The Digital 2020 Toronto Caribbean Carnival kicked off  on Canada Day, July 1, and you can  take in  the celebrations on your phone, tablet or computer during the entire month of July.

“We are presenting (on line) a virtual festival that engages Carnival audiences who look forward every year to a summer of parties, music, and celebration, “said Aneesa Oumarally, CEO of the Festival Management Committee, organizers of the event.

On Canada Day, Mayor John Tory read a proclamation to start off the  festival and several politicians and community leaders posted  greetings on social media

 “ Don’t worry if you missed it. We do a few events that are happening on Zoom and Facebook live but almost everything else will be available for viewing throughout July,” Oumarally explained.

The Virtual Carnival is using a host of different social media platforms to blast out the stories, songs and sights of Toronto’s iconic summertime event. Content is being added almost daily to Facebook, Instagram, Twitch and the festival’s website.

 Tribal Carnival, Carnival Nationz, Atlantic Mas and Louis Saldenah’s Mas K Camp have already posted sexy hot short You Tube video reels of some of their best costume launches of past years.

As the festival’s website says, the 2020 Toronto Caribbean Carnival will be different and unforgettable. People should “stay tuned for upcoming event announcements”.

With  a festival the size of the carnival, there are literally hours and hours of content for fans to  watch.  Programmes about some of the festival’s recently departed  pioneers ( such as John Kam and Romain Pitt) will begin to appear on the Virtual Carnival beginning Saturday. 

The festival’s director, former Trinidad TV show host, Denise Herrera-Jackson, will give a business-oriented talk about the economic impact of the annual event.

There will also be calypsonians performing in the front window of A Different Booklist Cultural Centre in Toronto and pan shows as well.

CBC announcer Kevin Carrington and mas’ model and pannist Raesha Sirois have been interviewing carnival  personalities for the past month and their reports are landing on the festival sites.

There are four Saturday night live Zoom parties in the works and DJs BuzzB and FlexGotNext will be spinning for live viewers  from 9 p.m. on Facebook, Instagram and Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/torontocarnival).

Caribbean Camera subscribers will recognize many of the pictures that will be posted on a new photography show. Reporter Stephen Weir is a member of the Canadian Caribbean Photographic Arts Collective, and has contributed pictures (along with the other members of the Collective) to an exhibition called Beyond the Carnival!

The full list of summer events had not yet been posted on the Caribbean Carnival’s website but organizer promise it will be up  shortly.

Not all the content is aimed at adult revellers.  There is already a  video of a Kiddies Parade  posted on You Tube and soon

Adrian Amsterdam, the winner of the 2018 junior culinary contest will be online “cheffing” up a storm. .

The following are addresses on the Internet where  viewers can log into the Carnival experience:

The festival’s Twitch address:

https://www.twitch.tv/torontocarnival

The festival’s Facebook address:

@TorontoCarnival.ca
​The festival’s Instagram address:

Torontocarnival.ca

The Festival’s website address

(www.torontocaribbeancarnival.ca)