Life, Arts, & Culture
Toronto is a city of music and art. It's also a city that deserves to be explored, down every sketchy alley and over every grassy hill. Included here are mostly Toronto area events and celebrations but seeing as how it actually isn't the centre of the universe, I've also been to events in other countries. Please enjoy a slice of what Toronto is all about.
Doors Open 2017
Doors Open is a chance to get into all those buildings that are off-limits the rest of the year--for free. Hitting up some bucket list buildings was on the menu this year and next time, a little more exploring of the less popular spots will be the goal.
Canadian Music Week 2016
23 artists. 8 venues. 5 days. A selection of my adventures through my first Canadian Music Week in TO music institutions such as Lee's, Mod Club, and the Bovine with acts like Elle Exxe, ROZES, Daithi, Nao, and Sumo Cyco.
Toronto International Film Festival 2015
TIFF is a weird, exciting time in the city. People are camped out 20 hours a day in various spots along King Street all for a mere glimpse of a film star. And so one year, I decided to join them to see what all the fuss was about.
Toronto's Best Cafes
Taking a trip around Toronto, I got to sample some of the best brews and caffeine highs this town has on offer. All in the name of working hard... or hardly working?
Toronto Cider Festival 2017
The way Toronto festivals should be, in a nutshell. Not too big, not too drunk, good tunes, good vibes, free stuff, and everyone just chill and happy.
EDIT|dx: 2017
The Expo for Design, Innovation & Technology was a 10-day event focused on design for the future, specifically looking at sustainability, policy, environmentalism, education, and aesthetics.
An Honest Farewell
Honest Ed's is--or was--a Toronto icon. On its final weekend, Toronto For Everyone opened it up to the public for parties and art, notably aMAZEment: a massive art maze and tribute to the landmark which will now be demolished for downtown condos.
Hi-Fi Music Fest 2016
If controversy and ragging on Ke$ha is what makes a music festival cool, Hi-Fi would have beat all the competition. Despite last minute cancellation of the event, most bands and venues kept rocking, sans the Hi-Fi label. (#freekesha!)
Toronto Green Roof Adventure
Although urban rooftop exploration is burning hot right now on Instagram, checking out the environmentally-friendly roofs in the daytime has yet to hit the mainstream. So, here's a taste of what you never knew existed.
An August Wedding
At the tail end of 2016's warm summer, I was assisting at the most fairytale of weddings in the lofty rooms and lush gardens of Casa Loma doing cocktail hour candids.
Double Fun in the Beaches 2017
A late summer treat in the form of the David Suzuki Foundation's Butterflyway Parade & Pollinator Party, as well as the first ever Toronto Beaches Fest!
Toronto Christmas Market 2017
Toronto's annual contribution to the worldwide Christmas market experience, every year at the Distillery District. Stopping by during the day is certainly a different look at this HUGELY popular downtown event.
Toronto Light Festival
After getting bummed about missing Amsterdam's Light Festival, it came as a surprise to learn that Toronto brought the festival home. Its inaugural year lit up the Distillery District for many weeks so here's a sampling of what was glowing this winter!
Iceland Airwaves 2015
You don't really know Iceland until you've been there in winter. You don't really know how much you love a band until you trek through Reykjavik in sleet and blizzards for them. And that's basically what Iceland Airwaves is: a test. Oh, and you really have to love Icelandic music!
High Park Cherry Blossom Time
I've never really understood the big deal about High Park's Cherry Blossom season. It's about 2 weeks long and features a lot of people looking at some trees. So, in order to see what the fuss is about, I decided to finally check it out.
Birds of the Bloedel
I took a walk on the wild side to the evil city of Vancouver and discovered a wonderland of birds! All sorts of birds: parrots, finches, parakeets, canaries, and so many more!
MosaïCanada150 2017
We chose the hottest day of the entire summer to head up to Gatineau, Quebec for this botantical & cultural exhibit. But sweltering heat aside, it was gorgeous.
Festival of Lights 2017
Spending the holidays in Vancouver gave me the chance to check out some of what the west coast does to celebrate--and I think I found the answer: Christmas lights everywhere! And they aren't kidding around.