Caribbean Flavors in the City

One of BC's largest cultural events, Caribbean Days Festival, takes places every summer on the shores of North Vancouver. It draws thousands of visitors from all over for the two-day event and is jam packed with fun activities, food, music and everything else in between.

This was my second time attending the free family-friendly event and I was still amazed at how fun and lively this festival is.  Unlike the cultural events back in Winnipeg which include the popular two-week long summer festival Folklorama, this North Vancouver event took my definition of the word "festival" to a whole new level.

Live entertainment flowed from the main stage area as well as from other folks playing spontaneously on their own drums and instruments throughout the festival grounds. Tents of local homemade jewelry, crafts and clothing were situated in one market area while another food area featured endless lineups for home made Caribbean treats and delights, which infused the air with aromas that brought me back down memory lane of Jamaican vacations.

It was a scorching hot weekend perfect for a Caribbean festival, leading people to come out in hoards.  Public transport Translink's Sea Bus, which connects downtown commuters to the north shore, experiences their year's highest traffic levels during this weekend because of this particular event, which I understand from my first-hand experience in a 30+ minute wait going both directions.  They prepare by increasing number of boats, departure times and staff to accommodate festival goers.

Caribbean Days Festival goes down in my books as an annual must-see event.  I cannot wait till next year where I can only hope for another sun-filled weekend listening to live reggae and devouring jerk chicken!