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 | Toronto events / festivals Reviews | Tips 11 - 20 of 68 |  |
 | |  |  | events / festivals: The Toronto Street Festival | Tip Rating:    |  |  | |  |
The Toronto Street Festival is billed as how Toronto celebrates itself. Each year on the second weekend of July, the city shuts down four of the major intersections on Yonge Street (usually at Lawrence, Eglinton, St. Clair and Dundas) and puts on a show. There are buskers, rides for children and lots of musical performances. Each of the intersections has its own theme. The Lawrence site has family oriented rides and performers. The Eglinton site tends to rock it up a bit more. The St. Clair site tends to be more arty and for an older crowd. For 2006, this means lots of jazz. I pretty familiar with the many of the jazz acts in Toronto and I think most of the performers here are well worth seeing. This year, 2006, the Dundas site, which centres on Dundas Square, is the entertainment is multiculturally oriented. The glory of all of this, is that it for the most part, it is all free. I think that you have to pay for rides and if you want to, give the buskers some cash for their efforts. If you are in Toronto on the second weekend of July, then by all means you should check this out. Leave a Comment Phone: http://www.toronto.ca/special_ev
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| | | | events / festivals: The Canadian National Exhibitions | Tip Rating: | | | | |
The Canadian National Exhibition or "the Ex" or "the CNE" is one of Toronto's great annual traditions. It is a fair held on exhibitions grounds west of Downtown Toronto. The Ex used to claim to be the largest annual fair in North America and probably still is one of the largest. There is an attempt to have something here for every member of the family. This includes rides for the children, some of them quite stomach churning. There are also quite a few clowns, magicians and acts that usually please the kids. For the adults there are many exhibitions hall spread throughout the grounds. They include such items as household wares such as furniture and kitchen utensils. Over the years some of this has gotten somewhat tired as they seem to have the same stuff every years with little attempt to come up with something new. There are some good music performances. In recent years they have attracted quite a few "clone acts", performers specializing in one name acts material and attempting recreate them as much as possible. If you cannot afford U2 tickets then see someone do a half decent job imitating them. In recent years I have had some complaints about the Ex, mostly regarding the loss of usage of the wonderful old building or exhibit halls that are spread out around the grounds. These buildings, some dating from 19th century, have been sold by the City to other entertainment groups such as Medieval Times. The building that the Liberty Grand now occupies is one of the loveliest in Toronto and is no longer available for the Ex. Instead the Ex has been shoved into a large trade centre, which is rather sterile, and even worse, out into the parking lot. Still it the annual event remains popular and attracts quite the crowds. The Canadian National Exhibitions is held through the last two weeks of August, up to Labour Day. Prices for admission tend to vary from year to year. Leave a Comment
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| | | | events / festivals: Polaris | Tip Rating: | | | | |
A boyhood dream come true! ...Three days with my best friend and nothing but science-fiction on the itinerary--"Star Trek", "Star Wars", "Stargate","Battlestar Galactica", "Doctor Who", and "Buck Rogers"? Sweet!! Sure, this trip would have been a lot more fun when I was eleven years-old, but what the hey? It's something I always said I'd do at least once in my lifetime. Walking into the hotel lobby puts a huge grin on my face. I've never seen so many nerds in my whole life! But they're such nice people... They always say "please", "thank you", "excuse me", and always always hold the door for you. Polaris, although it's not Canada's largest sci-fi con (that would be Fan Expo Canada), declares itself "Toronto's best science fiction and fantasy convention". Held annually in July since since 1986, it used to be called "Toronto Trek", but recently changed its name to "Polaris" to be more encompassing. It's organized by the fans for the fans. Events include celebrity photo/autograph sessions, "Klingon Karaoke", the dealer's room, a charity auction, model displays, a masquerade, and dozens of workshops and discussion panels. Watching people in full Klingon war regalia sing "We All Live in a Yellow Bird of Prey" at "Klingon Karaoke" had me in absolute stitches laughing. Hungover the next morning, my friend and I get on an elevator and I start checking out the very shapely, good-looking, slightly older than me woman in there. As the doors open to exit, I realize that she's Martina Sirtis --who played Counselor Deanna Troy on "Star Trek the Next Generation". That afternoon, I am completely immersed in a discussion with several dozen people about the character "Rose" from "Doctor Who". Some of them know much, much more than I do about the subject. I had a great time for the $60 weekend pass price. But if you don't know the difference between a Starfleet Officer, a Viper Pilot, a Clone Trooper, and a Timelord I'd recommend just buying a one-day pass to satisfy your curiosity. Live long and prosper! Leave a Comment Directions: Held at a hotel near Pearson Airport, but location may change from year-to-year. Check their web site for the most recent upcoming location.Website: http://www.tcon.ca
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| | | | events / festivals: Toronto Zombie Walk | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Driving down Bloor Street, I gasp and point out the window. "Hey look! A zombie!" We all crane our heads to get a look at the pale creature covered in blood as it shuffles its way down the sidewalk. "Hey, there's two more--schoolgirl zombies!" We park the car and walk down the block. Suddenly we're surrounded by hundreds of hissing and snarling zombies with ripped dirty clothes, messy hair, yellow teeth, gray skin, missing eyeballs, knives protruding from heads and chests. On one Sunday every year in October, hundreds of Toronto's undead gather in a park and march the streets attacking unsuspecting pedestrians and motorists. And what is it they want? "Brains!! We want to eat your brains!" Toronto invented the Zombie Walk. It was started in 2003 by a horror movie enthusiast named Thea Munster. Although the first walk had only six participants, in true zombie-plague fashion the numbers grew exponentially every year and the plague quickly spread to major cities throughout all of North America. Thousands of dead people now take part in these events worldwide. As we try to take photographs without being mauled and eaten alive, a SWAT team appears. They manage to take down two of the monsters, but we all know how these films end. ...The SWAT team is outnumbered and doesn't stand a chance against these shuffling, hungry corpses. Braaaiiinnnsss! Leave a Comment Directions: Check web site for upcoming time and location.Website: http://www.torontozombiewalk.ca
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Toronto
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