1 Aug
Here are a few happenings this week that could make you think you’re in Indian food heaven, musical Ireland, or the Caribbean with its glorious uninhibited parade culture. I’m going to try to get to Indonesia myself. It’s the world’s fourth most populous nation and you can get a feel of it in Toronto. I hope you read my earlier blog about rijsttafel.
During this period you can choose to hear a talk on UNESCO World Heritage sites, or drive to the Middle East as it was in safer times. There will be opportunities that will make you laugh or force you to think about religion in a different way. You will be able to hear the personal stories of real newcomers to Toronto and then enjoy a live Shakespearean performance. Or you could think about the world on Hiroshima Day.
This is Multicultural Toronto in summer. Experience it now before we have to retreat indoors from the cold in a few months.
Christian. Multicultural. Voices of Victory. Saturday, August 5. 12-10pm. Free. “A one-day event where Christians from all walks of life, ethnicity and denominations come together to celebrate the love of Christ as one in the centre of the City. Come and enjoy food, music, worship and different art forms at Yonge-Dundas Square”: https://ydsquare.ca/events-schedule/events-listing/event/1392-voices-of-the-nations.html
India. Taste of India. August 5. 12–10pm. Free. Food for sale, competitions, demos, shopping and performances. Nathan Phillips Square. http://www.toronto.com/events/taste-of-india-food-festival/
Ireland. Irish Traditional Music on Uilleann Pipes, Fiddle and Flute. House Concert with Alison Perkins and Nicolas Brown at the Hallam Street Concert Hall, Bloor and Ossington area. Friday August 4. Doors Open at 7:30pm, concert starts at 8. $20. Seating is limited so please contact email (pejella@gmail.com) or phone 416-537-8038 to reserve your space and get address. https://www.pipesandfiddle.com/.
Thanks to Maureen O’Leavy for this information. For more Irish events, contact moleary2001@rogers.com .
photo by Caroline Shanks. Courtesy of https://www.pipesandfiddle.com/
Caribbeen. Caribbean Carnival Parade. August 5. 8:30am-6pm. Free on a 3.5-kilometer stretch of Lakeshore Boulevard. Highly recommended if you like Caribbean music, dancing, and lavish costumes. If you want to see the whole parade and don’t want to stand, it is worth splurging on a bleacher seat at 15 Saskatchewan Road, Exhibition Place for Adults ($20 each), Seniors 65+ ($10), and Children 12 & Under ($10). It’s considerably more if you want sheltered VIP seating. The parade is long with many delays and crowds of a couple million people: https://www.caribanatoronto.com/event/caribanaparade. For tickets: https://carnival.to/?product=grande_parade_2017
Image Copyright ©2016 Ruth Lor Malloy
Caribbean. Island Soul. August 4-7. Free. This is for those who don’t want the Caribbean Carnival vibes to stop. Represented are Bahamas, Jamaica, Creole – reggae, calypso, and steel bands. Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay W. http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com/festivals/islandsoul/
Image of a crown prince of Calypso, David Rudder courtesy of Harbourfront Centre. Maria Nunes Photography 2013.
Creole. FKZO Festival Concert. Sunday, August 6. 2-10pm. Free. “For the year 2017, FKZO is celebrating the 150th anniversary of Canada, by presenting a new concept “Saveurs d’ici et d’ailleurs” from August 3th-6th. “ David Peacaut Square, 221 King Street West. www.FKZO.ca/about
Indonesia. Indonesian Street Festival. First ever in Toronto. August 6. 11am-6pm. Free entry. Yonge-Dundas Square. https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/indonesian-street-festival-registration-29628733339
Japan. Multicultural. Hiroshima Day. August 6. 4:30pm (Community and Crafts Tables), 6:30pm (Commemoration Ceremony), and 8:30pm (Candlelight Ceremony). Toronto Peace Garden and Nathan Phillips Square. 
Japan. Multicultural. Have you been to the World Heritage sites of UNESCO? August 3. 6:30-8pm. Free but please register. Talk on World Heritage by H.E. Kenjiro Monji, Ambassador of Japan to Canada and Former Permanent Delegate of Japan to UNESCO, Paris, 2013-2015. http://jftor.org/event/world-heritage-in-japan-special-events-ambassador-of-japan-to-canada/#details .
Pictures of Japanese World Heritage sites courtesy of Japan Foundation.
