Downtown Kitchener prepares for big Caribana Ignite party

The City of Kitchener is one week away from its first-ever Caribana.

The Caribbean street party, officially called Caribana Ignite, will take over King Street, Carl Zehr Square and the Gaukel Block on Aug. 23 and Aug. 24.

The city said it will showcase the “true essence of carnival” with lively music, dancing, colourful costumes and Caribbean cuisine.

“Come ready for the food, come ready for the dance, come ready for the atmosphere,” said Geraldine Stafford, Caribana Ignite’s general manager. “We want you here.”

Caribana is the largest Caribbean festival in North America and draws in nearly two million people to Toronto every year.

This is the first time the event will be celebrated outside of Toronto.

“We were approached by Niagara, we were approached by other regions, but I said: ‘We’re bringing it to Kitchener,’” Stafford explained. “Carl Zehr Square is a natural place [to have it]. I look around and it’s always families, it’s always people.”

“We’ve had a rich history of people from across the Caribbean who live in this community and it will be an opportunity for them, along with all the newcomers who’ve arrived here, to celebrate with visitors,” added Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic.

“For the Caribana Arts Group to choose Kitchener-Waterloo as their first stop outside of Toronto just speaks to the strength of this community, the multiculturalism of this community and the energy that’s here,” Lannois Carroll-Woolery, president of the Caribbean Canadian Association of Waterloo Region, said in a media release.

What you can expect

The celebration kicks off Friday, Aug. 23 with a family-friendly Glow Party at Kitchener City Hall. The event runs from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The city said there will be music, dancing, food and free glow sticks for the first 1,000 people who show up. Once the sun sets, the crowd is encouraged to light up the square.

A second party will be held at the Conrad Centre for the Performing Arts, at 36 King St. W.from 10 p.m. until 3 a.m. Tickets are $20 in advance or $40 at the door.

The main event takes place on Saturday, Aug. 24. Participants will parade down King Street, from Queen to Waterloo Street, while live bands entertain the crowd. The carnival will include elaborate and colourful costumes, Caribbean music, dancing and more. Once the parade is over, the community can stop by the Gaukel Block where there will be a vendor market, food, drinks, a DJ and kids zone. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

An “After Party” will also be held at the Conrad Centre for the Performing Arts starting at 10 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance or $40 at the door.

Visitors are asked to wear their community colours: green for Kitchener, yellow for Waterloo, red for Cambridge and white for the townships.

More information can be found here.