Things to do in Toronto July 8-10, 2011

The Pride Toronto Festival events have finished for another year - I trust everyone attended and ran, at least partially nude, through the streets of Toronto. Leather, body paint and water pistols would certainly change even conservative parades like the Santa Claus parade. The weather has finally turned toasty so unless you are heading out to the cottage it is time to find exciting and fun things to do in Metro Toronto. Sadly there will be no Toronto Just for Laughs Festival. Damn, I really liked the Just for Laughs street festival and shows including the free shows in Yonge-Dundas Square.

Wednesday July 6 to Sunday July 17: Toronto Fringe Festival. Toronto's Theatre Festival.

Friday July 8 to Sunday July 10: Honda Indy Toronto. Fast cars, concerts and beautiful women, including Ms. Budweiser. Friday entrance is free!!! Click here for a chance to win Dr Pepper Grandstand tickets for the 2011 Honda Indy Toronto.

Friday July 8 to Sunday July 10: Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition at Nathan Phillips Square.

Friday July 8 to Sunday July 10: Corazon De Mexico at Harbourfront Centre.

Friday July 8 to Sunday July 24: Summerlicious 2011. Prix Fix lunch and dinner menus at 150 restaurants.

Saturday July 9 to Sunday July 10: Salsa on St Clair street festival. Latino style summer celebration - so good it's almost forbidden.
Saturday July 9: Edgefest. Concerts at Downsview Park.

Later on in July we have the start of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival Festival (launches July 12).

Do svidaniya!

More Miss Chin Bikini 2011

Because you can never get enough bathing suits in summer time here are some more of the ladies in the Miss Chin Bikini 2011 contest at Exhibition Place. Don't forget Mr Chin Bikini is Sunday, July 3, 2011 at 6:30pm. You can see my earlier post of the contest here. Besides the Chin Picnic the Corso Italia Summer Street Festival is also finishes tonite.

See more photos after the jump.

Pride Toronto Street Festival 2011

The final three days of 2011 Pride Week includes a Street Festival on Church Street from July 1st to the 3rd and today also had the Dyke March, tomorrow is the Pride Parade. LGBTQ Proud. There were a lot of buff bods, pride flags and some great costumes.

 See more pictures of Pride after the jump.

Things to do in Toronto July 1-3, 2011

Happy 144th birthday Canada! It's time to party and there is a lot of great things to do in Toronto over this summer long weekend. In lieu of gifts please just pay a little more HST. You will go crazy trying to catch everything this weekend so try for something that you can walk to because parking can be a bitch on holidays.

Thursday June 30: Toronto Roller Derby League: Clam Slam, part of the Pride celebrations.

Friday June 24 to Sunday July 3: The Pride Week and Pride Parades
           July 1 to 3: Street Fair
           July 1: Trans March, July 2: Dyke March, July 3: Annual Pride Parade     
Friday June 24 to Sunday July 3: Toronto Jazz Festival. 
Friday July 1: Multicultural Canada Day at Yonge-Dundas Square.

2010 contest

2011 Ms Chin Bikini winners

Friday July 1 to Sunday July 3: Chin Picnic at Exhibition Place, including the Miss Chin bikini contest  Saturday July 2 at noon and Mr Chin bikini contest Sunday July 3 at 6:30pm.
Friday July 1 to Sunday July 3: Blue Jays vs Phillies baseball.
Friday July 1: Ashbridges Bay Park fireworks.
Friday July 1: Mel Lastman Square Party and fireworks.
Friday July 1: Red, White and Vinyl Festival at Woodbine Park, music and fireworks.
Friday July 1 Canada Day: Festival of Fire, fireworks at Ontario Place.
See many more Canada Day celebrations at the City's event website.

Saturday July 2: Saudi Festival Day at Yonge-Dundas Square.
Saturday July 2: Flash Mob in Nathan Phillips Square.

Harbourfront: Franco-Fete 2011

The sounds of la Belle Province rang out in Harbourfront Centre over the June 24-26, weekend for the Franco-Fete 2011 Festival. Singing, dancing, cooking, magic shows and art, this festival had it all down by the lake.

"One of the most important French language events in Ontario, Franco-Fête celebrates francophone culture with food, art, and "la musique francophone." This year also includes a spotlight on France. For further information visit franco-fete.ca."

