665. Carassauga – May 27-29; Carabram – July 8-10, 2016

I like going to both of these immense festivals because of their wide variety of cultures. I usually talk with participants about their unique customs, best local restaurants, and concerns. I enjoy sampling the food, talking recipes and looking for new  musical talents. Traveling around both these huge communities gives me an opportunity to see parts of the GTA and suburbs that I would not usually see. Do you know what your own city looks like in 2016?

Carassauga is in Mississauga of course. It has 18 countries in one large walkable festival site, in and near the Mississauga SportZone at 5600 Rose Cherry Place. It has 10 other countries spread out throughout the city, each in separate locations. Hours on Friday, May 27th – 7:30pm to 12am; Saturday, May 28th – 1pm to 12:00 am; Sunday May 29th 1pm to 7pm. Passports cost $10 in advance until 6pm, May 27. $12 at the door of any Pavilion.

On May 27 at 7:30 pm, a Parade of Nations will be held at its Outdoor Stage in the Mississauga SportZone parking lot with special guests and musical performances.

When you present your Carassauga Passport to your public transport MiWay driver during Carassauga hours, you can hop aboard and ride on any of MiWay’s regularly scheduled bus routes for free. Children 12 and under can also ride free when accompanied by an adult passport holder. This privilege also applies to access to an expanded shuttle bus service to all Pavilions. For a list of Pavilions, see: http://www.carassauga.com/our-pavilions/pavilion-list-and-locations/.

Carabram is in Brampton July 8 to 10.  Each of its 11 Pavilions is in a different venue in this city. Passports are $10 in advance until July 7, and $12 at the door of any Pavilion. Children 12 and under are free when accompanied by an adult passport holder. For more information, see Carabram: http://carabram.org/. For other events this summer in Brampton, see:http://bit.ly/1WKDYAm. There you will be performance times and a map.

For those of us who are driving and don’t know Mississauga or Brampton well, do take a GPS. I have gotten lost so many times. Shuttle buses and public transportation means you won’t have time to see many outback Pavilions. Food costs extra but is not expensive.

Carabram-PassportOur featured image was taken in 2011 at Carassauga Indonesian Pavilion.

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