Caribbean Carnival ‘what Toronto is all about’

A real party atmosphere was present at Exhibition Place as the 48th annual Caribbean Carnival kicked off in Toronto early Saturday morning.
  The heavy showers of Friday night were long gone, replaced by near perfect festival weather and skies devoid of any clouds.
  The sun was shining, weather was sweet, and it was making thousands of masqueraders representing islands across the Caribbean want to move their dancing feet.
  Dubbed “the people’s carnival” by organizers, it lived up to its name from the offset.
  Mayor John Tory (open John Tory's policard) summed up the unique attraction of the festival, shortly after ‘winning’ a dance-off against Defence Minister Jason Kenney. The diversity of both the participants and those attending are “what the Carnival and city of Toronto is all about,” Tory said.
  The costumes were even more eclectic than the assembled participants and crowd. Sparkling sequins and majestic feather arrangements adorned the hundreds of dancers who were kept energized by the upbeat music blasting from the festivals many floats.
  “It’s got to be one of the best events you can go to in Toronto,” said one of the attendees, Marie, who’s been coming to the Caribbean Carnival for more than four years.