Montrealers take over downtown for 51st edition of Carimas Festival Parade

Montrealers got a taste of the Caribbean without leaving the city! It was a colourful sight downtown as many took over René-Lévesque Boulevard dressed in traditional masquerade outfits adorned with beads, feathers and elaborate headpieces for the 51st edition of the Carimas Parade.

“I’m originally from Trinidad and Tobago and we’re the heartbeat of the Caribbean, and carnival is our thing,” said a local Montrealer as he waited for the parade to begin.

With two events earlier this year – a beauty pageant and the Petite Carimas, a children’s parade – the Carimas festival parade represented the last event of the festival that had many waiting on the sidelines in anticipation of the event.

“We saw this colourful gorgeous parade, everybody was waiting and they said it was starting soon so we said let’s watch it,” said a tourist who was visiting Montreal for the Jazz Festival and had made her way to René-Lévesque Boulevard.

“We like it and we’re staying for the whole thing,” said another local as he described how he found about about the parade just that morning after hearing the music.

After being cancelled in 2023, Carimas returned last year with a management new group called the Carre Fiesta Coalition who are once again keeping the festivities alive this year, with new ideas.

“This year we have, we have eight bands, instead of last year where we had five on the road,” said Kris Bennett, spokesperson for the Carimas Montreal team when speaking of what Montrealers should expect from this year’s parade.

“They’re going to see the kids on the road. The kids were not on the road in a while because we canceled it last week because of the rain, so they’re here now, so that’s going to be something different,” he added.

To many watching and participating, the festival and parade represents more than the vibrant sights and Caribbean music.

“It’s a time for everybody to get together and celebrate their cultures, whether you’re Haitian, Jamaican, Trinidadian or Guyanese,” said Smith as she described the importance of participating in the annual event that she herself has been attending for the second year in a row.

“It’s really important to showcase Caribbean heritage, especially in Montreal, because this is a place of diversity,” said Maya Seon. “It’s also a place of strength and resilience, and there are a lot of immigrants that come here trying to build better lives for their families.

According to festival organizers, last year’s turnout exceeded expectations with upwards of six thousand people coming out to watch the parade – with many coming out for this year’s edition as well.

“This has the potential to even get as big as Toronto. If the city would get on board and join with us, and not fight against us, but join with us and help us. If the city would do that, trust me, this could be a rival with Toronto, the Jazz Fest, and all these other festivals,” explained local Montrealer when referring to Toronto’s Caribana festival.

The annual festival culminated with a high-energy Sizzle After-Party at Place du Canada where the parade ultimately ended.