838. Affordable Events August 24-29+ in Multicultural Toronto – 2018.

Look here for a chance to experience ancient Japanese Noh theatre arts and recent Taiko drumming. A call for map lovers to help Doctors without Borders. Angola-Brazilian, Afro-Caribbean, Pan American, Filipino, Tamil and Central Asian festivals. Rohingya Crimes Against Humanity Events.

The following is information about all these free or almostfree events that you can join.  What other city has such opportunities to enjoy and learn from the cultures of the world? The hard part is choosing. Some of these websites have videos of the performers. Take a look at them.

Afro-Caribbean. Afro-Carib Fest. August 25, 12pm to August 26, 9pm. Free. Albert Campbell Square, 150 Borough Drive, Scarborough. http://scarboroughafrocaribfest.com/

Angola. Brazil. Angofest 4-Angolan Street Festival. August 25. 12-8pm. Free entrance. Luanda House, 974 Bloor Street West. Kizomba parade & dancing on the streets. https://www.facebook.com/events/197604304202399/

Central Asia. Kazakh, Afghan, Persian and Tajik Heritages. Pomegranate Garden: An Evening of Central Asian Dance and Music. Featuring Akmaral Kainazarova and Ensemble Topaz. Thursday, August 30. 7pm. (Doors open 6:30 pm). $20 ($25 at door). Auditorium, Noor Cultural Centre, 123 Wynford Drive. https://noorculturalcentre.ca/?p=17414.

Image of Ensemble Topaz from Noor Cultural Centre website.

Cuba. 23rd Annual Toronto-Cuba Friendship Day. Celebration of Cuban Culture. August 25. 2:30-5:30pm. Free. Everyone welcome. City Hall Rotunda (inside, 1st Floor), 100 Queen Street West. Featuring prize-winning singer Tulaysi Miranda Ferrer. Official Cuban flag raising. For more information, contact ccfatoronto@sympatico.ca; http://ccfatoronto.ca/component/jcalpro/view/483/55

Image of Tulaysi Miranda-Ferrer from event flyer.

Japan. 90th Anniversary of Japan-Canada Diplomatic Relations and Celebrating this special milestone together. August 25. 12pm–10pm; August 26. 11am–7pm. Free. Cooking contests. Performers. Participatory dances. Mississauga Celebration Square, 300 City Centre Drive, Mississauga. Pet-friendly event. Eitetsu Hayashi: Japanese TAIKO Drum Concert Tour with Eitetsu FU-UN no KAI will perform on August 25 at 1pm. He is Japan’s ultimate taiko soloist: https://japanfestivalcanada.com/guests-artists/eitetsu-hayashi/. For information about the celebration: https://japanfestivalcanada.com/.

Japan. Dentō Geinō Traditional Performing Arts Screening Series 2018. August 24, and 29. Sept. 4, 21, 27. Free. All screenings start at 6:30pm. The Japan Foundation, 2 Bloor Street East, Suite 300. 3rd floor of Hudson’s Bay Centre, above Royal Bank. Reservation required: www.jftor.org/event/dento-geino/. “From the collection in the archive of The Japan Foundation,  twelve short cultural documentary films will be screened in conjunction with Noh Masks Onstage: An Exhibition of Photographs by Yoshiaki Kanda. Reservation for screenings required: http://jftor.org/event/dento-geino/2018-08-24

Image from The Japan Foundation.

Korea. Korean Harvest Festival. August 24-26. Friday, August 24. 5-10pm; Saturday, August 25. 12-10pm. Sunday, August 26. 12-10pm. Free entry. Mel Lastman Square. Includes ramen eating and kim chi tasting contests. https://www.torontokhf.com/

Multicultural. Missing Maps. Doctors without Borders – map project. August 24. 5:30-7:30pm. Free. Pizza provided. Love Child Social House, 69 Bathurst Street. “ Volunteer mappers (that’s you!) trace maps over satellite imagery using a tool called OpenStreetMap. It’s not difficult! Once an area is completed, maps are validated by experienced remote mappers. Finally, local community volunteers validate the maps on the ground and add local details such as neighbourhoods, street names and evacuation centres. Humanitarian organizations like MSF can then use the mapped information in their day to day activities.” https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/missing-maps-to-august-mapathon-tickets-48914750335

Multicultural. TD Presents: Scarborough (Toronto) Community Multicultural Festival. August 24-26. 10am-10pm. Free. Masaryktown Park, 450 Scarborough Golf Club Road, Scarborough. Food, culture and diversity. Music of countries from around the world. For more info: 647-343-0821/ 647-570-8967. Website: www.scarboroughcommunityfestival.ca. Rain Date: September 21-23. 10am–10pm.

Myanmar. Burma. Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day. August 25. 2-5pm. Free. Queen’s Park, 111 Wellesley Street West. “Wear red.” https://www.burmataskforce.org/news/rohingya-genocide-remembrance-day

Myanmar. Burma. Lecture: Justice for the Rohingya By Prof. Payam Akhavan. Wednesday, August 29. 7pm. Free. Auditorium, Noor Cultural Centre, 123 Wynford Drive. Prof. Akhavan is Professor of International Law at McGill University and a Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration… He was formerly a UN prosecutor at The Hague in the trial of Yugoslav leaders for ethnic cleansing, and also appeared as counsel in leading cases before the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, and the European Court of Human Rights.

Event Co-Sponsors: Human Rights & Research Education Centre, University of Ottawa; International Commission of Jurists Canada; Canadian Centre for International Justice; McGill Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism; International Human Rights Program, University of Toronto. 

Pan America. Pan American Food and Music Festival. August 25-26. 11am-11pm. Free. Yonge Dundas Square. “The Pan American Food & Music Festival (PAFMF) is Canada’s only annual festival that celebrates the Western Hemisphere’s rich diversity of cuisine, music and art. 

This event that brings together Canada and the 40 other countries of North, Central and South America and the Caribbean is presented annually in Toronto to reinforce the city’s cultural diversity.” Website: http://panamfest.com/

http://ydsquare.ca/events-schedule/event/1435-pan-american-food-music-festival.html

Philippines. PIDCs Mabuhay Philippines Festival. August 25-26. Free. Nathan Phillips Square. Fashion show. Grand parade. Performers including concert king Martin Nievera. Vendors. Www.pidctoronto.com

Tamil Eelam. Sri Lanka. Tamil Fest. August 25, 12pm to August 26, 9pm. Free. 2900 Markham Road (between McNicoll Avenue & Passmore Avenue). Entertainment, traditional Tamil cuisine and street performers, exhibits, midway rides, etc. “Tamil Fest 2018 is the largest Tamil street festival of its kind outside of the Indian subcontinent. Last year crowds exceeded 200,000 people including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over two days… in its third year as the largest event in east Toronto’s history.” https://www.facebook.com/events/602558466777098/

Note from Ruth: TorontoMulticulturalCalendar.com chooses to promote events that encourage a feeling of community in our culturally diverse city. Mention doesn’t mean endorsement but we try to include events we think readers will find stimulating in the cultures of other groups. If you go to any of our mentioned events, please send us corrections or an account of your impressions so we will know whether or not to promote these events in future. Please continue to send us posters. We don’t charge to post them and we don’t accept paid advertising. Post comments on “Leave a Reply” below. Email us at: ruthlormalloy@gmail.com. Subscribe to our Newsletter above.

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