Category Archives: Toronto festivals

365 Things to Do in Toronto, Little Italy, Toronto, Toronto events, Toronto festivals, Toronto food

168. Taste of Little Italy

June 17, 2011 Heikki Walden

June 17, 2011

One of the most delicious events of the year, the 12th Annual Taste of Little Italy gets started today! Continuing until Sunday, June 19th, this much-anticipated event takes place on College Street between Bathurst and Shaw. Catch musical performances, enjoy the wares of crafters/artisans, and of course, don’t miss your opportunity to taste the well-loved food of the Little Italy neighbourhood! Participating restaurants include Teatro, I Feel Like Crepe, La Forchetta Ristorante, Urban Thai, Golden Wheat Bakery and Pasta, LOL and many more!

For more information on Taste of Little Italy, go to www.tasteoflittleitaly.ca.

365 Things to Do in Toronto, Toronto, Toronto events, Toronto festivals, Toronto music

164. NXNE – North By Northeast

June 13, 2011 Heikki Walden

June 13, 2011

Starting today and continuing until June 19th, this year’s NXNE (North By Northeast) Festival and Conference promises to present the best Canadian and indie talent around. With 650 bands, 40 films, and 50 panels, NXNE 2011 is bigger and better than ever! With alumni such as Broken Social Scene, Feist, Black Rebel Motorcyle Club, Sufjan Stevents, K-os, Ron Sexsmith, Billy Talent, Blue Rodeo, Great Lake Swimmers, Hidden Cameras, K’naan, Kathleen Edwards and many more, you never know what “next big” artist/band you’ll be witnessing before they’re catapulted into fame!

There are all kinds of passes and wristbands to purchase to make sure you get the most out of NXNE; a Priority Pass goes for $200 online, giving you priority access to all NXNE club shows, film screenings and afternoon interactive sessions. You can purchase a 5-day or 1-day wristband, a Film Festival wristband, an Interactive pass (for the 3-day interactive conference from June 16th-18th), attend Workshops, or get the “Mundo Combo” which includes a Priority Pass, Interactive Pass, and all Workshops for the full NXNE experience! Of course, you can also buy tickets for specific shows.

For more information, a full schedule of performances, and the opportunity to buy wristbands and passes online, go to http://nxne.com!

365 Things to Do in Toronto, Toronto, Toronto events, Toronto festivals, Toronto film, Toronto music, Toronto theatre

161. Luminato

June 10, 2011 Heikki Walden

June 10, 2011

A multi-disciplinary celebration of the arts, Luminato fills Toronto’s streets, stages, and public spaces with creativity. Throughout the ten day festival, you can catch theatre and dance performances, witness stunning visual art and film, or enjoy fashion and magic as you’ve never seen them before. Luminato embraces artists from across the world, encouraging collaboration as creative expressions emerge from the partnership of artists from different mediums and different cultures.

Luminato includes free and ticketed performances, making it accessible no matter what your summer festival budget! Today’s free events include “The Luminato Reel” – a screening of short and feature-length films; “Sargasso” – an installation by a a visionary architect answering the question “could architecture come alive?” in the Allen Lambert Galleria; “Habit” – a collaboration of live theatre, reality TV and visual arts; “My Name is Raj” – a celebration of Indian film pioneer Raj Kapoor ; “Garden of Roses: Denis Gagnon Interprets Alice” – a line of fashion inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and much more! The fun is just getting started today – the festival continues until June 19th!

For more information, and a full listing of events throughout the whole festival, go to www.luminato.com!

365 Things to Do in Toronto, The Beach, Toronto, Toronto events, Toronto festivals, Toronto music

154. Waterfront Blues 2011

June 3, 2011 Heikki Walden

June 3, 2011

Sit back and enjoy Toronto’s “only genuine Blues festival” as the 7th Annual Waterfront Blues kicks off tonight at 6pm! This free event takes place at Woodbine Park in the popular Beach neighbourhood. You’ll experience top Blues performances from the likes of Larry McCray, Teeny Tucker, Juno Award winners Gary Kendall & Chuck Jackson, great food (including award winning BBQ) a children’s amusement area, and much more!

For more information and a schedule of performances, go to the Waterfront Blues Festival website.

365 Things to Do in Toronto, Toronto, Toronto events, Toronto festivals, Toronto film

151. CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival

May 31, 2011 Heikki Walden

May 31, 2011

Presented by TELUS, the CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival celebrates the creativity and quality of short films. Featuring shorts from more than 80 countries, 250 shorts are highlighted over the five days of the festival, which is accredited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Winners of the Best Animated Short and the Best Live-Action Short are eligible for the Academy Awards, and Canadian award winners are eligible for the Genie Awards. The Festival also includes the Short Films BIG IDEAS Symposium, which includes seminars, panels and workshops.

