The Caribbean Carnival Toronto will sizzle all weekend with the Grand Parade running all day Saturday along Lake Shore Blvd. along Exhibition Place, followed by the carnival lime at Ontario Place on Sunday and rugby matches Sunday and holiday Monday.
"This year’s festival is definitely bigger and better," Christopher Alexander, Caribbean Carnival Toronto’s Chief Administrative Officer said. "We have 27 mas bands taking part with close to 2,600 participants in the parade, so we want everyone to come down and jump up,"
The TD Irie Music Festival hosts a wide array of performers at Yonge-Dundas Square, Queen’s Park and Nathan Phillips Square all weekend through until Monday.
"Toronto offers up this cultural explosion of activities and events and the TD Irie Music Festival has become very much a signature piece of this Caribbean Carnival in Toronto," Irie Music Festival co-founder Phil Vassell, said. "We get calls from out of town tourists wanting to know to plan their itinerary."
Environment Canada is forecasting a mainly sunny and hot and humid long weekend.
Saturday will be sunny and reach a high of 28C with a low of 20C.
Sunday is calling for a 60% chance of rain with a high of 30C and low of 18C. Monday will host a sunny day with a high of 29C and a low of 18C.
Those looking to cool down, can head to Splashworks at Canada’s Wonderland or hit the beach.
"Our 20-acre waterpark with great slides, pools and water fun is a good way to cool down in this heat," Canada’s Wonderland spokesman Dineen Beavan said.
All of Toronto’s beaches received the blue flag and are safe to swim. Only one beach in Durham — Frenchman’s Bay West in Pickering — is safe to swim.
Unfortunately, 13 of Durham region’s beaches were deemed unsafe by the health department. The bacteria levels were above the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care’s standard of 100 E. coli per 100 millilitres of water.
If you’re heading up to the cottage or out-of-town, OPP warn drivers to slow down and drive carefully.
The OPP say they will be out in force.
And if you’re driving south of the border, be prepared for long waits at the border and make sure your passport is valid. Canada’s Border Services Agency has beefed up staff to help meet the expected increase in traffic entering the country.
