Hundreds of visitors experienced the lively atmosphere of the fourth annual Afro-CariBrant Festival at Lions Park in Paris on Saturday, September 5, and Sunday, September 6, 2026.
Presented by Darmont GivesBack, the two-day festival celebrated the rich culture, traditions and people of the African, Caribbean and Black communities living in the County of Brant, Brantford and beyond.
This year’s festival had plenty of activities for the whole family, something organizers have made a priority when planning the event over the years.
Throughout the weekend-long event, visitors spent their time checking out a variety of live entertainment and performances from DJ Screw, Elle de Lyon, Chris Fire 10, Bahamas Junkanoo Legends, Izimba, Marlo, McDonald Steelband, Ashanti Canada Cultural Troupe, Shanessa, and more.
Guests also had the chance to join in on the fun during the Afro-CariBrant parade, the daily dance competitions, the Gwan Move fitness workshops, and drum workshops with Chris Fire 10.
While many children spent the weekend enjoying the playground and activities in the Kids Zone, their parents and other adults browsed the marketplace, shopping and chatting with the various vendors and service providers.
For those looking to grab a bite to eat, there were several culinary options available throughout the venue. Vendors like Freshly Squeezed Lemonade, Black Fire Kitchen, SayBi Blends, Joply, Real Dairy, Renee’s Hot Grill, JK’s Kitchen, True to Roots, and BomiNiel, all spent the weekend keeping everyone fed and full.
With organizers always trying to improve the festival, new to this year’s event was the mobile museum from the Canadian Multicultural Inventors Museum, and the line up of short films that were curated in collaboration with the National Film Board.
“It was great to see that in spite of coming to a festival like this where there’s food, entertainment, dancing and all of the other stuff, in the middle of it there was education too,” said Essay Folami, programs director for Darmont GivesBack. “That’s one thing about this event, there’s always a teachable moment and there’s always an opportunity to learn something new about our culture. And the more we know about ourselves, the easier it becomes to be inclusive.”
He continued, saying that providing people with an opportunity to connect with each other and learn about the African, Caribbean and Black communities, is what the festival is all about.
“Afro-CariBrant is about getting to know each other because, for example, if you know me, you will want to interact with me more,” said Folami. “And what better way is there to say, ‘This is who we are as people,’ then this? And really, once we’re friends, we’ll always be friends no matter who we are. I mean, that’s what this is all about.”
Tobi Adedayo, CEO of Darmont GivesBack and the festival chair, said that given this year’s festival was running at the same time as the Paris Fair, she was thrilled to see that so many people still came and were having a good time.
“It’s always nice to see people dancing and enjoying themselves,” she said. “We love that people are coming back and that we’re seeing new faces. The fact that so many people are hearing about it are coming out and are excited, it’s really beautiful.”
Sheena Howard, who traveled to Paris from Kitchener to attend the event for the first time, said she enjoyied the festival.
“I think it’s really well put together. I like the fact that while they have entertainment and the vendors, they also have the playgrounds and different areas for the children,” she said. “And with the museum and the short films, you have different educational pieces to it too, so there’s really something for everyone.”
When asked if she would return next year, Howard said, “Oh yes, definitely. There will be repeat visits for sure.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
