On Saturday, August 09, 2008 at 11:30 a.m., the 7th annual Hamilton Mardigras Carnival was officially opened. www.hamiltoncarnival.com

The ceremony began with the playing of the national anthem, "O Canada", by the Tian Guo Marching Band, followed by speeches and ribbon cutting. Next, a colorful parade wound through the streets of Hamilton and ended at Bayfront Park. Numerous booths were set up in the park to continue the multicultural celebration.

This is the 3rd year in a row that the Tian Guo Marching Band was invited to attend. The band received a warm welcome from the organizers, carnival participants and spectators. The Deputy Mayor of Hamilton, Mr. Tom Jackson told a reporter, "I saw the band before and they are wonderful. They did "O Canada" marvelously and I am very proud of them".