not only does Toronto provide you with festivals that give you the taste of the many cultures of the world, but it provides patrons of Toronto, with many dance festivals. Perhaps one of the most anticipated dance festivals is Salsa on St. Clair. It is a Latino-themed festival that has become one of the many entertaining events in the Toronto Summer. At this event, you can learn the many different kinds of Latin dances, a taste of their delicious dishes and there are always things to do and learn for all different age groups.
From dance to foods, there is something waiting for you to go and enjoy. Pilaros Taste of the Danforth is a whole street of dishes waiting to fill up your hungry stomach. So if you happen to be hungry on August 5, 6 and 7 in 2011, make sure to head down to Danforth with a few dollars. Just make sure you leave a lot of room in that stomach of yours, because you will not want to stop eating the many delicious dishes you will see laid out for you.
From food, let us switch to one of the many entertaining music festivals in Toronto. This festival is geared towards the Jazz lovers and it is called the TD Toronto Jazz Festival. This festival has become one of the most exciting and most famous jazz festivals in North America. It is an event that attracts over 500, 000 attendees over a span of 10 days. The heart of the festival is now located in Metro Square and includes more than 350 performers with over 1,500 musicians ready to entertain you.
For international music festivals, Toronto has perhaps many of some of the biggest in North America. Another top music festival that takes place in Toronto is Afrofest. This festival is ranked with some of the top global music festivals in North America. Each year in early July Toronto is entertained by the many African music sensations from around Africa. No matter what country you think of in Africa, you will probably meet someone there from that country. It is a place where African culture comes together and is enjoyed by many fans of the African music and foods.
So far, we have seen many festivals that bring out the many cultures hidden in many corners of Toronto. Now we will see an organization that brings several events together and is perhaps for any culture. It is the Toronto International Film Festival. TIFF is an organization that brings some of the best international and Canadian cinema to Toronto for film lovers to enjoy. TIFF allows film lovers to experience screenings, lectures, discussions, festivals, workshops and the ability for attendees to meet many filmmakers not only from Canada, but from around the world.
As we can now see, spending you summer in Toronto is definitely one of the best choices you could make. You will be able to taste the dishes and hear the sounds of some of the most interesting cultures from around the world. One event in particular that is perhaps the most annually anticipated event is Caribana. In 2011, Caribana will be taking place from July 14 to August 1. Again, we are entertained by the delicacies of one of the most beautiful places in the world, the Caribbean. The Scotiabank Caribana parade is perhaps the best part of the festival and it entertains its attendees with many different types of music from the Caribbean. During the Caribana festival, patrons have the chance to be able to not just enjoy the day, but also the night life. The festival has grown to be the biggest cultural festival in North America. It attracts tourists from around the world and at night it entertains the people that attend with parties playing Calypso, dancehall, reggae and Soca. Caribana time is an exciting time, so get ready to get your Soca on, because it’s a whole day and night of dancing!
This summer, don’t be left out. Choose at least one of these festivals and get to enjoy the many tastes, sounds and wonders of the great city of Toronto. Just know that once you attend any of them, you will certainly want to come back next year. But you know what, Toronto will be waiting for you and next year you can count on that festival to be bigger and better than the past year!
