10 Jul
An Asian night market, Indigenous sports tournament, French folk dancing, Indian mela, and a festival with 13 different country pavilions are among this week’s events to consider going to. Also among the choices, some thoughts about sustainable agriculture, a chance to learn about Halal food culture while imbibing, an opportunity to learn about the culture of young people, and music, lots of good free music.
Asia. Light It Up. Friday, July 14. 7pm-12am; Saturday, July 15. 2pm-12am; Sunday, July 16. 2pm-8pm. Free. “Night It Up! is an outdoor festival showcasing a mosaic of delicious Asian street foods complemented by local talents’ nightly performances, styled in the vein of night markets from Taiwan, Hong Kong and across Asia.
“Organized by Power Unit Youth Organization, Night It Up! is unique in our mission to encourage youth development while maintaining our commitment towards the community. Through donating our profits to a beneficiary, we hope to set a precedent in youth to learn, grow, and share. Markham Civic Centre, 101 Town Centre Boulevard, Markham.” http://nightitup.com
First Nations. North American Indigenous Games. July 16-23. “With more than 5000 participants, 2000 volunteers and 14 sport categories, the Toronto 2017 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) is expected to be the largest sport and cultural gathering of Indigenous Peoples from across North America. Opening at Aviva Centre, York University, 1 Shoreham Dr, North York.
France. Balfolk Social Folk Dancing. Monday nights. 7-9pm. Pay What You Can. $5 suggested. High Park Nature Centre. https://balfolktoronto.com/
India. 45th Annual Festival of India. Ratha-Yatra. July 15-16. Free. Parade with three 40 ft. tall chariots accompanied by devotees starts about 11am from Yonge and Asquith (1 block north of Bloor St.). it goes down Yonge Street to the waterfront. Festivities will probably be at Sherbourne Common -a few minutes walk east on Queens Quay beside the CORUS building. http://www.festivalofindia.ca/festivities/sherbourne-common/?ref=ci.
Ratha-Yatra, is actually a way of commemorating an age-old tradition of celebratory processions still annually held in the ancient Indian city of Puri, Orissa. http://iskcontoronto.blogspot.ca/2017/07/new-location-for-ratha-yatra-july-14-16.html
and http://iskcontoronto.blogspot
Multicultural. City Hall Live. From July 19 to August 30. Wednesdays. 12:30-1:30pm. Free. Music, fresh food at the farmer’s market and more. Nathan Phillips Square. This is one of the many free outdoor concerts in the city this summer.
Multicultural. Carabram. July 14-16. Friday 6-12 pm; Saturday 1-12 pm; Sunday 1-7 pm. $10 in advance, until July 14 at 11:59pm. $12 from July 14-16th. Children (under 12) Free. “Brampton’s Multicultural Festival encourages citizens to not only celebrate the rich cultures from which they come, but to also appreciate and learn about other cultures that contribute to the diverse makeup of our city.”
Eelam, Brampton Soccer Centre, 1495 Sandalwood Pkwy E., Brampton.
Canada, Ireland, Philippines. Century Gardens Recreation Centre, 340 Vodden St E., Brampton.
Africa, Latin America, Caribbean, China. Chris Gibson Recreation Centre, 125 McLaughlin Rd N., Brampton.
Hawaii, India, Nepal. Punjab. South Fletchers Recreation Centre, 500 Ray Lawson Blvd.
Portugal. Vasco da Gama Cultural Centre, 25 Fisherman Dr, Brampton.
Multicultural. Beyond the Headlines: Sustainable Agriculture and Food Sovereignty. Tuesday, July 11. 7- 9pm. Free. Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 520 Sherbourne Street, Toronto. http://canada.jesuits.org/events.
Multicultural. Jazz Festival. Yes, it’s still going on.
Muslim. Halal Food Festival. July 15. 10am–10pm; July 16. 10am– 8pm. Adults: $5; Seniors (65 and up); Free. Youths: $5; Children (10 and under): Free. Free Parking. The International Center, Entrance 5, 6900 Airport Road, Mississauga. Map and Directions.
The Halal Food Festival is one of my favourites because it’s about food, and about a food culture about which many Torontonians don’t know much. Besides, we can have fun learning. People are available to explain about the different Halal customs. — Ruth
Youth Culture. Unity Festival. July 13. 5-11pm. Free. Unity MC/Spoken Word Showcase At Geary Lane, 360 Geary Avenue; July 14. 5-11pm. Free. Unity Dance & Beatbox Showcase, At Underpass Park, 29 Lower River St., ; July 15. 3-11pm. Free. Unity Concert, David Pecaut Square, 55 John Street. “ …Hip-Hop is a universal community that consists of artforms that youth find relatable and accessible. “
http://unitycharity.com/2017festival/
and ACCESS.Http://unitycharity.com
Please continue to send us posters and pictures about other upcoming affordable events that express Toronto’s exemplary cultural diversity. We don’t charge to post them and we don’t accept paid advertising. We will try to post as many as we can. Tell us about your adventures in multicultural Toronto. Subscribe to our mailing list for newsletters above. Follow us on www.twitter.torontomulticul. Leave a Reply below or email us: ruthlormalloy@gmail.com. – Ruth.