Toronto Caribbean Carnival Faces Crisis Amid Declining Participation

Toronto Caribbean Carnival Faces Crisis Amid Declining Participation

Toronto Caribbean Carnival Faces Crisis Amid Declining Participation

So, here's something serious going on with one of Toronto’s most iconic summer events—the Toronto Caribbean Carnival, also known as Caribana. According to several longtime mas band leaders, the future of this beloved festival is now at risk due to a significant drop in participation.

Now, if you’re not familiar, mas bands are the heart of the parade. These are the groups that organize all the costumed revelers, the music, and the energy you see out on the streets during the festival. But lately, they've been seeing fewer and fewer people joining, especially since the pandemic. One of the major issues? The rising cost of living. People are finding it harder to justify spending hundreds—sometimes even over a thousand dollars—on elaborate costumes, especially when essentials are getting more expensive.

Also Read:

On top of that, there’s been a sharp decline in American participants. That might surprise you, but for many years, Caribbean expats from cities like New York, Miami, and Atlanta would travel up to Toronto for the Carnival. They made up a huge part of the mas bands. But now, with concerns over crossing the border—like reports of people being wrongfully detained—many just don’t want to take the risk. According to Bryce Aguiton from Carnival Nationz, the number of U.S. masqueraders has dropped dramatically.

Another long-time band leader, Jerrol Augustine from E.P.I.C Carnival, said that before the pandemic, 95% of his group were Americans. This year, his numbers have dropped by over 40%. To keep things alive, he’s been hosting fish fries and local events to get more Toronto residents involved, but it’s still not enough to offset the loss.

And there’s another thorny issue—“stormers.” These are people who jump the parade barricades to walk the route without a costume. While some band leaders say stormers are damaging the experience—literally ruining costly costumes—others like Johanna Grant from Freedom Mas Band believe many of them are just friends and family who couldn’t afford to join officially. She thinks there needs to be more compassion and a real conversation about access and inclusion.

Despite millions in government funding pledged recently, organizers still worry that if participation continues to drop, the festival could eventually be cancelled. And that would be a huge cultural loss—not just for Toronto, but for the entire Caribbean diaspora in North America.

It’s not just a parade. It’s a celebration of heritage, pride, and community. And right now, it’s hanging in the balance.

Read More:

Post a Comment

0 Comments