257. Multicultural Toronto April 26-29 Weekend.

 

Middle Eastern Musicians, Maryem Hassan Tollar & Friends. Copyright ©2012 Ruth Lor Malloy

Free Israeli, British, Roma, Bulgarian, Burmese, Buddhist, & Sikh events are on this weekend. In addition there’s International Dance Day and the documentary film festival Hot Docs with many different countries represented. For Hot Docs, check out the conditions for free or nearly-free entry in Blog 249 below.

If you don’t mind paying, there’s a fund raiser for an African school with some of my favourite Middle Eastern musicians performing. It cost $20 and includes dinner. An international dance festival is on that costs $10 per adult.

 

Sikh Breakfast at the CNE.

The biggest event is the Sikh Khalsa parade, which this year goes from the CNE to Nathan Phillips Square. 50,000 to 100,000 people are expected to attend, many of them pushing baby carriages. Sikh officials have assured me that everybody is welcome to even march with them. Here is an opportunity to ask them about the history of one of the world’s youngest religions. You can find out the reason for some of their customs; why they never cut their hair, for example, and do even women carry daggers? And the food is great.

 

Sikh Khalsa Parade.

The Roma event is a protest against changes in our immigration laws that could exclude more Romas from entering Canada. There’s something to be learned there. As for the Burmese, there’s reason to rejoice in the homeland, or is there?

And after the smashing Thai new year we experienced last week, I look forward to the Burmese.

Details of venues, dates and times are on www.torontomulticulturalcalendar.com.

Search “Khalsa” for previous Blogs.

 

 

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