This
week’s image: patio lunches at the Festival
CABBAGETOWN NEIGHBOURHOOD REVIEW
OPEN HOUSE
LISTINGS
Click here to read
about open houses that are happening this weekend.
For festival news, scroll down. But first…
THERE’S LIFE
BEYOND THE FESTIVAL
The PPCLI ceremony in
the Necropolis
On
Saturday September 6 at 11 am, the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry
will honour the memory of Corporal Ainsworth Dyer at his gravesite in the
Necropolis (200 Winchester). It’s part
of the PPCLI’s celebration of its 100th anniversary. The Rt Hon Adrienne Clarkson is the
regiment’s Colonel in Chief and she will be at this event. A Memorial Baton
listing the names of its members who have died in service to Canada is being carried
across Canada and it will be taken from the Necropolis to Queen’s Park after
the ceremony – click here to read more.
Everyone is welcome.
Have an oyster and
feel good
The
House on Parliament (454 Parliament) has oysters and great beer. It’s a fundraiser for the Cabbagetown
Community Arts Centre. Drop by after 6 pm on Thursday night and buy an oyster -
$2 is the suggested price but they’ll gladly take more.
Cabbagetown BNI wants
you
The
Cabbagetown Business Networking chapter is a group of entrepreneurs who meet
weekly and work actively to help each other’s business. They share ideas and give each other sales
leads for new business prospects.
Meetings are held at Merryberry Café (559 Parliament) at 7 am on
Wednesdays. On Wednesday September 10,
the group is hosting a membership drive.
You’re invited to visit and explore possibilities. For all the details, contact Hilary Browning
at Hilary@nickandhilary.com.
403 Toronto Scouts
The
403rd welcomes both boys and girls – it’s an open, diverse,
welcoming group where kids have fun, learn about nature, develop leadership
skills and make strong friendships. It’s
entirely volunteer run. They meet at St Peter’s Anglican Church (188 Carlton). Wednesdays at 6 to 7 pm, Beavers (6 & 7
years old) and 7 to 9 pm, Scouts (11 to 14 years old) and on Thursdays 7 to
8:30 pm, Cubs (8 to 10 years old). It’s
time now to register new kids and new leaders –contact 403scouts@kapn.net. Watch for the 403rd tent on
Parliament Street during the Festival. They
have a fascinating program which you can see on the 403rd website.
Gary Smith
demonstrates
Corktown
artist Gary Smith is well-known for the mural work that he’s done in the
neighbourhood and for his classes and exhibitions. He won first prize last year in the Carrousel
International Art Exhibition in the Louvre for his pastel work. He’s hosting free demonstrations of portrait
works in pastels at LucSculpture (663 Greenwood Ave) on Saturday September 6
and Sunday September 7, from 1 to 4 pm both days. He’s teaching two different classes at
LucSculpture – Painting for Beginners (starting September 22) and Portraiture
(starting Tuesday). Details here.
Beth Kaplan tells all
Cabbagetown
author Beth Kaplan, is launching her newest book at The Local GEST (424
Parliament) on Tuesday September 16 from 4 to 7 pm. She’ll be accompanied by her special guest,
another renowned author, Wayson Choy.
Her book – True to Life: fifty steps to help you tell your story – is a guide
to Beth’s secrets for successful writing.
It’s packed with vital information for new authors. Drop in, enjoy a brew, chat with Beth and
take home your own copy.
The Soulpepper
cabaret series
On
Saturday evening, Soulpepper (Tank House Lane, Distillery) presents
singer/songwriter, pianist Bryce Kulak.
8:30 pm, $15 to $20. For tickets
and more info, click here.
The farmer’s markets
Both
farmer’s markets continue in full swing through September. This is one of the best times of the year to
visit them – the produce is farm fresh and plentiful. The Regent Park Farmer’s Market (557 Dundas
E) has a great, newsy Facebook page with details about vendors, entertainers
and current events. Click here. It’s open on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 7
pm. The Riverdale Park farmer’s market (Winchester
and Sumach) is open on Tuesdays from 2 to 7 pm.
