284. July 6-8 Toronto Multicultural Weekend

 

This coming weekend too, there will be lots of opportunity to experience multicultural Toronto’s free or nearly-free events. On Friday, the Taste of Lawrence festival starts in Scarborough. It’s free, and the performers will be Brazilian, Armenian, Tamil, Arabic, etc. Food & midway rides for sale. Expect about 125,000 people.

Expressions of Brazil will be at Harbourfront Centre, with free Brazilian films, visual arts, photo exhibit and live music.

On Saturday, the National Bank Salsa will be on St. Clair Ave. W. (between Winona Dr. & Christie). It’s billed as a free family street party with live music, dance lessons, fiery foods and family entertainment.

The Corso Italia Family Festa & Sidewalk Sale will be on St. Clair Ave. W. between Lansdowne and Westmount (near Dufferin). Child-friendly activities. It sounds more like a business promo than a festival.

The highly recommended TD Festival of South Asia will be on Gerrard St. E. between Greenwood & Coxwell Ave. It will have dancing, talent shows, and “authentic …Indian, Afghani, Pakistani, Bengali and Sri Lankan” cultural programs. 20 different restaurants will serve dishes from one to six dollars.

Afrofest with music and drumming will be at Woodbine Park this year and is also highly recommended. It’s at Coxwell Ave. and Lake Shore Blvd.

Expressions of Brazil will continue at Harbourfront Centre for those who want to samba and be less crowded. It has free Brazilian films, visual arts, soccer, sports, capoeira, and music until 2:00 next morning.

On Sunday, the Nile Club is having its annual picnic in Oakville. It is open to everyone, not just members. There’s no charge if you have a reservation number; otherwise, it is $5 per person. There’s a playground & swimming pool, volleyball, soccer, & face painting. Halal lunch. Bring lawn chairs.

The Taste of Lawrence, National Bank Salsa on St. Clair, and the Festival of South Asia continue for another day. So do the Expressions of Brazil and Afrofest.

The Irish Community Picnic will be on Centre Island where you can swim and compete in picnic games. Bring your own food and charcoal. BBQs available.

Please check our web-site: www.torontomulticulturalcalendar.com for details, and in some cases, performance schedules, bios and updates. Click on “Upcoming” for a printable version. And don’t forget to send us your impression of the performances and whether or not you meet some interesting people. An example of such a report is on: http://bit.ly/LGmQa2 . Our e-mail is: ruthlormalloy@gmail.com. Please let us know if we’ve overlooked any important festivals.