Caribana, Toronto’s world-famous festival of all things Caribbean, will now be known as the Toronto Caribbean Carnival, after a judge decreed that the current festival organizers did not hold the rights to the original name.
Whatever its name, the popular festival – now in its 44th year – draws in about 1.2 million visitors a year. Highlights include musical and costume contests, but the signature event is always the massive parade that winds its way through the city.
The Ontario Supreme Court ruled that the Caribana name belonged to the Caribbean Arts Group, the organization that founded the festival but is no longer involved.
"Rebranding ourselves as the Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival helps us resolve any ongoing trademark issues around the old festival name, and allows us to move forward with an exciting program that will appeal to members of the community of all ages," explained Denise Hererra Jackson, CEO of the Festival Management Committee, the group that now manages the annual festival.