Toronto Events & Festivals

[Mollywood]

Is there a genreal thread for Toronto events and festivals? If there is, I couldn't find it, so I started one here. I went to the Toronto Slutwalk last weekend and I didn't want to make a thread for just that one event, so I made this a genreal thread for all Toronto events.

I loved the Slutwalk (no surprise there lol) and of course, made a few videos. I see Toronto as a quirky, edgy, fun city with more than it's fair share of eccentrics. I celebrate them, every chance I get.

The world's First Slutwalk. Only in Toronto. YEAH!
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Gotta love those sluts.
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[monkeyronin]

Wasn't the Slutwalk a protest rather than a festival?

[Travis007]

*EDIT

[Mollywood]

Originally Posted by monkeyronin

Wasn't the Slutwalk a protest rather than a festival?

Yeah, it was more of a protest but also a celebration of shameless sluts.

[allurban]

Originally Posted by Mollywood

Yeah, it was more of a protest but also a celebration of shameless sluts.

interesting to see how the ads scattered around the forum pages look a bit different on reading this particular thread.

The people in the videos are regular people with a simple message - drop the labels & lose the arrogance & hate.

Cheers, m

[Taller, Better]

Slut walk? How did I miss this!!??! What on earth are they protesting?

[allurban]

Originally Posted by Taller, Better

Slut walk? How did I miss this!!??! What on earth are they protesting?

generally, society labeling women as 'sluts' and making unfair, biased and stereotypical presumptions about women's sexual behaviour based on their appearance.

Specifically, a police community officer who apparently told a group of Ryerson students at a safety meeting that they could avoid rape if they stopped "dressing like sluts'

Cheers, m

[Taller, Better]

Ah!!! ok, thanks. I thought it was a group of people proud to be sluts!

[Tuscani01]

Originally Posted by allurban

generally, society labeling women as 'sluts' and making unfair, biased and stereotypical presumptions about women's sexual behaviour based on their appearance.

Specifically, a police community officer who apparently told a group of Ryerson students at a safety meeting that they could avoid rape if they stopped "dressing like sluts'

Cheers, m

York Students*

[Mollywood]

Originally Posted by Taller, Better

Ah!!! ok, thanks. I thought it was a group of people proud to be sluts!

Well that's why I was there.

But it did start off as a responce to a police officer's comments at a York info session. He advised the ladies not to dress like sluts to avoid getting raped.

Watch the videos to get a better understanding of what it was all about.

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[BrandonK]

Starting tomorrow is the Reel World Film Festival, dedicated to showcasing multicultural filmmakers and artists. From April 6-10.

http://www.reelworld.ca/

[allurban]

Originally Posted by Tuscani01

York Students*

oops...wonder why I thought Ryerson.

~m!

[Taller, Better]

Welcome to the group, BrandonK!

[allurban]

I'm wondering if there would be interest in a Toronto "Personalities" Festival that would celebrate all the interesting (and quirky) people who make Toronto a great place to live.

I'm not talking so much about celebrities - the people you see on tv, on the news, the politicians & business leaders (although some of them would be legitimate as personalities) ... I'm talking more about celebrating 'regular' people who were always present and became a part of Toronto ... like Ben Kerr ... as well as more well-known people like Johnny Lombardi, Mel Lastman (for Bad Boy, not the politics), Gerritt De Boer (his beard is a separate personality), 'Officer Bubbles', Enza Anderson, etc.

Thoughts?

Cheers, m

[Mollywood]

Originally Posted by allurban

I'm wondering if there would be interest in a Toronto "Personalities" Festival that would celebrate all the interesting (and quirky) people who make Toronto a great place to live.

I'm not talking so much about celebrities - the people you see on tv, on the news, the politicians & business leaders (although some of them would be legitimate as personalities) ... I'm talking more about celebrating 'regular' people who were always present and became a part of Toronto ... like Ben Kerr ... as well as more well-known people like Johnny Lombardi, Mel Lastman (for Bad Boy, not the politics), Gerritt De Boer (his beard is a separate personality), 'Officer Bubbles', Enza Anderson, etc.

Thoughts?

Cheers, m

I'd go to see that. I love Toronto eccentrics! Is it just me or does Toronto have more eccentricks & non-conformists than most other cities? I've spent a lot of time in NYC and I am always surprised at how "normal" everyone seems. I never see the really crazy people in NYC. London also seems to have quite a few colourful people. God, the stories I could tell about my wild times in London. lol OY!

[Taller, Better]

I was walking on Yonge the other day and as I rounded a corner, a man was obviously telling his friends about the "JEEEZUSSSS" man who stands quietly then hollers in your ear at the top of his lungs!! I jumped when I heard him and had to laugh because I knew exactly what he was telling them about!
When I was new in Toronto the Queen Of Sweden used to walk up and down Yonge on her huge platform shoes. I can't believe it but there are no pics of her on the internet. Also, you never seen Zanta anymore.

