[just east of the creek]

It’s Baseball Season Boys and Girls, even in Montreal, where it is showing on the very big screen in the local pub. Time for some wings and beer, popcorn and coolers and welcome back the boys of summer. One of Canada’s great underground rural summer sports, softball or hardball, played in every rural community in Canada, and there are trophies, plaques, photos galore of the summer champion's. If you are playing this summer, have.a great time and relish our time outdoors in the heat of summer .

 

[SubHuman]

The prediction, or hope, in this headline from January doesn't quite seem to be transpiring.
"Toronto's live music scene is moving to the suburbs with new concert venues to the north"
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/art...ith-new-concert-venues-to-the-north-torontos/
There's no sign of anything except the tennis tournament happening at that stadium, and certainly no "summer season of 15 concerts" as mentioned in the article.
The schedule for Woodbine Casino's new venue ("The Theatre" that isn't really a theatre) is even more sparse than Rama's.
There's also no sign yet of any attempt at an enormous SARSstock type of event, or anything else at the vacated Downsview Airport.
https://44e0cc70-0fba-43fa-98a1-d99...d/4ea6e4_036f4d01879e44d6a24f8cb135a6f33e.pdf

The Runway, which Northcrest will gain full access to in 2024, is being conceived in two parts...
The northern section will be designated for concerts, large events, and major festivals...
... both Northcrest and CLC are working hard to decentralize arts activities downtown and bring many of these events to Downsview.

 

[Richard White]

The prediction, or hope, in this headline from January doesn't quite seem to be transpiring.
"Toronto's live music scene is moving to the suburbs with new concert venues to the north"
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/art...ith-new-concert-venues-to-the-north-torontos/
There's no sign of anything except the tennis tournament happening at that stadium, and certainly no "summer season of 15 concerts" as mentioned in the article.
The schedule for Woodbine Casino's new venue ("The Theatre" that isn't really a theatre) is even more sparse than Rama's.
There's also no sign yet of any attempt at an enormous SARSstock type of event, or anything else at the vacated Downsview Airport.
https://44e0cc70-0fba-43fa-98a1-d99...d/4ea6e4_036f4d01879e44d6a24f8cb135a6f33e.pdf

Honestly, when I think of Casinos and shows I think of OLG Stage and the Avalon at Niagara Falls. Woodbine Racetrack is not my first choice for seeing events other than the Kings Plate.

I highly doubt you will ever see another Sarsstock level event in Toronto for a long time. 2003 was the last time we had over 500 thousand people attend a concert.

 

[Admiral Beez]

There are way too many street festivals now, and they're all the same, similar to a traveling circus. I think it would be fine if a bunch of them get killed off. It blows my mind for example that for many years both the Polish and Ukrainian street festivals have taken place on the same weekend, in close proximity to each other, highlighting a similar culture. That seems rather dumb to me, but what do I know? They both seem to be well attended.

I enjoy the Cabbagetown Festival and how we close down Parliament St for a day or two. My wife is Ukrainian-Canadian but has never attended that festival. If she wants to meet Ukrainians she need just call up the family.

 

[SubHuman]

... when I think of Casinos and shows I think of OLG Stage and the Avalon at Niagara Falls...

They're certainly doing better than the other casinos in getting more shows and bigger acts. They have two good venues (1500 and 5000-seat theatre). They're far enough away that it's not Toronto. People from all over the world have heard of Niagara Falls, and unlike Pickering, Rama, and Woodbine, the venue is in the city within walking distance of other attractions. The bigger acts all go to downtown venues for their Toronto appearances, while Woodbine and Pickering have schedules resembling the suburban performing arts centres (Richmond Hill, Burlington, etc.). They likely knew they wouldn't get a lot of big concerts, and instead of theatres they built "event spaces" with flat floors and retractable seating so they could also occasionally have things like boxing and corporate events.

I would guess the tennis stadium probably needed some minimum number of shows, maybe the 15 mentioned in the G&M article, to make it a viable business operation, and similarly were unable to get them.
Edit (06 May 2024): FWIW, there is now an initial schedule of three events, though the ticketmaster links show a mostly empty stadium, perhaps with the acts and prices not quite in line with a venue of something like nine or ten thousand seats.

 

[rdaner]

So Luminato announced their program today and just wanted to comment that I am glad Pecaut Square is going to be the focus for installations. A big one is ‘Evanescent’ by Atelier Sisu:

Monumental Bubbles Pop Up in Public Spaces in Atelier Sisu's Inflatable Installations — Colossal

The Sydney-based studio celebrates community interaction and joy in their vibrant, inflatable, bubble-inspired designs.

www.thisiscolossal.com

HOME | My Site

www.ateliersisu.com

 

[Towered]

Luminato is still a thing? Can't remember the last time it generated any buzz.