The Regent Park
Community Food Centre
The
CRC at 40 Oak Street has a long history working in Regent Park. Its latest initiative is a food centre that
brings people together to grow, cook, share, learn and advocate for good
food. It launches on September 18 and it’ll
address problems of poverty, poor health and social isolation among low-income
community members. The opening ceremony
is at 7 pm. Free.
FESTIVAL
PROGRAM
Cabbagetown Short
Film & Video Festival
Tickets
will be available at the theatre on Friday night from 7 pm, $15. The show starts at 8 pm. This is always a Festival favourite. The program highlights films from Canada, the
US, Germany, France and Croatia. There’s a cash bar available before the show
and during the intermission. Winchester
Theatre (80 Winchester). To see the full line-up, click here.
Blair’s Run
The
run has switched to a new time on Sunday morning – 8 am for registration and 9
am for the race. It is, as always, a
gruelling 2k dash through the streets and lanes of Cabbagetown. You can run or walk. Bring your dogs, your kids, even your
spouse! This year, you can register
online here.
The entry fee is $20.
The
run is also the focus of a community-wide fundraiser for the Cabbagetown Youth
Centre (2 Lancaster). Watch for the
brochures and the canvassers on your street.
The CYC does a great job and this event really helps with its program
needs. Please be generous. Click on the online link for the pledge form
or email Tannis at tannis@blairsrun.com
Entertainers on
Parliament Street
The
new organizer, Lido Chilleli, developed a very successful Festival model in the
Beaches. As expected, his program here
reflects his experiences – there’s music and entertainment everywhere.
30
bands are performing at 13 different spots.
There’s a Kids Zone with a midway at Parliament and Gerrard, a sports
zone with a soccer camp, a Pan Am Games village and Maple Leaf Sports and
buskers along the street.
Check
out the program details here.
In Riverdale Park,
Sumach at Carlton
The
big art show, Cabbagetown Art & Crafts in the Park, opens from 1 to 7 pm on
Friday afternoon and continues through Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm.
The
Cabbagetown Theatre Company is staging its half-hour shows on Saturday and
Sunday at noon, 1 pm, 2 pm, 3 pm and 4 pm in the Necropolis Chapel. This year, it’s “Snow queen – or – completely
frozen.” The whole family is
welcome. Tickets at the chapel (2200 Winchester).
The
Riverdale Farm Fall Festival runs from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday and
Sunday. There’s a day-long corn roast
and events with animals and farmers.
Riverdale Farm inside the park.
Cabbagetown
walking tours with guides from the Cabbagetown Preservation Association are
available daily from the starting point at Winchester and Sumach.
CABBAGETOWN
FESTIVAL NEWS
Two important thank-you’s
The
BIA does a lot of good work and undertakes considerable expense to stage the
Parliament Street Festival. The Board
and members can be proud of this contribution to the community. This event always happens as a centre piece
in our annual calendars.
Randy
Brown and his committee put together the juried art show in Riverdale Park –
they`ve created a destination for Festival weekend. 180 artisans and artists will be there and
over 20,000 visitors will flock to the park to see their work.
Some more thanks
Gina
Dineen has organized the Short Film & Video Festival since 1992. She works diligently to ensure its excellence
and its appeal. Some of us, Gina, are wondering
if there’ll ever be a sequel to the Ken & Barbie flick – or is that just
another dim memory through the smoke at the Winch.
Many
thanks to Marilyn Marshall, Sandra Riches, Brenda Brown McNee, the staff at the
CYC and a big team of local volunteers who organize Blair’s Run. It’s a huge success because of their
dedication and the way they’ve built its grassroots support.
The
CPA offers the annual walking tours through Cabbagetown from Riverdale
Park. It’s a good introduction to our
community by knowledgeable, interesting people.
At
the Cabbagetown Theatre Company, Kim Sprenger and Blake Thorne have produced
the short plays that appear each year in the Necropolis. A lot of families have
been in the audience and enjoyed these funny little dramas.