[Travis007]

http://www.blogto.com/city/2011/04/f...ark_after_all/

Freedom Festival to take place at Queen's Park after all
Posted by Derek Flack / APRIL 7, 2011



Bust out the bongs, the Toronto Freedom Festival will return to Queen's Park for at least one more year. After initially being denied a permit due to concerns over the festival's size and the damage it caused to the park, a press release issued yesterday confirmed that, after multiple consultations with the city, a permit has been granted for Queen's Park North on May 7th.
Although the release doesn't provide an explanation for the City's change of heart — saying only that "a plan has been developed to keep the Festival at the park for another year" — it's likely that scheduled renovations to the park in 2012 played a role. Xtra! reported on March 22nd that Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam helped to arrange a compromise in light of next year's maintenance, but that still required both the Freedom Festival and Afrofest (which was also denied a permit) to submit revised plans to the Parks Department that promised a reduction in the respective impact of each event.

While there's still no word on the fate of Afrofest, by reducing the number of stages and vendors to be used, Freedom Fest organizers were ultimately able to appease Parks officials. "We are excited to have reached a safe and reasonable compromise, and we remain committed to once again producing a unique and exciting festival," said co-founder Gabe Simms.

Despite the stay of execution, the festival will be on the hunt for a new venue next year, a task which could prove challenging. With attendance reaching 30,000+ people, there are few parks to accommodate the event, especially downtown.

The Toronto Freedom Festival runs from 12pm to 8pm, Saturday May 7th. For those who feel like getting high and walking around the city (always fun), the 13th Global Marijuana March will depart from Queen's Park at 2pm.

[Mollywood]

Originally Posted by Travis007

http://www.blogto.com/city/2011/04/f...ark_after_all/

Freedom Festival to take place at Queen's Park after all
Posted by Derek Flack / APRIL 7, 2011



Bust out the bongs, the Toronto Freedom Festival will return to Queen's Park for at least one more year. After initially being denied a permit due to concerns over the festival's size and the damage it caused to the park, a press release issued yesterday confirmed that, after multiple consultations with the city, a permit has been granted for Queen's Park North on May 7th.
Although the release doesn't provide an explanation for the City's change of heart — saying only that "a plan has been developed to keep the Festival at the park for another year" — it's likely that scheduled renovations to the park in 2012 played a role. Xtra! reported on March 22nd that Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam helped to arrange a compromise in light of next year's maintenance, but that still required both the Freedom Festival and Afrofest (which was also denied a permit) to submit revised plans to the Parks Department that promised a reduction in the respective impact of each event.

While there's still no word on the fate of Afrofest, by reducing the number of stages and vendors to be used, Freedom Fest organizers were ultimately able to appease Parks officials. "We are excited to have reached a safe and reasonable compromise, and we remain committed to once again producing a unique and exciting festival," said co-founder Gabe Simms.

Despite the stay of execution, the festival will be on the hunt for a new venue next year, a task which could prove challenging. With attendance reaching 30,000+ people, there are few parks to accommodate the event, especially downtown.

The Toronto Freedom Festival runs from 12pm to 8pm, Saturday May 7th. For those who feel like getting high and walking around the city (always fun), the 13th Global Marijuana March will depart from Queen's Park at 2pm.

That's great news.

[Taller, Better]

Ford, the #(#$@&& wants to cancel funding for Pride, a festival that brings in countless millions to the city every year. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[current]

National Post article "Spirit of One Love rages at city council":

Jamaica celebrates 50 years of independence in 2012, and the J50 organizers plan a big party in Toronto

....Even the lunch break did not give councillors the chance to slink back into their thick shells. Quite the contrary: they poured into Committee Room One, where sweet reggae music filled the air rather than the drone of officialdom. Staff had removed the rows of chairs to replace them with tall bar tables, and bartenders mixing in martini glasses a drink they call “One Love”: guava nectar, rum, lemon, ice and syrup infused with ginger and allspice.

It turns out Jamaica celebrates 50 years of independence in 2012, and the J50 organizers plan a big party in Toronto, home to about 300,000 people of Jamaican descent, for next year.

Mayor Ford and Councillor Michael Thompson (Scarborough Centre) clinked glasses, and the Mayor, grinning widely, accepted a coffee-table book of colour photographs of Jamaica, which he vowed to display “right when you walk into my office.”

“Toronto has stretched out its arms to embrace us,” Conservative Senator Don Meredith, who hails from Jamaica, told the assembled.

It was that kind of a day. Everyone wolfed down mini-beef patties, fish cakes, skewered chicken, strawberries, pineapple, melons and coconut milk.

“No place on Earth shines like it,” a tourism brochure for Jamaica boasted, but even City Hall was a warm, welcoming place on Tuesday.

National Post
Peter Kuitenbrouwer Apr 12, 2011 – 6:20 PM ET | Last Updated: Apr 12, 2011 6:25 PM ET
pkuitenbrouwer@nationalpost.com

Read More: http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/04...ker-love-fest/