It’s been a busy week and it’s time for a little break. There are many interesting things to do around the city this weekend, but I’m not gonna lie, there is also a lot of beer around this weekend…because beer goes with anything, non? So here are my TOP5 for this Toronto weekend. See you out there!
Beer Fest - Canada’s premier beer festival is back to celebrate Canada’s favourite beverage – beer! A summer tradition in downtown Toronto at Bandshell Park, located at Exhibition Place. Around 30,000 people sip, sample and socialize at this four-day celebration of suds known as Toronto’s Festival of Beer. So if you should be so inclined to hang out with drunk and sloppies, that’s where you want to be. There is a full schedule of musical performances happening throughout the weekend including Big Sugar and Willi Williams. More than 100 brands of beer will be featured on-site, complete with real southern BBQ, grilling demonstrations by TV personalities and of course, beer! If you haven’t purchased tickets yet, you’re not entirely out of luck–while Friday and Saturday are sold out, Sunday still has the cheapest tickets available.
Toronto Animation Arts Festival - If you’re a fan of animation this is the event of the summer. Over 100 shorts and five feature-length animated films are screening at TIFF Bell Lightbox and Corus Quay, trade experts are leading discussions on the state of the industry and workshops and master classes on the art of animation are offered for everyone from beginners to seasoned vets this weekend. For tickets and schedule check out the website.
Lab Cab - The Parkdale community will find art in all the strange places this weekend with this free festival taking place across the far west end of Queen West. Music, dance, theatre, film, poetry, kids stuff, clowns, visual art and comedy will be performed in any type of venue that Parkdale can offer – restaurants, hair salons, clothing stores, cafes, bars, flower shops, parks, antique stores, community centres, laundromats (seriously) and parking lots to name a few. Not sure where to start? Check out the full schedule at the event website or just wander around Parkdale for the day. You’re bound to stumble upon something interesting.
Latte Art Smackdown – If you take pleasure in a well made cup of coffee and find the pretty frothy shapes on your latte delightful, you’ll enjoy this event, especially since it’s hosted by Lit Espresso Bar, one of the best coffee bars around. This Saturday event combines the use of lattes and liquor to create a fun competition for people to engage in or watch. Every round consists of two participants, each given a shot of Canadian whiskey before they pour coffee and make a pattern on it. The winner receives the title Lord of Lattes, a golden jug and the cash collected from the participation fee of all competitors. Draft beer priced at $4 is available while watching the competition unwind. Some funds raised will go to the Coffee Kids charity.
Live Green Toronto Festival - Live a greener life down at this annual festival which overtakes Yonge-Dundas Square and the stretch of the strip from Dundas to Queen. Featuring dozens upon dozens of vendors, products, and services all dedicated towards helping you decrease your carbon footprint, as well as performances from the likes of Shawn Desman and Kardinal Offishall, it seems that living green is living the good life.
