505. Was Taste of Lawrence a Multicultural Festival? 2014

 Ruth writes: Should we list neighbourhood festivals as ethnic? Multicultural? What neighbourhood in Toronto is not multicultural? What festival is not multicultural?

Copyright ©2014 Ruth Lor Malloy

Copyright ©2014 Ruth Lor Malloy

Organizers advertised July’s Taste of Lawrence (Lawrence between Warden and Birchmount) as an “International Food + Cultural Festival.” I took a quick trip there shortly after it opened. It indeed had vendors offering Hokkaido cuttlefish and Japanese black sesame and green tea ice cream. I found  Hawaiian BBQ, Jamaican jerk, and Malaysian murtabak. You could buy Pumpkin Seed Oil from Styria, a state in Austria. A Filipino supermarket with steam trays full of delicious-smelling kare-kare, sinigang and adobo chicken was nearby.

Japanese Scallops & Welk. Copyright ©2014 Ruth Lor Malloy

Japanese Scallops & Welk. Copyright ©2014 Ruth Lor Malloy

The food was certainly international. As for the culture, a mixed group of performers was on stage. Vendors were selling metal mugs with China’s Cultural Revolution themes. That revolution finished in the 1970’s but the faces of cultural icon Soldier Lei Feng and happy peasants were prominent. I haven’t seen anything like that in decades. It was certainly “cultural.”

Copyright ©2014 Ruth Lor Malloy

Copyright ©2014 Ruth Lor Malloy

Taste of Lawrence was a small but interesting street festival.  All Toronto’s festivals seem to be full of surprises. This one is small but worth a longer visit next year — if you live nearby. The kids will love the bouncy castles. We’ll mention it. It is indeed multicultural. www.NorthYorkFestival.com

Copyright ©2014 Ruth Lor Malloy

Copyright ©2014 Ruth Lor Malloy

 

 

2 Comments;

  1. Hi Ruth,

    I volunteered at the taste of Danforth last weekend and finding it should be multicultural as well. There was Italian, Chinese, filopino tea place and the normal greek community also middleeastern foods also served there too.

    Taste of Lawrence displays multicultural foods, Art and various souveniurs for public. Small can be more exhibitors for another successful year.

    cheers Grace Mark
    Goodwill Ambassador of Special Cultural Events Toronto city hall

  2. Hi Ruth,

    I volunteered for taste of Danforth last weekend finding it should be named multicultural as well. There was Chinese dim sum, Japanese and Korean blends of foods, Filopino tea place, Italian Restuarants and the normal Greek community and foods.

    Since the taste of Lawrence is small to start with perhaps the public can share their opinion of enlarging the event for another success year with more educational and fun activities.

    Cheers!

    Grace Mark
    volunteer ambassador of Special Cultural Events for Toronto city hall

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