Kensington Market Ghouls

During a recent visit to Toronto's Kensington Market area we came upon some weird ghouls hanging out in the window of one of the stores. They looked like a combination of skeletons and aliens just looking for someone to probe.

Kensington Market has a tradition of Car Free Sundays on the last Sunday of the month from May to October which is probably a good idea. The combination of narrow and one way streets with trucks making deliveries makes for a tight squeeze.

You can see one of their metal art signs and bike racks in the photo above. Like the name says Kensington Market is full of fruit and vegetable stores as well as some cool restaurants and clothing stores. It is a great destination for walking around and enjoying the flavour of the city. Then you can wander over to Little Italy or Chinatown which are both close by.

OMG Cute Puppy

During the lead up to the Kensington Market Winter Solstice parade we ran into a young lady that had a cute little puppy that she was keeping warm in her big, red mittens.

For another cute puppy check out the Toronto Star photo blog and their picture of a border collie's face after it played in the snow.

2010 Kensington Market Winter Solstice

Flames rise high as the large structure burns at Alexandra Park after the parade.

The 21st annual Kensington Market Winter Solstice happens tonite (Dec 21, 2010) starting at 6:30pm at Oxford at Augusta. The parade finishes later at Alexandra Park around 8:00pm. Come for some fire, light and fun. The lantern festival, or festival of lights, has had a number of name changes but it continues to celebrate the shortest day/longest night of the year during the Winter Solstice.

A Firebreather gets the bonfire started on the artful fake fire.

The streets filled up fast with people gathering for the parade in Kensington Market. Large groups of drummers get a strong beat going and the intersection quickly becomes blocked with revelers moving to the drums. Later the parade and the action at the park is hard to witness because of the lack of space and the amount of people jammed together at the baseball diamond.

Flame jugglers fill the ball diamond with whirling fire as a full moon looks down on the fun.

“Celebrate the return of light on the longest, darkest night! The Kensington Market Winter Solstice is a participatory lantern parade. Make a lantern, bang a drum, wear a costume, carry a puppet …. This is a people’s celebration.” You can buy lanterns at the Community Centre for $10 and help light the way.

The event is organized by the community art group Red Pepper Spectacle Arts and started in 1987.

Jam packed intersection at Oxford and Augusta.

See my YouTube video and more pics of the night (and a link to the 2009 event) after the jump.

Laterns for sale hang at the Community Centre.

Some musicians head towards the entrance of Kensington Market.

Large puppets on sticks fill the parade route with outstretched hands

Flame juggler before the main combustion begins. 

The large paper mache fire burns hard and fast and soon is but ashes on the melted snow.

I always like to think of this festival as the Kensington Market version of Burning Man, but because of the cold, with no nudity.

You can see my pictures of the 2009 celebration here.

Light up Kensington Market

On December 21, 2009 the Winter Solstice occurs - which is the shortest day/longest night of the year, announcing the start of winter north of the equator (excuse my ignorance because I thought winter was already here). Longer daylight hours will follow the Solstice so it is a perfect day to celebrate. In the mighty burg of Toronto Red Pepper Spectacle Arts is holding the 20th Annual Kensington Market Festival of Lights.

Their website says "Red Pepper’s popular Kensington Festival of Lights attracts 10,000 people annually for a hand-made, commercial-free peoples celebration in Kensington and Alexandra Park on the Winter Solstice."

The Festival begins at 6:00pm at Oxford and Augusta. The celebration is interactive so they want you to bring lanterns, costumes, and bells and join in the fun in "Toronto's original Lantern procession!"

Tonite's weather is supposed to be partly cloudy with temperatures around -3 to -5 degrees Celcius so dress warmly for a couple hours out in the cold - remember, it's now winter! Here are a few pictures of the parade and the finale at the Park. You can also see some of the great parade on my video on YouTube.









The parade came into Alexandra Park at Dundas and Bathurst and finished in the ball diamond where a fire celebration was put on with flame blowers and flame jugglers putting on a show for the large crowd. After awhile the large center piece, which could have been a bra with wings - for that extra uplift, was set on fire. I'm pretty sure that means winter is now over.




UPDATE: A still picture from my parade video was used on a Kensington Market site with permission.