Burgeoning Cariwest to take over Capital Square
Colourful costumes will dance through Edmonton this weekend as Cariwest hosts its largest celebration yet in a new spot.
The annual Caribbean celebration will be held at Capital Plaza on the legislature grounds — rather than the usual Sir Winston Churchill Square — allowing for a more spacious layout, board vicepresident Samantha Alexander said.
The new setup will feature a record number of vendors with more than 30 food and merchant offerings in the Caribbean Village.
“We wouldn’t have been able to hold them all at Churchill,” Alexander said.
Festivities kick off on Friday evening with a showcase of the “larger than life” costumes created, where the mass band teams will compete for the titles of King and Queen of the bands.
“It’s a great showcase for sure to see all of the hard work over the past few months,” said Alexander on creating the costumes.
Some of the more complex designs take up to four months to complete, Alexander said, noting she still has to finish her own costume ahead of the festival start.
The party continues Saturday with the parade down Jasper Avenue. Different from past years, the parade will start at Jasper Avenue and 97 Street before heading west along Jasper Avenue to 107 Street and finishing southbound to Capital Plaza. The festival will wrap up Sunday with entertainment and dancing in the square.
“It’s a relaxed and chill three days,” Alexander said. “Enjoying peoples’ company and the music.”
Organizers are still looking for volunteers for Saturday and Sunday to help sell tickets as well as float throughout the grounds, she said.
ROAD CLOSURES
Road restrictions will be in place around the festival grounds as well as on Jasper Avenue during the parade. 99 Avenue was closed starting Wednesday between 107 Street and 109 Street.
For the Saturday parade, Jasper Avenue will be closed between 100 Street and 109 Street from noon until 3 p.m. A portion of 107 Street will also be closed from Jasper Avenue to south of 99 Avenue.
Between 97 Street and 100 Streets, Jasper Avenue will be reduced to one lane in both directions from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday for the parade assembly area.
TheCariwestFestivalrunsFriday to Sunday.