Multicultural. Art & Music Ontario Festival. August 4: 3pm – 11pm; August 5: 10am – 11:30pm; August 6: 10am – 11pm; August 7: 10am – 8pm. Free. Entertainment, food and drink. This ”Arts & Music festival will explore all forms of artistic expression with a focus on Ontario and newcomer artists.” Ontario Place, West Island, 955 Lake Shore Blvd W. www.ontarioplace.com. http://ontarioplace.com/en/events/ontario150-festivals/art-music-ontario-festival/
https://news.ontario.ca/mtc/en/2017/05/celebrating-ontarios-150th-anniversary-at-ontario-place.html
Multicultural. Territorial Tales. Various dates August 3rd to September 2nd (prior to performances of King Lear or Twelfth Night). High Park Amphitheatre. For example, Friday, August 4. 7:30pm. Entry included with entrance to Shakespeare in High Park. (Pay What You Can). “Young storytellers (ages 14-21) share their experiences of displacement, migration and settlement.
“With experiences spanning across the globe, three diverse young writers from the GTA will be given the opportunity to turn their personal stories into short theatrical works under the mentorship of Canadian Stage and three emerging theatre creators”: https://canadianstage.com/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=territorial-tales .
Image courtesy of Canadian Stage.
Multicultural. JAMBANA™ One World Festival. Aug 6-7. Times vary. “…performances by internationally acclaimed bands, artists and JUNO Award winners… Feel rhythms of Reggae, World Beat, Salsa, Asian/South Asian flavours, Soca, R&B, Jazz and Gospel, Dance and Comedy. Experience the sights, sounds, taste and global diversity through JAMBANA™ One World Villages.” Markham Fair Grounds, 10801 McCowan Road, Markham. http://jambana.com/
Muslim. MuslimFest 2017. August 4. 6-10pm. August 5. 1-11pm. August 6. 12-9pm. Free entry. Includes prayers, Koran recitations, children’s shows, and vendors selling food, books, clothes, jewellery, etc. Workshops for children, film screenings, concerts, stand-up comedy shows, theatre, and more.
Look for MuslimFest’s 150 Muslim Contributions to Canada: a Mixed-Media Exhibit displaying 150 contributions made by Canadian Muslims to the culture and community of Ontario, and Canada. There’s also a Pakistani exhibition in the city hall nearby.
For Muslim artists, comedians, and musicians who will be performing: http://muslimfest.com/muslim_artists_friends . Look here for Zarqa Nawaz who created the CBC TV comedy Little Mosque on the Prairie from 2007 to 2012 and her 2005 ground-breaking documentary Me and the Mosque which explored Muslim women’s battle with patriarchy in the mosque… Most recently she has written a bestselling comedic memoir, Laughing All the Way to the Mosque, in which she explores what it was like to grow up as a Canadian of Muslim faith.
Stay late to hear Maz Jobrani, stand-up comedian and co-star of the upcoming CBS sitcom Superior Donuts. Mississauga Celebration Square, 300 City Centre Dr, Mississauga. For schedule see: http://muslimfest.com/schedule/.
Tamil. Sri Lanka. India. Chariot Festival. August 5. 9am-1pm. Sri-Ayyappan-Hindu-Temple, 635 Middlefield Road, Scarborough. You might remember one of these Chariot Festivals at another Hindu temple last week. For more information, Tel. 416-321-6104 . http://www.ayyappan.com
https://www.facebook.com/Canada-Sri-Ayyappan-Hindu-Temple-211527322259327/
Tamil Festival in Toronto. Copyright ©2013 Ruth Lor Malloy
United States. Lakeshore Mardi Gras. August 4-7. Times vary. Free. A wide “variety of cuisines, live Dixie, Jazz, Blues, Rock, and Country bands on the main stage. For the kids there’s buskers, a kid’s zone, interactive games and a midway. There’s also an artisan market selling arts, crafts, jewellery and more.” Colonel Samuel Smith Park, 3145 Lake Shore Blvd West. http://www.lakeshoremardigras.ca.
We choose to promote events that express the world in our city. Mention doesn’t mean endorsement but we try to include events we think readers will find interesting and stimulating.
Please continue to send us posters and pictures about other upcoming affordable events that give you a chance to experience 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.com/torontomulticul . Leave a Reply below or email us: ruthlormalloy@gmail.com . – Ruth.
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