Well yes,
Its official, an investment in a Caribana costume is absolutely the best value in terms of any carnival anywhere. What other carnival costume gives you 3 separate opportunities to play mas all within one hour drive of each other. For about $150 you get to play Mas in Toronto, Hamilton and now BARRIE ONTARIO!!!!
I know, I know, you are thinking to yourself, it have no trinis in Barrie?, well I don't know about all that, but Barrie carnival was a REAL!!! sweet Lime.
True, the parade was small, but this is only their 2nd year, and they did really well. The following bands took part in the parade:
Barrie Masqueraders
Carnival Nationz
Calaloo
Mervyn Skeets Toronto Caribbean Connection
Nip Davis
It was real nice, all these Barrie residents came out and lined the streets and clapped and took pictures and ting. I felt like a front line H.O. People stopping me to pose for pictures with them... really they wanted to pose with Karabana, but Barrie people are polite, so they took my picture too.
And the best thing is the parade ends right at Centennial park (the beach). Next year I walking with my towel for sure. Beautiful place, yuh limin on the beach, soca blasted, yuh smelling fry fish and curry and jerk and people just chillin.
This is my first trip to Barrie (a cool 45 minute drive from home). Barrie is a very nice place and I felt really welcome. Especially, the police were real cool, we are in the middle of the people downtown, they set up an area in the park with lots of vendors and food and a stage. They had a big beer tent and live bands are scheduled to perform until 10'oclock at night. It was a really nice atmosphere.
Do you think they let us party on the Lakeshore at 10pm in Toronto?..... I think not.
All I could say is, we have to support this event, the more masqueraders who make the trip, the better it will get. I'm not missing it next year at all.
I like fried fish a lot
Actually, I never realized that Barrie was so close and so nice, I'm thinking next time we are planning a beach lime, we will head to Barrie to take a swim and chill on a beach.
Till next time laters.
