Carivibe, Ottawa's largest Caribbean festival, is back for another year — and it's leaving a colourful mark on the downtown core.
On Saturday, the Carivibe Grand Street Parade kicked off near Parliament Hill and wound its way down Elgin Street to City Hall.
It's the first time the parade's been held in the downtown.
More than a dozen groups are competing this year for the title of Carivibe Mas Band Champion, including the Tribal Mash — assembled by the Guyana Ottawa Cultural Association and led by Simone Waithe.
"We've put in a lot of hard work in terms of getting the costumes and getting people ready for this, so we're just excited to be on the road and expressing ourselves," Waithe told CBC Radio's All In a Day.
The Cultural Arts Studio's Dashiki Tribe are the defending champions from last year's parade.
Suzan Lavertu, the group's leader, said she was looking forward to bringing Caribbean culture to downtown Ottawa.
"Carivibe is not about colour, it's about culture," Lavertu told All in a Day. "Sharing that culture with the community excites me."
The annual opening party, J'Ouvert On The Beach, started things off on Petrie Island Friday night.
The celebration's now headed back to Petrie Island, where the festivities continue today until 10 p.m. There are also block parties, beach parties and sporting events taking place throughout the weekend.
Carivibe wraps up on Petrie Island Sunday afternoon.