Tees and flags
Drop
in to Spruce (455 Parliament) to get your own Cabbagetown tees and flags. It’s a delightful store and well worth the
visit. The tees are available in men’s
and women’s sizes in black or white editions.
Spruce has a nifty video playing on YouTube – click here to see the tees
and the other goodies on sale there.
Poster for Arts &
Crafts in the Park
There’s
no doubt about it – the little robin in a tutu is awesome. Congrats to the artist, Deidre Wicks, and to Randy
Brown and the organizers for such a great poster. Deidre has copies of this
image available on her site at Etsy – click here to peruse and buy one.
Kendall’s Pay It
Forward festival
On
Saturday and Sunday, Kendall & Co (227 Carlton) is organizing a
mini-festival to highlight Pay-It-Forward.
There’ll be three stages in front of the store. On Stage 1, award-winning UK textile
performance artist Harriet Riddell will render “stitch portraits” on her sewing
machine from 11 am to 5 pm. $50 per person.
Stage 2 presents “Pay It Forward – Young Reader’s Edition” with local
actor David Rockne Corrigan and a free puppet show. There’ll be raffles and giveaways to support
the Children’s Book Bank. Noon to 4
pm. On Stage 3, there’s “The Little Free
Library”, a DIY project to promote free book exchanges. You’ll meet people who have already built
these wonderful libraries and you can cast a ballot to win your own Little Free
Library ($500 value). Noon to 5 pm.
Kendall
also has a package of prizes worth $100 for people who pay-it-forward. Post a picture or video about your good deeds
and you might win. Here are the links. Instagram #TOPayItFwd with
picture or video of your good deeds @kendallandco. Facebook post a pic or video of your good
deed with #TOPayItFwd @KENDALL & Co. Design + Decor. Tweet a pic or video of your good deeds @kendallandco with #TOPayItFwd.
Shelley Ledger’s
photos
Through
Festival weekend, Shelley Ledger is having a lottery to support Riverdale
Farm. Her photos are exhibited at
Cranberries (601 Parliament) and she’s giving away one framed original and two
unframed originals as prizes. You can
buy your tickets - $5 each or three for $12 - at Cranberries until Sunday
afternoon. Half the proceeds will go to
the Farm.
Cabbagetown entertainers
Amid
all the extra excitement this year, there are some noteworthy Cabbagetown
entertainers returning to Parliament Street.
It’ll be good to see them again.
The St Jamestown Youth Centre Steel Orchestra is at Pizza Pizza on Saturday
at 2 pm. Jim Heineman appears at Starbucks on Saturday at 5 pm and on Sunday
from noon. Snooky Tynes is at Stout
Irish Pub on Saturday and Sunday from noon.
The Warehouse Mission Band is at Carlton and Parliament at noon on both
days and Cabbagetown Steve with Code Green will belt out favourites at the Wing
Machine on Saturday from noon.
“Oops” department
One
Night in Cabbagetown – the Festival’s tour of local eateries – has been
cancelled. Originally scheduled for Thursday night, this
event will be missed. A number of local
observers have lamented the loss.
It’s
also time to lobby the BIA to reinstate the parade. Of course, it won’t happen in 2014 but it’s
time to review the positive ways that such a lovely little event pulled people
together and also gave the BIA and the community a common link.
RESTAURANT
FESTIVAL NEWS
Ronnie B’s Southern Kitchen
& Taps
Our
newest restaurant is now open at 243 Carlton.
They’re just getting started and they want to show off their menu so
they’re offering free tasters of their jambalaya during the Festival. Check out the restaurant’s website here.
Peartree’s festival
specials
Peartree’s
patio is one of the best people-watching spots on the street. It’s located right in the middle of all the
activity. Its roof covering makes it a
shady zone off the hot pavement. All
weekend, you can have a pint of beer and chicken wings for only $8.99. On Saturday, order the AAA New York steak with
a caeser salad for only $14.99. On
Sunday, the special is a prime rib roast beef dinner with Yorkshire pudding, gravy,
mashed potatoes and fresh veggies, $13.99.
