A Small thing...can give big happiness: Colors and costumes like never before!

Yesterday I witnessed the effervescent Toronto Caribana parade. It was a colorful celebration of the Caribbean music, dance, costumes and food in every way. Pumping music, colorful floats, spectacular costumes and the dancing made this parade totally unique. Some costumes were so heavy and elaborate that they had wheels to move. A number of trucks in the parade carried calypso artists with live soca music, blaring from the speakers. Even the non-Caribbean people regardless of color and race, were in the parade showcasing this festival as a unique part of Toronto’s culture. The costumes were so beautiful that I felt it was worth every effort it took N and me to reach the Lake Shore area with the kind of crowd present there. Approximately 1 million!

The parade started in the morning at 10am and was set to complete its run by 6pm. It seems the people stayed back and watched till 3pm. After that thousands of people had enough and jumped the fence to really enjoy the parade in true Caribana style. Wait a minute! Yeah you heard me right. The masses would jump the fence, dance and follow the floats and costumes like as if they are a part of the parade. It took me a while to digest watching people jumping the 8 feet fence. To me, it was mayhem! The whole atmosphere and experience was something different but enjoyable too.

We tried the food and I actually liked it. Ali’s doubles (puri and channa) were my favorite though I also liked the jerk chicken from the Jerk House. Later, I took pictures with some of the dancers in costumes while they were enjoying the cool breeze near Lake Ontario. It was a hot sunny day, which made some of the dancers in costumes tired by the time they reached Lake Shore Blvd. We left at 6pm and on the way back, all tired and weary, I thought I should go for the parade next year too. : )

Check out the pictures.