Toronto is known for it’s star-studded TIFF (International Film Festival) in September, but fall is also the season when a whackload of other film festivals take to screens around town, reflecting the City’s amazing ethnic and cultural mix…Google these and check out all they have to offer!

*Toronto After Dark (Oct. 20-27)

*Polish Film Festival (Oct. 21-23)

*Israel Film Festival (Oct. 23-27)

*Brazil Film Fest (Oct. 27-30)

*Diaspora Film Festival (Nov.1-7)

*Regent Park Film Festival (Nov. 1-7)

*Rendezvous with Madness (Nov.4-12)

*Reel Asian (Nov.8-19)

And boy, is there ever music in the air this time of year!  Here’s a sampling of just a handful of the most interesting shows coming to town (according to me, of course):

*Tedeschi Trucks Band at the Danforth Music Hall (October 25)

*Mumford and Sons at the Air Canada Centre (ACC) (same night!)

*DeadMau5 at the Rogers Centre (November 5)

*Trombone Shorty at the Opera House (November 17)

*Jay Z and Kanye West at the ACC (November 23 and 24)

*Feist at Massey Hall (December 1)

*The National with Neko Case at the ACC (December

I’d give you more options, but if you’re like me you’re already hyperventilating!  So just take a deep breath, choose a couple, and c’mon over!

Mr. Toronto

PS.  Although it is totally unrelated to this blog, I would be remiss if I did not mention the tragic – and freaky – passing of Indy Car Driver Dan Wheldan earlier this week.  Especially freaky for me, because I talked about him in a previous blog – and showed a photo of the 2 of us together – just a few months ago, after he won the Indianapolis 500.  He was a wonderful and charming guy who will be sorely missed.

1)      Go people watching in (funky) Kensington Market – especially the last Sunday of every month, when it’s pedestrian only.

2)      Explore Lake Ontario in a canoe – rentals available from Canoe Toronto at Harbourfront (283A Queen’s Quay West)

3)      Take advantage of free admission to Ontario Place – in celebration of its 40^th anniversary (though you’ll still have to pay for the great water park)

4)      Have a pajama party at a good old-fashioned drive-in – double features, the latest flicks at Polson Pier (www.polsonpier.com)

5)      Buy cheap seats to a Blue Jays game – lots of fun, starting at only 11 bucks.  And the team is really quite good this year!

6)      Visit Kew Gardens playground (Queen St.E. and Wellesley), complete with turreted castles, a swirly slide and even a beach!

7)      Take a “staycation” at the Delta Chelsea Hotel – full disclosure: I work there!  But it made the list, really! Best hotel in town for kids (just voted “Best Family Hotel” by the readers of City Parent magazine).  Amazing Family Fun Zone with huge pool and waterslide, Kids Centre, Teen Lounge, and daily Camp Chelsea programming. (www.deltachelsea.com)

That’s it for their list…now a couple of things to add which are going on now and you shouldn’t miss.

First is the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE, or “The EX”, if you want to talk like a native), on now until September 5^th. Animal and agricultural exhibits, special shows, shopping pavilions, midway rides, FOOD (new this year – deep fried Jell-O!!!).  A real institution that should be visited at least once in your lifetime!

Secondly, the new Cirque du Soleil show is in town until October 9, at a specially constructed tent near Cherry Beach.  I have seen Cirque many times over the years, and I can honestly say this is the best I have seen.  Incredible staging and truly unbelievable acts.  With or without kids, get there!

And enjoy the rest of your summer!

Mr. Toronto

For instance, the latest edition of the Toronto Jazz Fest may have been my favourite yet.  Besides a dynamite line-up, the event moved to a new location, down at Metro Square (recently renamed David Pecault Square, in memory of this wonderful man who started the Luminato festival, among other things).  Much cozier than Nathan Phillips Square where it’s usually held, not to mention grass to sit down on…

And speaking of Nathan Phillips Square, the festival was moved from that spot as it is in the middle of a multi-year, multi-million dollar reno.  And one of the first things they renovated was an unused, secluded spot on the roof, which has been turned into the newest best-kept secret in Toronto – a fantastic rooftop garden.  Exquisite seclusion in the heart of the City.  They still hold some events in the Square below during renovations, as evident by the fun outdoor Art Festival that took place this weekend.

