783. Affordable Events September 13-17 in Multicultural Toronto – 2017

Ever hear of a Kitchi Blanket, Bob Dylon, or Sufi Whirling? A fluvial parade in honour of the Virgin of Penafrancia at Bluffers Park with Toronto Police escort? Do you know the woman in the statue in High Park?

Here’s a chance to find out and to add Mali to the list of people from other countries whom you have personally encountered in Toronto. Most of the following events are free or almost free.  — Ruth

First Nations. Kitchi Blanket Exercise. Wednesday, September 13. 5:30pm. Free. East Lynn Park, 1949 Danforth Avenue.

Click on Kitchi Blanket Exercise above for its Facebook announcement. “Join us for a KAIROS Kitchi Blanket Exercise, a visual and experiential way to represent colonization in Canada and its impact on Indigenous peoples… All are welcome to join us… as participants or witnesses to this educational event! … For what to expect check out this video: https://vimeo.com/107962612. “

Image from Kitchi Blanket Exercise Facebook post.

 Jewish. Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. Two Jewish Folk Poets. September 14. 1:30-3pm. Drop-In: $5.00 (includes refreshments).“Toronto folk singing duo Sue and Dwight will lead this interactive session that takes a look at the individual journeys, most prominent works, and the stories behind the songs, of two of the world’s most influential poets and songwriters. Sing-alongs will be encouraged!” http://mnjcc.org/browse-by-age/active-55/thursday-drop-in/896-leonard-cohen-bob-dylan-the-two-jewish-folk-poets. Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre, 750 Spadina Ave. (at Bloor).

Image from MNJCC Website.

 

Multicultural. First Nations. On Common Ground Festival at Fort York. September 15-17. Free. On Common Ground will feature an engaging mix of culturally-diverse music, dance, storytelling, theatre, visual arts, food, and family-friendly activities in celebration of Canada 150. Highlights include the world dance and live music premiere of Miigis by Red Sky Performance, a community citizenship ceremony, a PEACES Artisan Market and a new large-scale mural by Montreal artist Olivier Bonnard produced by The Bentway in collaboration with Love Letters to the Great Lakes and Relay 150. Look for the Tich Meredza Band (Zimbabwe), the Maracatu Baque de Bamba (Brazil), Storyteller Kim Wheatley an Anishinaabe band member (Shawanaga First Nation), and the Ritmo Flamenco Dance and Music Ensemble: www.toronto.ca/oncommonground

Schedule at: https://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=6be74e455e97c510VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD.

Image of Red Sky from the On Common Ground Festival website.

 

Mexico. Mexican Independence Day. September 16. 11am-10pm. Free. Yonge Dundas Square.
Multicultural: Small World Music Festival: September 14-17. $15-$60. Program features a diverse range of artists from countries such as Mali, Korea, Cuba, Ethiopia, Palestine, Spain and Estonia. Various venues. For videos and information: http://smallworldmusic.com/. For more information: http://smallworldmusic.com/small-world-music-festival

Image of Soley Ensemble from: http://smallworldmusic.com/shows/soleyensemble/

 

Multicultural. Small World in the Park. Small World Concert. Sunday, Sept. 17. 2-10pm. Free. Trillium Park, Ontario Place, East Island, 955 Lakeshore Blvd. Featuring: Ventanas, Han Han, Turbo Street Funk, Kafena (Malta), Maracatu Mar Aberto, Tich Maredza, Yusuke Hoshi, Nya Soleil (Cameroon), Rambunctious and more from flamenco to funk, Brazilian drumming to Filipino hiphop. This is part of the Small World Music Festival: September 14-17 above.

Image of Turbo Street Funk and its New Orleans horn band tradition from http://smallworldmusic.com/artists/turbo-street-funk/


Multicultural. France. Qatar. Serbia. Toronto International Film Festival. Continues to September 17. Films from 75 different countries. Various times and venues. Ticket prices: $10-$52. http://www.tiff.net/tickets. For example: the World Premiere of The Other Side of Everything. Director Mila Turajlic. Description: For Serbian filmmaker Mila Turajlic, a locked door in her mother’s apartment in Belgrade provides the gateway to both her remarkable family history and her country’s tumultuous political inheritance. Tuesday, September 12. 6:45pm. Scotiabank 10; Wednesday September 13. 4pm – ScotiaBank 14. http://www.tiff.net/tiff/the-other-side-of-everything/

Image of The Other Side of Everything courtesy of TIFF.