The 420 Smokehouse
Last
week, Virginia sent us an urgent email asking for advice – she has so much
stuff ready for the Festival, she doesn’t know where to put her customers. There are smokers, a big table for condiments
and a bunch of other restaurant-type stuff.
She’s got delicious smoked meat and bbq.
There’s only one thing to say here – Go for it!
At the HOP
Attention
all people who want to waste their youth by sitting in a sunlit patio soaking
up the sounds of golden oldies. Go Freddie
Go will be at the HOP (454 Parliament) on Saturday afternoon from 1 pm. There’ll also be good beer and munchies.
Sara B and Booth Boyz
The
Local GEST (424 Parliament) is home to Sara Brudner and her trio from 5 to 10
pm on Saturday and noon to 6 pm on Sunday.
They say their music is rootzy, soulful, dynamic, passionate and groove
oriented. Hmmm.
Grab a gourmet pizza at
F’Amelia
Margherita,
diavola or vegetarian pizza (with crusts to die for!) along with a beer for
only $15. F’Amelia’s two patios will be
open from noon for the weekend. 12
Amelia.
Under the Table
Kim
and Betty have big plans for the weekend.
There’s a special Saturday night karaoke. Try the $6 menu on the patio and check out
the drinks specials as well. The north
end of Parliament Street is one of the busiest, noisiest and most enjoyable
areas on the street during the weekend and Under The Table is right there in
the middle of it all. 568 Parliament.
CLUBS &
PUBS – DAILY LISTINGS
THURSDAY
AUGUST 28 TO SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 7
Contact info
Alice’s
Place, 554 Parliament St, (647) 931-9088
Dominion
on Queen, 500 Queen St E, (416) 368-6893, www.dominiononqueen.com
El
Catrin, 18 Tank House Lane, Distillery, (416) 203-2121, www.elcatrin.ca/home
The
Flying Beaver, 488 Parliament St, (647) 347-6567, www.pubaret.com
Gilead
Café & Wine Bar, 4 Gilead Place, (647) 288-0680,
http://www.jamiekennedy.ca/
House
on Parliament, 454 Parliament St, (416) 925-4074,
www.facebook.com/pages/House-on-Parliament
The
Irv, 195 Carlton Street, (647) 350-4787, https://www.facebook.com/theirvpub
The
Local GEST, 424 Parliament St, (416) 961-9425,
https://www.facebook.com/thelocalgest
Merryberry,
559 Parliament, www.merryberry.ca
Mill
Street Beer Hall, 21 Tank House Ln, Distillery, (416) 681-0338, Facebook and
http://toronto.millstreetbrewpub.ca/
Paintbox
Bistro, 555 Dundas St E, (647) 748-0555, www.paintboxbistro.ca
Stout
Irish Pub, 221 Carlton St, (647) 344-7676, www.stoutirishpub.ca
Tappo
Wine Bar & Restaurant, 2 Trinity Street, Distillery, (647) 430-1111,
www.tappo.ca
Under
the Table, 568 Parliament St, (647) 351-1533
If there's a cover charge or tickets are sold, we’ve listed the
prices. Otherwise, the event is free.
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER
4
For Cabbagetown Festival events, see above.
The Local GEST
9
pm, Open mic with Porter
Tappo
7
pm, Errol Fisher
Under The Table
9
pm, Karaoke
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER
5
For Cabbagetown Festival events, see above.
Flying Beaver
9
pm, Alan Reid, “Blast from the past”, $20/advance & $25/door
Under The Table
9
pm, Karaoke
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER
6
For Cabbagetown Festival events, see above.
The Irv
7
pm, Frank Ryan’s vocals and acoustics
Mill Street Beer Hall
8
pm, Vinyl Nights with DJ Humble Mike of the Record Collective
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER
7
For Cabbagetown Festival events, see above.
Alice’s Place
4
pm, Karaoke
Flying Beaver
7:30
pm, Glen Gary “Toronto songwriters showcase”, pwyw
Mill Street Beer Hall
1
pm, Jazz brunch with Tyler Yarema