For more information on the CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival and for a full schedule of short films screenings, go to www.worldwideshortfilmsfest.com/.

365 Things to Do in Toronto, Harbourfront, Toronto, Toronto events, Toronto festivals

143. Toronto International Circus Festival

May 23, 2011 Heikki Walden

May 23, 2011

Ever thought about running away to join the circus? The 9th annual Toronto International Circus Festival will give you a taste of life “under the big top!” You’ll witness amazing acrobatics, daredevil stunts, daring unicyclists, fearless fire eaters, creative balloon sculptors, hilarious clowns, and much more, all at the Harbourfront Centre! Your kids can even learn how to juggle, cartwheel, hang upside down, or hula hoop in circus workshops!

The Toronto International Circus Festival brings the Zero Gravity Circus to Harbourfront Centre in their fourth year of partnership. You can check out the Canadian National Youth Circus , the Vague de Cirque and “46 Circus acts in 45 Minutes” at the WestJet Main Stage; puppets, magic shows and more at the Redpath Variety Stage; marionettes from Montreal’s Panadream Theatre at the Studio Theatre; and much more as acrobats, fire eaters and other circus performers roam the Harbourfront Centre!

This is your last day to enjoy the circus festivities – check it out from 11am until 5pm, rain or shine! For more information on the Festival, go to www.tocircusfestival.com.

365 Things to Do in Toronto, Green, Toronto, Toronto events, Toronto festivals

142. Kids World of Energy Festival

May 22, 2011 Heikki Walden

May 22, 2011

Today is the last day of the Kids World of Energy Festival, organized in partnership between TREC Renewable Energy Co-operative and Evergreen Brick Works. The weekend’s festivities include interactive, family-oriented activities focusing on the themes of Climate Change, Renewable Energy, and the Science of Energy. Not only will you be able to check out Evergreen Brickworks (a must-see in our city!), you’ll find out how you and your family can work to contribute to a sustainable future.

The Kids World of Energy Festival operates from 10am until 4pm today; take public transit to start conserving energy now! A free shuttle bus departs from Broadview subway station every 15 minutes, straight to Evergreen Brickworks! For more information on the Festival, go to http://www.trec.on.ca/Festival.aspx; for more information on Evergreen Brickworks, check out http://ebw.evergreen.ca.

365 Things to Do in Toronto, Toronto, Toronto events, Toronto festivals, Toronto film

139. Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film and Video Festival

May 19, 2011 Heikki Walden

May 19, 2011

Celebrating years of challenging attitudes and changing lives, the Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film and Video Festival exists to support the promotion, production and screening of films made about and by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) individuals. The Festival takes place over 11 days, and includes screenings, panel discussions, artist talks, installations and parties that showcase over 250 Canadian and international film and video submissions.

For more details on the 2011 Festival (which starts today!), including venues, film schedule, and more, check out www.insideout.ca.

365 Things to Do in Toronto, Toronto, Toronto events, Toronto festivals, Toronto film

127. Toronto Jewish Film Festival

May 7, 2011 Heikki Walden

May 7, 2011

Featuring films from leading Jewish film-artists, the Toronto Jewish Film Festival (TJFF) gets its start today and continues until May 15th. With over 100 films representing 21 countries, you’ll be able to view screenings in several venues across Toronto, including the Bloor Cinema, the TIFF Bell Lightbox, the Cineplex Odeon Sheppard Centre Cinemas, the SilverCity Richmond Hill Cinemas, and the Cineplex Odeon Canada Square.

Tonight’s screenings include Looking for Lenny, a documentary based on Lenny Bruce, playing at the Underground Theatre, presented with Thank You Mask Man. The films begin at 9:15pm.

For a full TJFF schedule, check out www.tjff.com. Purchase tickets online, in person at the box office, or by phone.

365 Things to Do in Toronto, Toronto, Toronto events, Toronto festivals

125. Deep Wireless Festival of Radio Art

May 5, 2011 Heikki Walden

May 5, 2011

Presented by the New Adventures in Sound Art at the Artscape Wychwood Barns, this year the Deep Wireless Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary! A month-long celebration of everything that is radio, the festival features performances, installations, and radio broadcasts from the Radio Without Boundaries Conference and CBC Radio’s Living Out Loud.

The month-long festival continues until May 31st; for more information on all the events included in the Deep Wireless Festival of Radio Art, visit www.naisa.ca/deepwireless/.