6 Aug
The biennial Ashkenaz Festival takes place every two years. If you miss this one, your next opportunity is probably 2018. “Klezmer and Yiddish music and culture, global Jewish art and culture from eastern Europe, and also Sephardic, Mizrachi and Israeli culture…” August 30 to September 5. Mainly Harbourfront Centre (September 3-5) but also other venues. Its delightful parade, which anyone can join, is on Monday, September 5 from 4-5pm at Harbourfront.
I have tried to attend the Ashkenaz Festival every year, and one year spent a couple of days enjoying Jewish performers from Central Asia, India, Uganda, Russia, and Mexico. Hearing Jewish music from Uganda was especially exciting and mind-blowing. This year there will be a Japanese take on Jewish music by Tokyo’s Jinta-la-Mvta, our Featured Image courtesy of the Ashkenaz website and Harbourfront Centre.
The only problem is the popularity of this festival at Harbourfront. For consecutive free shows or workshops, you can’t always go from one directly to another unless you leave the first one at least 15 minutes before it ends. The queues for the following one can be too long. You have to plan your schedules carefully and make difficult choices. And what can you do if you want to go to two events scheduled at the same time?
For Harbourfront’s schedule: Saturday, September 3: http://bit.ly/2aAWU54; for Sunday, September 4, http://bit.ly/2aZx3SS; Monday, September 5: http://bit.ly/2b8QLIV. Most events are free but you have to buy a ticket to a few.
You can get tickets to seven shows listed on http://www.ashkenaz.ca/2016-festival/ticketed-events/. Here you are assured of a seat and they are at different venues. $15-$36.
Performance schedule: http://www.ashkenaz.ca/2016-festival/.
One page schedule: http://www.ashkenaz.ca/2016-festival/schedule/.
Image Copyright ©2016 Ruth Lor Malloy
Please let us know what you experience this year at ruthlormalloy@gmail.com. Ruth.