Caribana Friday night FREE event you can take your kids to (Island soul festival)

We have been blogging in support of Caribana for the last 7 years and I know how much life can change in that time. When you started to fete, you were free, single and disengaged. Now, you might be happily toting a bundle of joy and studying how to make sure that your kids get some kind of connection to this culture that we love so much.

So, its Friday night (Caribana eve) and you think you’re not able to hit a jouvert fete and still get up play mas tomorrow. Plus, if you go and fete, you need to get someone to watch the kids. Maybe you could leave them with Grandma, but maybe she would like to go out too?

I have the perfect event for you, and it’s not going to cost hardly anything at all.

Load up the minivan and take everyone (especially grandma) to Harbourfront Centre. All you have to pay for is parking (or take the TTC). It’s called the Island Soul Festival.

At 6pm they have this art exhibit called Testimonials about Haiti (see you can be a good parent and work in something educational.)

After that you can grab some food at the world café. They have lots of options there beyond the typical jerk chicken and curry, you can sample some stuff from other cultures as well (more education).

Now the good stuff:

Kobo Town will be performing at 7:45pm. I know you might not know them, but watch the video.  They take traditional Calypso and fuse it with world beats and the result is profound.

Then at 9:30pm -11pm

You get the chance to take in a living legend and pioneer in Calypso.

Calypso Rose is an ambassador of Caribbean music, a living legend, a charismatic character, the uncontested diva of Calypso music.

Now you are getting all this entertainment for FREE. All you have to do is find yourself there.

They even have a little shopping area and a licensed patio, so you can take a break and go and shop or take a drink ... something for everyone.

So come and breeze out right by the lake.

This is really a venue and an event that makes our city special. Did I mention its FREE.

So You're coming for Caribana

You've heard about Caribana, and you've always wanted to come. But where do you start? Here's a Caribana visitors guide to the events, accommodation options and other must-see's in Toronto.

Visitors often ask what hotel to stay at, and even which hotels are close to the parade. Really, it doesn't matter where you stay. Many of the events are not in one neighbourhood. Staying downtown is your best bet though, for convenience and location to attractions. To find your hotel, go to: http://www.hotels.ca/
If you like a more personal touch, bed and breakfasts are the unique way to go. I've stayed at the Homewood Inn a few times and would recommend it. Check out the Toronto B&B site for many options.
As far as transportation goes, I would suggest taking the TTC rather than taxis, as cab rides in the city have gone up. A day pass for $9 is a smart idea, and it's good for 2 adults and 4 kids.
The festival starts with the official Launch on July 14, Junior Carnival on the 18th, the Gala on the 24th, Pan Alive on the 31st, and the Parade on August 1st. The complete list of Caribana events is on the Caribana festival site.

There are some musts for me. Junior Carnival is a wonderful chance for kids to start playing mas. It's also the parade you'll want to bring your kids to, as it's catered to children and has small crowds.

King and Queen is the opportunity for the bands to showcase their amazing colourful and shining creations. Seeing them dance on stage in the evening gives me goosebumps. King & Queen and Pan Alive are both held at Lamport Stadium, King St. West.
The parade itself begins outside of Exhibition Place (Princes Blvd.) & goes for 4 kilometres along Lakeshore Blvd. West. With over a million spectators, you can imagine what traffic is like, so take a streetcar to the CNE. Prime spots along the parade route are nabbed in the morning. Do be prepared for the sun, even rain, and to wait. There's often a long gap between bands, which isn't pleasant for spectators, so be ready to lime with drinks and food you've brought with you. Vendors along the route sell Caribbean cuisine, and there are several ice cream trucks.

What's better: watching others have fun, or having fun yourself? Instead of looking at the masqueraders behind the fence, be one yourself! Your Caribana experience will be so much more fulfilling if you play mas. There are 15 bands, many not sold out yet.

Check out the costumes the bands are designing (go to Toronto Mas Bands list), register, and get ready to jump, wine and wave!

When it comes to fetes - outdoor fetes, foam fetes, dj fetes, boat cruises, blockos, and Soca nights at clubs, you're going to want to refer to Toronto Lime. There's something for every taste and age group. Most of the clubs are in the entertainment district (King St. West area), and the bigger fetes like Fire Fete and Glow are at venues in the Harbourfront neighbourhood. Carnival in Yuh Backyard is in the north end of the city at Wild Water Kingdom, my personal fave fete spot.

De Caribana Lime - Island Festival! held on Toronto Centre Island (Olympic Island) is a fun family vibe where you can lime the day after the parade with music, entertainment and food. With the current City of Toronto strike, there's no ferry service, so this event is pending.

There are not only Caribana festival events happening in the city that you'll want to check out. The Harbourfront Centre (Queens Quay West) features free visual arts exhibitions, concerts, dance performances, cooking demos and films. Roy Cape and the Kaiso All Stars and The Mighty Shadow will perform on the Sirius Stage on July 31. Did you read free? Yes, you did! I'll never forget seeing Machel Montano in 2007. With the water behind me, and everyone doing the Jumbie dance, it was one of my favourite Soca performances in 10 years.

For information on more free things to do, and concerts, the many festivals, summerlicious, shopping, and events like the Honda Indy Toronto, go to Toronto.com.

Take in as much as you can of North America's largest Caribbean festival, and I'll bet it won't be your last visit.