 

[rdaner]

Another interesting project is Sonia Hughes ‘I am from Reykjavik.’

While I am not saying that Luminato is amazing, it does bring things to places in Toronto that I wouldn’t otherwise get to experience in person. No one else has done anything at The Hearn or tried to promote Kennedy Station as a destination for anything other than changing transport modes! Lol

 

[Richard White]

The list of buildings participating in Doors Open Toronto is out!

I took a quick look at the list and quite frankly, I am severely underwhelmed. If this is the complete list, it has gone to hell this year.

Most of the old favorites like the TD Centre, FIrehall 227, U of T (other than the physics building) are not on the list this year. Sites like Knox College, Hart House, TD Centre, Commerce Court, etc were what made the event popular.

Without must-see sites, this years event is crap.

See here: https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjo...n-buildings-sites/building-or-site-details-2/

 

[Towered]

The list of buildings participating in Doors Open Toronto is out!

I took a quick look at the list and quite frankly, I am severely underwhelmed. If this is the complete list, it has gone to hell this year.

Most of the old favorites like the TD Centre, FIrehall 227, U of T (other than the physics building) are not on the list this year. Sites like Knox College, Hart House, TD Centre, Commerce Court, etc were what made the event popular.

Without must-see sites, this years event is crap.

See here: https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjo...n-buildings-sites/building-or-site-details-2/

Let me guess, they'll blame Covid!

What is it with Toronto's main events the last couple of years? Everyone just seems to be phoning it in without any real effort made to impress or go beyond what was done before. Mediocrity abounds (not that that's a surprise in our local culture)...

 

[Richard White]

Let me guess, they'll blame Covid!

What is it with Toronto's main events the last couple of years? Everyone just seems to be phoning it in without any real effort made to impress or go beyond what was done before. Mediocrity abounds (not that that's a surprise in our local culture)...

With Doors Open it also has to do with the individual property owners permitting access to their sites.

You are correct though. TD Centre, Commerce Court, and others were worth the visit. Back in the day, they even had the King Eddy Crystal Ballroom opened and prior to redevelopment some of the Distillery buildings.

The costs may not be worth the benefits though when you factor in additional security and operating costs.

 

[SubHuman]

https://www.northcrestdev.ca/whats-on

Play on the Runway III
August 17th - 18th, 2024

Does this still have to be limited to one weekend a year if Downsview Airport has been shut down?

 

[christiesplits]

Lets take Taste-of-the-Danforth, arguably the most successful fest its type. Its a bit less Greek than it used to be (some variety is good, but you need a unique point of view); but sponsors aside, its a bit too resto-focused.

I would argue they need to find ways to highlight Greek music (contemporary not just folk); and Greek Cinema, and get the grocers in the area to highlight Greek Foods you can cook at home (and sample).

Interactivity is also good, how about free cooking lessons/demos for Greek food.

They also need to be more creative on ways to mitigate weather issues. That's a challenge for a street fest which you do want to be outdoors, but you have to mitigate the risk of a rainy weekend.
I also think they could get sponsorship from the Greek Tourism people by linking the experiences in Toronto with one's you could have if you visited Greece.

I was on The Danforth with a friend last weekend and he proposed that they move the Taste of the Danforth to Withrow Park. Restaurants could bring their BBQs to the soccer fields and concerts could be played in the "Shakespeare in the Park" hill area by the hockey rink.

 

[Richard White]

I was on The Danforth with a friend last weekend and he proposed that they move the Taste of the Danforth to Withrow Park. Restaurants could bring their BBQs to the soccer fields and concerts could be played in the "Shakespeare in the Park" hill area by the hockey rink.

That would make sense but at its core, the Taste of the Danforth is a street festival. It's like saying you want to move the Beaches Jazz Festival solely to Ashbridges Bay and Kew Gardens without having any road closures.

You could do it but it would not be the same.

 

[Northern Light]

I was on The Danforth with a friend last weekend and he proposed that they move the Taste of the Danforth to Withrow Park. Restaurants could bring their BBQs to the soccer fields and concerts could be played in the "Shakespeare in the Park" hill area by the hockey rink.

I don't think a wholesale move of the festival to Withrow is workable.

Peak attendance is well into six figures at one time, I don't think there's even the space in Withrow for the people, never mind the vendors.

Also the damage to the turf (lawn) would be substantial.

Moving the music portion might be workable.