I think that this was a big pink pig pinata with gold coins spilling on the floor. I ate one of those gold coins - there was delicious chocolate inside.

One of the best parts for me was the face painting which was being done by, and I should have recognized their work from Buskerfest, was Kromatik from Quebec City. See more of the face painting photos after the jump.

Things to do in Toronto June 25-26, 2011

Arghh, there are so many fun things to do in Toronto that the weeks and weekends pass so fast - Spring ends today (Monday, June 20, 2011)! This is the last weekend in June and then we are in the prime of summer. The June 25-26 weekend is chock full o weekendy goodness and just perfect for welcoming the warmth of my favourite season. Just don't drink too much because you tend to see things like red dinosaurs. You can also find a sandy beach and an umbrella along Queens Quay.

Friday, June 24 - Sunday, June 26: Harbourfront Centre Franco Fete. A francophone culture celebration at the waterfront.

Friday, June 24 - Sunday, July 3: 2011 Pride Week festivities and parades. The street festival and parades begin Friday, July 1. Don't forget the Roller Derby 'Clam Slam' on June 30.

Friday, June 24 - Sunday, July 3: Toronto Jazz Festival. Wow, Aretha Franklin performs a free concert at Metro Hall on the opening Friday night (8:30pm).

Saturday, June 25 - Sunday June 26: 23rd annual Dragon Boat Festival on the Toronto Islands.

Saturday, June 25 - Sunday, June 26: Taste of Asia at Kennedy and Steeles.

Saturday, June 25: Black Creek Summer Music Festival which runs from June to September. On June 25 singer, songwriter James Taylor performs at the Rexall Theatre.

Saturday, June 25: Toronto Roller Derby Championship Game - The Battle for the Boot between the commanding Gore-Gore Rollergirls and Chicks Ahoy.

Saturday, June 25: Samsara an IIFA buzz event at Rogers Centre. A South Asian free outdoor celebration.

Saturday, June 25: MEC Bikefest in the Distillery Historic District.

Saturday, June 25: G20 Anniversary Rally at Queens Park.

Saturday, June 25 - Sunday, June 26: For fans of stock car racing the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series (NCTS) has the Vortex Brake Pads 200 at Bowmanville's Mosport International Raceway. It's a little jaunt away from the city so it is nice when racing comes into town with the Honda Indy Toronto in early July. NCTS practice is Saturday and the race is Sunday.

Celebrate Bloor Street Festival

Starting in 2007 with the ever unpopular Bloor Street watermain replacement project, then the much hated Bloor Street Transformation project, the exclusive neighbourhood known as the ‘mink mile’ celebrates the renovated street during the Sunday, June 19, 2011 street festival. The festival, sponsored by the Bloor-Yorkville BIA, shut down Bloor Street between Avenue and Church to vehicular traffic, put down an enormous red carpet and threw a party.

Platinum Blonde rocks the crowd

The party included food and free musical performances by Keshia Chante, Shawn Desman, Royal Wood and Platinum Blonde.

To make things interesting there were a lot of beautiful ladies from the Miss Universe competition. Also on the carpet were ladies passing out information on the area and dressed in black with big, black hats and white rimmed sunglasses – I thought I was at the Kentucky Derby! Award winning Canadian writer and director Paul Haggis also dropped by – he started the charity ‘Artists for Peace and Justice’ and they recently focused on relief for Haiti.

There were also great displays of bodypaint where people became the canvas as they were painted like famous artworks – groovy baby, walking art. The Yorkville Exotic Car Show was also held in the area, just in case you needed new wheels. Speaking of wheels, there were a couple of big wheels attached to an IndyCar in front of William Ashley China – the race car was supported by bone china cups, on top of a spectacular dining room table. That reminds me; the Honda Indy Toronto is coming in early July! I think they will be happy that the race does not take place on Bloor Street.

Okay, time to start shopping again.

Posted by Joe Hamilton. More photos after the jump.

Shawn Desman

Models in bodypaint

Honda Indy Toronto and William Ashley

 Some of the Miss Universe ladies

Miss Universe Canada 2010 - Elena Semikina

Paul Haggis

More Platinum Blonde.