As a resident of the area I checked it out Saturday afternoon for a half hour or so - walking a few blocks that would usually only take 3-4 minutes to traverse. I couldn't help thinking that Taste of the Danforth could be a personal/community safety risk. I hazard to guess what would happen if there was a fire, explosion or even a tent collapse. How would Emergency Services work their way through the crowds?
I think they should seriously consider:
a) Letting the festival fill out along Broadview and Pape north and south. With limited restaurants and cafes along those roads dishing out $5 sticks of meat, it could be a good place to put sponsor tents and amusement rides.
b) Extending the festival east, to Donlands, Greenwood or even Coxwell. Jones to Donlands is still fairly vibrant; Donlands to Greenwood is admittedly a dead zone with just a smattering of Halal pizza joints and prostitutes; Greenwood to Coxwell is experiencing some new life with a smorgasbord of packed Ethopian patios, new coffee shops and bars, and some old school Italian cafes. I would not be surprised if the well-organized Danforth East Community Association has proposed such a possibility.
I think if they're going to have local street festivals, at least give us something worth going to see or do. Nobody seems to put much thought into doing something different or a little off the wall. All these festivals are exactly alike and a little underwhelming for me.
While I respect that a lot of people make a living off the summer festival circuit, I agree that there is the feeling of sameness to all the supposedly unique cultural events. Vendors especially.
They all have the same ice cream trucks, old guy selling glow sticks and flashy necklaces, Pepsi Taste Test, inflatable food stand selling $5 corn on the cob, Tiny Tom's Donuts (I agree they are pretty awesome), kid with an ice bucket selling $2 bottles of water, the Elvis-or-similar painted "statue," Budweiser girls, mobile carnival rides I wouldn't ride if my life depended on it, and of course, the incessant cries of "Where is the bathroom?" and "Is there any place to sit?" from the overheated masses.