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Summer amusements…
ChristineSince Toronto has about three months of nice weather out of the year, summer has become an essential part of our city’s culture. Not only do the skies get a little brighter as everyone flocks to the great outdoors to sit on patios and shoot the breeze, but summer also marks the beginning of a boatload of events around the city, including such staples as Pride Weekend, Taste of the Danforth, the Grand Prix, the Toronto Caribbean Festival (formerly Caribana), the CHIN Picnic, and the Toronto International Film Festival. (Every four years, the city is also seized by World Cup Fever, but I won’t go into details because I haven’t healed yet.) These events helped put Toronto on the map, but if you’re a native of the city, or just hankering for something different, there are many lesser-known events that happen throughout our fair city on a weekly basis. Here are just a few highlights.
If it’s a party without the hangover that you’re after, visit Toronto Partigras, held every year at the Toronto Distillery District. From July 21 to 23, enjoy the sounds of live jazz, Latino music, funk, and rhythm and blues as you stroll through the cobblestone streets of this historic site. With three stages, costumes, and tons of giveaways, Partigras can’t go wrong. An added bonus is the free admission and the legendary All-Star Jam, held on July 22 at the Boiler House. If you can’t get enough of the music, the Beaches International Jazz Festival continues into the week.
If it’s a party with the hangover that you’re after, then the Toronto Festival of Beer might be more to your liking. From August 11 to 13 at the Historic Fort York, enjoy over 200 different brews and hobnob with likeminded beer aficionados. Enjoy live blues, rhythm and blues, jazz, and country bands from Toronto, Atlanta, and California, or visit one of many tents for BBQs, grilling demonstrations, and brewery displays. Sponsored by the Beer Store, the festival also offers satellite events around the city. The event isn’t cheap - $20.00 advance tickets will get you in on Friday and Sunday, $25.00 advance tickets will get you in on Saturday, with $1.00 tasting vouchers for sale on premises – but if cold beer and hot BBQ food doesn’t get you in the mood for summer, then I’ve failed.
To celebrate our city’s diversity, there are also tons of multi-cultural celebrations going on around the city. Annual events like Afrofest, Salsa on St. Clair, and the Latin American Arts Festival may have passed, but there are others that you can still catch:
The Rogers Chinese Festival at Ontario Place, July 20-October 1 Ritmo y Color: Focus Mexico at Harbourfront, July 21-23 The Mahuhay Philippines Toronto Summer Festival at the Metro Convention Centre, July 29 The Vietnamese Summer Festival at Nathan Phillips Square, July 29 Brazilfest at Centre Island, July 30 As well, concerts are rampant at this time of the year. Acts such as Ashlee Simpson, Ozzfest (which includes performances by System Of A Down, Disturbed, Hatebreed), Hilary Duff, and Anita Baker are set to arrive in our fair city by summer’s end. The best sites to peruse upcoming performances are Ticketmaster, The Hummingbird Centre, Massey Hall, The Molson Ampitheatre, and the House of Blues. You can also check out the Harbourfront Centre; they sometimes offer free outdoor concerts.
For the historian in you, there are walking tours all around Toronto. The best place to check schedules and locations is at Heritage Toronto, where you can choose from a multitude of locations that are chock full of history and culture. For the artsy fartsy, there is Drums - Live! Celebration of the Art of Drumming at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts on July 21, or the Parkdale Arts & Crafts Festival at the Parkdale Town Centre on July 22. Support student aspiring filmmakers at the First Take International Student Film Festival at 650 ½ Queen Street West, Suite 107 from July 18-23, or take a breather from running around by attending the Royal Brunches at Casa Loma on July 23. To titillate your taste buds, check out the Hot & Spicy Food Festival, which runs from August 11-13 at Harbourfront.
Summer is a great time to get out and see the sights and sounds that our city has to offer. Toronto has a lot of diverse and interesting events – and the best thing is that you don’t even have to leave the city to experience something new. ¤ C.Ho.
Michelle
Remember when you were a kid and you would make funky jewelry out of dried pasta? Necklaces and bracelets would be intricately fashioned out of fusilli and penne. Well, why not take that concept from your childhood but this time make jewelry that won’t cook in the sun?
For this month I recommend making your own jewelry.
I’ve always been fascinated by jewelry. Whenever I go shopping for clothes, I intentionally lose myself in the jewelry section. African beads, exotic baubles and shiny sliver pieces always catch my eye.
After speaking with a few people that make jewelry for a living, I considered trying it myself. It seems so fun and exciting to craft pieces that are unique to your personality (yes, I really do need to get out more!). You can use beads, precious stones, metallic pieces – it’s up to you!
For anyone interested in making jewelry, here are a few essential tools:
I love wearing bold pieces, but I never seem to find exactly what I want. So now I plan on putting my creative juices to work by making a couple of signature pieces for myself. Oh, and for my friends too! ¤ Michelle
- Round nose pliers. They have round noses or tips, and are used for creating wire loops.
- Flat nose pliers (also known as chain nose pliers). They are useful when handling jewelry and for pulling the wire tight.
- Wire cutters/flush cutters. They are used to cut the stringing wire, as well as the wire used in your wire wrapped jewelry designs.
- Lots of creativity!