Canada's Festivals: Toronto Fairs
Caribana in July, The Exhibition in August, Royal Winter Fair in Nov
May 14, 2007
As Canada’s largest city, Toronto is a multicultural haven. Of the 5.5 million people in the Greater Toronto Area (Statistics Canada, 2006), 49% are immigrants and 43% are part of a visible minority (predominantly Chinese, South Asian, Black and Filipino). The urban legend that Toronto was designated most multicultural city by the United Nations only highlights Toronto’s reputation as a centre of culture and noteworthy events.
Toronto is home to three of North America's largest festivals: Caribana in July, the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE or “The Ex”) in August/September, and, in November, the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.
Caribana
Caribana is internationally known for its huge parades, extravagant costumes, and the calypso, soca, hip hop, steel pan, brass bands, chutney, reggae, African drumming, and dancing that are the heartbeat of the festival. The celebration of Caribbean culture takes over Toronto’s streets (for the usual long weekend or this year's two weeks) with food, music, and revelry.
Caribana draws an estimated 750,000 to 1 million visitors to Toronto from throughout Canada, the United States, Jamaica, Haiti, Trinidad, Barbados, Puerto Rico, and elsewhere in the world.
2007 marks the 40th anniversary of North America’s largest street festival. In addition to the performances and parades, this year’s special six-week celebration includes a t-shirt design competition and the “Caribana Star” contest in which talented amateurs will perform live for the Caribana crowds.
The Canadian National Exhibition
The Canadian National Exhibition, better known to locals as the “CNE” or “The Ex,” runs for only 18 days in August and early September.
For the two-and-a-half weeks before Labour Day, the Exhibition Place fairgrounds are filled to bursting with carnival rides and games, agricultural displays, art exhibits, acrobats, horse and dog shows, musical performances and plays, parades, air shows, flower competitions, and hundreds of vendors of toys, souvenirs and international food.
The CNE has been in operation since 1879, and today draws 1.3 million people each summer. It is the largest annual fair in Canada and fifth largest in North America.
The Royal Winter Fair
Hosted on the historic grounds of the Exhibition Place (as so many Toronto events throughout the year are), the Royal is an indoor winter fair showcasing livestock, produce, crafts and handiwork of all kinds just before the Christmas shopping season.
Advertised as “the largest indoor agricultural, horticultural, canine and equestrian event in the world,” the motto of the Royal is “Once a Year, Country Comes to the City.” Featuring horse shows, health and wellness information, agricultural and commerce displays, wine exhibits, a rodeo, and one-of-a-kind crafts, artwork and clothing for sale, the Royal has been a Toronto fixture since 1924 and is still going strong.
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