The 35th edition of Carifiesta, the city's annual parade celebrating Caribbean culture, took over the streets of downtown Montreal Saturday afternoon.

The parade ran along Rene-Levesque Blvd., from Guy St. to Sanguinet St.

Thousands of people came out to enjoy the lively music, colourful floats and elaborate costumes -- despite strong winds and occasional rain.

"We party no matter the weather!" said one woman as she danced along the parade route. 

Carifiesta vs. Carifete

This year, the parade was almost cancelled after a rift between organizers. Some members of the Caribbean Cultural Festivities Association (CCFA) -- the original organization behind Carifiesta -- split from the group and joined the new Montreal Carnival Development Foundation (MCDF).

The CCFA and the MCDF fought over who would organize the parade, and could not agree on what it should be called -- Carifiesta or Carifete.

The city of Montreal threatened to pull the $30,000 in funding for the event if the two factions didn't resolve their issues.

Ultimately, the city decided to split the funding, granting each group $10,000, and spending $10,000 on security.

Each group participated in the event under their own banner, with the CCFA's six floats following the MCDF's 12 floats on the parade route.