TORONTO, ON–(Marketwired)….with expanded access to the grand parade route and new/improved events.

The Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival launched today with costumed mas models, live pan music and Calypso singers at the Ontario Science Centre. The Honourable Joe Oliver, Canada’s Minister of Finance, helped unveil the Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival 2014 campaign.

The Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival will run from July 8, 2014 to August 3, 2014, and once again bring the culture of the Caribbean to over a million spectators in downtown Toronto. The public launch will take place on July 8, 2014 at 12:00 p.m. at Toronto’s Nathan Phillip’s Square, where dancers, musicians and calypso singers will get the country into the Carnival spirit.

“The big news is that as the city changes, so too must our events. We are expanding the length of the parade within Exhibition Place. The Junior Carnival Parade location is moving from Downsview Park to the Malvern community in Scarborough, and our final Island Lime is returning to the Toronto Island after almost a ten-year absence!” said Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival CEO Denise Herrera-Jackson. “We are also expanding the footprint of the Grand Parade within Exhibition Place to improve the experience of both performers and spectators!”

“We are proud to support the Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival,” said John Doig, Scotiabank’s Chief Marketing Officer. “We have been the title sponsors of the festival since 2008 and it has been wonderful to see how the Carnival has been embraced by both the local community and by visitors from around the world. We are looking forward to a great festival as we celebrate the sights, sounds and flavours of the Caribbean.”

“The Ontario Science Centre is delighted, for the fifth consecutive year, to sponsor the Innovation in Mas award. We celebrate our partnership with the Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival and through this award recognize innovation in Mas costume design and engineering. Science is everywhere!” said Lesley Lewis, CEO, Ontario Science Centre.

The Toronto waterfront Carnival parade, taking place on August 2nd, is expected to draw over a million people down to Toronto’s Exhibition Place and surrounding grounds. This year the parade will begin at the Northwest corner of Exhibition Place behind Medieval Times. The parade will travel the width of the Exhibition Place before entering Lakeshore Blvd, giving the festival more space to accommodate paying spectators.

Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival events include:

City Hall Public Launch — July 8th, 2014: Over 100 masqueraders in costumes, well known Soca, Pan and Calypso performers will gather on Nathan Phillips Square beginning just before noon, to officially launch Carnival in Toronto. Free.

Junior Carnival Parade and Family Day — July 19th, 2014: The first big 2014 Festival event, the Junior Carnival Parade, will take place in and around Neilson Park in the Malvern community. Over 2,500 children will perform for the judges and play Mas. Chevrolet is the presenting sponsor of the Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival Junior Carnival Parade in its new Malvern community location. Free.

The Annual Gala — July 25, 2014: The Annual Gala, a black tie event to honour the rich history of the festival and to sample Caribbean cuisine and the arts, will take place at the Liberty Grand Ballroom on the CNE grounds. Ticketed.

Monarch Contest — July 26, 2014: Ontario’s best Calypso performers compete to see who will wear the crown as this country’s top Calypso singer. Evening competition to be held at the Chinese Cultural Centre’s P C Ho Theatre in Scarborough. Ticketed.

The King and Queen Contest — July 31, 2014: This nighttime event showcases the elaborate costumes, which will be worn by the Kings and Queens in the Grand Parade. Always popular. Almost always sold-out. Ticketed.

Pan Alive — August 1, 2014: Pan Alive is the largest outdoor steel pan orchestra competition in North America. Over a dozen orchestras from Ontario and Quebec will compete in an evening battle of the bands at Lamport Stadium. Ticketed.

THE GRAND PARADE — August 2, 2014: Exhibition Place & Lakeshore Blvd. 10am – 6pm. Rain or Shine! Ticketed inside Exhibition Place and Free along the Lakeshore.

Beyond de Lime August 3, 2014: For the first time in almost a decade Beyond the Lime will be held on the Toronto Island. Live Music. Caribbean Food. Non-stop Performances. Traditional end to the Caribbean festival. Ticketed.

About Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival

The Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival is an exciting three-week cultural explosion of Caribbean music, cuisine, and revelry as well as visual and performing arts. It has become a major international event and the largest cultural festival of its kind in North America. As Carnival is an international cultural phenomenon, the great metropolis of Toronto and its environs will come alive as the city explodes with the pulsating rhythms and melodies of Calypso, Soca, Reggae, Chutney, Steel Pan and Brass Bands. The Festival Management Committee oversees the running of North America’s largest outdoor festival.

Corporate sponsors of this year’s festival include: Scotiabank, OLG, Chevrolet, The Toronto Star, CTV, CP24, Virgin Radio, The Canadian Federal Government, The Province of Ontario, City of Toronto, Tourism Toronto, The Greater Toronto Airports Authority, the Ontario Science Centre, and the Liberty Grand.