Ready for mas again?

(Trini-in-Toronto: I know this was on the other blog, but I figured it would be good to have it all in one place for any newcomers.)

(Posted March 13 on http://mocagyrl.blog.com/)

Didn’t get enough of Trinidad Carnival, and can’t stand the thought of waiting 11 months to play mas again? Well, what about waiting just 5 months? If you can’t bear the thought of not jumping up ‘till February ’08, I’ve got a solution for you – Caribana!

http://wejumpinghigher.com/ It’s North America’s largest Caribbean carnival/festival, about to celebrate it’s 40^th this year. Caribana always attracts Americans who know Torontonians know how to party. I especially encourage New Yorkers who have never been to come; I promise you’ll be impressed. Last year Hubby met some people online from New York who never experienced a carnival and really wanted to. They came for Caribana, stayed in university dorms where they met other first time masqueraders, experienced much of the city, and had a blast!

Consider Caribana your cheaper Carnival alternative – playing mas won’t set you back near as much as it does in Trinidad. Fetes run from $20-40. The most expensive costume is $135. You’ve got the old school bands keeping the Trinidad traditions alive, plus newbie bands who give younger second generation masqueraders their bikini mas. For the last 7 years, the average Caribana day temperature was 27°, so you’ll get your sun! My first strong recommendation is to go on boat cruise fete - Roy Cape is always a good choice, and if it’s put on by a Guyanese Chinese style restaurant, you’re good to go! Besides the Saturday parade, there’s Junior (kiddies) Carnival, art exhibitions & cultural performances, Calypso Monarch finals, park concerts, King & Queen, Pan Alive, & even a Caribana Ball.

The following weekend is Hamilton Carnival, a 1 hour drive from Toronto. This smaller parade has a fun, no pressure kind of vibe, because bands parade through downtown & end up in a park where there's vendors and entertainment. So even though it tends to have a friendly family feel, it is carnival, so masqueraders still jump up & get on bad.

Besides Caribana, Toronto in the summer (especially the week of & after Caribana) is so fun, there’s always a lot going on, enough variety for every travelers taste. There’s shopping galore whether it’s huge outlets, designer duds, bargain bins, or second hand you’re looking for. You know how far your USD will go. I highly suggest a romantic picnic, wine & cheese style, under the stars watching a Shakespeare comedy in a secluded park. And can you say festivals? At the Beer Festival one year we heard a fantastic reggae band. Good times! The hugely popular food & entertainment Greek street party, Taste of the Danforth, is a must-do. If you want to sample some other kinds of music, there’s the Beach’s Jazz Festival and the Irie Music Festival. Masala! Mehndi! Masti! is a colourful South Asian festival featuring music, dance, film & cuisine. There’s always many theatrical productions running, and if it’s laid back you want, the Toronto symphony will deliver.

http://www.toronto.com/ for info on hotels, attractions, restaurants, clubs, shopping & events. Trip Advisor is always great for reviews: http://www.tripadvisor.com To select your price range & even a proximity search for Toronto hotels, check http://www.hotels.ca For Toronto dorm rooms, go to: http://www.hostels.com (you can select prices in USD) Bed & breakfast's, which I personally prefer to stay in, check http://www.torontocitybandb.com

This year we just might open our home, give guest rooms, to Caribana weekenders!

Hmmm… although this might have sounded like it, I was not commissioned by the city or Caribana to write a travel piece! Hubby asked me over a week ago to write something to entice all the out of country Carnival bloggers we met to come for Caribana. So I will conclude with this: Caribana - it’s the next best thing to Carnival!!