🌴 Toronto, It's Time to Vibe Out — Island Eats Is BACK

Forget booking a flight. This June, the Caribbean comes straight to Toronto — free of charge.

Island Eats Food & Travel Festival returns to Mel Lastman Square on Saturday, June 13 (1 PM – 10 PM) and Sunday, June 14 (1 PM – 8 PM).

🔥 Feel It In Your Chest

Jerk chicken, doubles, pepper pot, tropical mocktails and the "Breeze and Brews" bar serving cocktails, mocktails and Caribbean beer. Bold flavours, pulsing rhythms and cultural displays that hit different.

"When you're here, you feel it in your chest — the music, the food the laughter. That's generations of culture, joy and resilience showing up in one place." -Petronilla Marchan, Festival Manager

🎤 Non-Stop Entertainment

🥁 Live steelpan with Rhythm & Pan on D' Greens

🎧 DJs spinning soca, calypso, reggae and dancehall all day

🎭 Moko jumbies and carnival characters in full costume

💃 FREE drop-in dance classes - soca wining, dancehall and salsa, plus a Sunday Community Dance Showcase

⚡ Pop-up performances and cultural showcases throughout the weekend

👨‍🍳 Junior Chef Competition ft. Grace Foods Canada

Young chefs take the stage in this sponsored cooking competition judged by celebrated Caribbean chefs. The winner takes home a cash prize and a featured spot in the Island Eats digital cookbook.

🏆 The Golden Roti Challenge

Think you can handle a festival-sized curry roti? The winner of this crowd-favourite eating competition walks away with tickets to their favourite island destination!

🎨 Caribbean Craft Market & Artist Village

Over 30 Black and Caribbean artists, designers and makers selling original prints, jewellery, ceramics, hot sauces and one-of-a-kind pieces. Shop small, shop Caribbean.

🌅 Sunset Golden Hour — Saturday 8 PM–10 PM

The square transforms into an open-air party with special lighting, a curated DJ set and a Caribbean cocktail tasting experience featuring signature drinks from six island nations.

✈️ One Taste Is Never Enough

The tourism booths from Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, Antigua & Barbuda, Saint Lucia, and Grenada aren't just there to hand out brochures — they're there to remind you that what you're tasting and hearing this weekend is just a preview. The real thing - the ocean, the air, the people, the food fresh from the source - is waiting for you. Let the festival light the spark, and let them help you fan the flame.

💛 Give Back While You Celebrate

Island Eats is a Caribbean Scholarship Foundation (CSF) fundraiser, supporting scholarships, mentorship, and the arts across the Caribbean diaspora. Every bite counts.

📍 The Details

📅 Sat, June 13 — 1 PM to 10 PM · Sun, June 14 — 1 PM to 8 PM

📍 Mel Lastman Square, Toronto · 💸 FREE admission

Grab your crew, show up hungry, and leave with a serious case of island fever — and maybe a one-way search open on your phone. 🌊🥭🎶