 

Multicultural. Open Streets Toronto. September 17. Free. Check out the website below for multicultural opportunities on Bloor and Yonge during our car-free pedestrian-only event in our Cultural Corridor and downtown streets.

I especially enjoyed the audience participation at its August version where spectators joined Filipino dancers in their bamboo dance and the lovely Japanese dancers carried on like pros in spite of music troubles. For the schedule of upcoming dance performances and lessons with Peruvian, Latvian, Azerbaijani, Albanian, South Asian, or Chinese dancers: https://www.openstreetsto.org/ontario-150-hub. — Ruth.

For other culturally diverse items, search the schedule: https://www.openstreetsto.org. The wonderful Araz Azerbaijiani dancers are listed in two places. I found them at Bloor and Spadina in August 20.

Image Copyright ©2017 Ruth Lor Malloy

 

Philippines. Bocol. Peñafrancia Fiesta 2017. Saturday, September 16. 8:30am. Assembly for the procession of the Virgin to the Dock at the Bluffers Park Marina, (eastside of the Bluffers Park Marina) where the Fluvial Parade will start. Bluffers Park in Scarborough. The Toronto Police Services Marine Unit will escort the procession. http://www.penafrancia.ca/fluvial-parade-2017/.

Map to Bluffers-park: http://www.penafrancia.ca/map-going-to-bluffers-park/

About the festival in the Philippines: Our Lady of Peñafrancia: Mother of Bicolandia: http://www.penafrancia.ca/our-lady-of-penafrancia-mother-of-bicolandia/

Poland. Roncesvalles Polish Festival. Saturday, September 16. 11am-11pm; Sunday, September 17. 11am-11pm. Free. “The Roncesvalles Polish Festival is easy to get to by transit and car – parking and shuttle available at Nestle Canada – 72 Sterling Road -, family-friendly and free, with lots of entertainment for kids, families, and adults, including two midway areas, three stages with continuous entertainment, two giant beverage gardens, and of course the wonderful offerings of Roncesvalles Village’s restaurants and merchants.” http://www.blogto.com/events/roncesvallles-polish-festival-2017/.

The Festival’s website is at: www.polishfestival.ca.

South Asian. 20th Annual Suhaag Show. September 17. 12am-6:30pm. (Fashion shows at 1:30 and 4:30pm.) $15 (at door, parking free). International Centre – Hall 3, 6900 Airport Road, Mississauga. http://suhaag.com/show/toronto/.

South Asian bridal shows are among my favourite events. Here you can see fine embroidered clothes, elegant wedding cakes, exquisite place settings, and regal bridal thrones. While I think that couples and their families shouldn’t bankrupt themselves to pay for a lavish wedding, I do think that we can appreciate the work of the artists who produce these things.  — Ruth.

Ukraine. Toronto Ukrainian Festival. September 15-17. Free.  This is billed as North America’s largest Ukrainian festival and includes a parade on Saturday, September 16 at 11am. The parade goes from High Park to Jane and Bloor and is not to be missed for its cute children in colourful traditional costumes, high spirited dancers and community leaders. Performers: http://ukrainianfestival.com/performer-bios.html. More information and videos: http://ukrainianfestival.com

This is a huge festival with talented performers from all over Canada and the U.S. Rides for children. Look for the jerk perogies. Are they serving poutine perogies yet? — Ruth 

Ukraine. Lesya Ukrainka Concert celebrates the Ukrainian poetess at her statue. September 14. 6pm. Free. High Park. See map: http://www.enjoyontario.ca/high-park/photos/100_1892.html

“Lesya Ukrainka, born in 1871, is one of Ukrainian literature’s foremost writers, best known for her poems and plays. She also was an active political, civil, and feminist activist.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesya_Ukrainka . For more information: https://ucctoronto.ca/events/lesia-ukrainka-concert/

Note: TorontoMulticulturalCalendar.com chooses to promote events that encourages a peaceful world in our diverse city. Mention doesn’t mean endorsement but we try to include events we think readers will find interesting and stimulating in the cultures of other groups. We hope you will discover something to do near your neighbourhood so you can avoid Toronto’s traffic jams.

Please continue to send us posters and pictures about other upcoming affordable events that give the rest of us 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. — Ruth.

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