And speaking of this weekend, took a bike ride along another hidden gem in the City – the Leslie Street Spit.  It’s OK, I didn’t know what a “spit” was, either, til my breath was taken away by the beauty along this mile or so of unspoiled nature near Cherry Beach, just minutes from downtown.  Incredible views of the city skyline, but you truly feel like you are in Maine or Cape Cod…there’s even a lighthouse at the end!  Fun to skate – or even walk – if you don’t have a bike.  That’s my friend Paul enjoying the view…

And speaking of friends (don’t you just love the natural transitions I have written in this blog entry?) made a new one at the Honda Indy this past weekend (yes, it was a very busy weekend!).  That’s me with Dan Akroyd, the Grand Marshall this year.  A good ol’ Canadian boy (for those Americans who still do not realize that all the best comedy comes from this side of the border) who’s done all right for himself – including his new vodka, skeleton-bottle and all!

And it’s not even the middle of July yet – phew!

Mr. Toronto

Festival and events season is right around the corner – as I have discussed in previous blogs, Luminato and the Jazz Fest – both happening in June – have amazing lineups this year, with plenty of free events to supplement the ticketed ones (including Aretha Franklin on June 24^th at Metro Square – come on!!).  And my mind turned to the Honda Indy the other day (happening here the weekend of July 9), as I noticed a big picture in the newspaper the other day of driver Dan Wheldon, who just won the Indianapolis 500 race.  Ya see, I was fortunate enough to ride in the pre-race parade last year for the Honda Indy (representing my hotel, the Delta Chelsea, which sponsors the race), and each sponsor was paired with a driver as we drove around the track with a driver waving to the crowd…and I got Dan (see photo).  Good to see my little pep talk worked!

Indy 500 Winner Dan Wheldon

Anyway, I digress.  I really wanted the main topic of my first summer blog to be about “Cinema Under the Stars”, a summer tradition in Toronto where open-air movie theatres pop up all over town for residents and visitors alike to catch a FREE flick.  Here’s where to go:

Yonge-Dundas Square, every Tuesday night June 28-August 30 for their “Dancing in the Dark” dance-themed movies

WestJet Stage at Harbourfront Centre, every Tuesday night July 5 – August 9 for “Longo’s Free Flicks” exploring urban themes

Metro Square (now David Pecault Square, next to Roy Thomson Hall), every Wednesday night July 6- August 31 for “TIFF in the Park”, showing classics like Sound of Music and Wizard of OZ

Downsview Park, Every Friday July9- August 31 for “Movies under the Stars” with family-friendly movies (including Justin Bieber’s latest “Never Say Never” – EEEEK!!!)

Riverdale Park East, Sundays June 19, July 24, August 14, August 24 for “Movies in the Park” to support local charities.

Kind of like a drive-in, but without having to pay for gas!  Enjoy.

Mr. Toronto

Started off the week by attending a press conference for the latest addition to Toronto’s amazing summer concert season…the new BlackCreek Music Festival.  A VERY ambitious series- spearheaded behind the seasons by the impresario/marketing genius Garth Drabinsky of Livent/Phantom fame (has to be behind the scenes – he’s about to go to jail for embezzlement, but that’s another story…) – this is a 14-week festival launching June 4th.  It’s taking place at the Rexall Centre up at York University, which until now has been used only for Rogers Cup Tennis Tournaments that are held every year (my favourite sporting event – the subject of a future blog, I’m sure!).  It’s a very eclectic festival, launching with the superstar Spanish tenor Placido Domingo, then featuring everyone from Marvin Hamlisch to the London Symphony Orchestra to Diana Krall with Tony Bennett, to James Taylor.  Check out www.blackcreekfestival.com for details.

My next meeting was with the Toronto Jazz Festival. It’s their 25th Anniversary (!!!) this year, and have announced the first of what will be many fantastic concerts (many free).  Pushing my button in particular are Paco de Lucia (amazing flamenco guitarist), Return To Forever featuring Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke, among others (one of the first concerts I ever saw – and one of the only ones with my dad – WAY back in the ‘70’s!), and Bela Fleck – a banjo virtuoso (yes, really) – reuniting wit his incredible band the Flecktones.  The Jazz Fest takes place June 24- July 3rd, and this year moves down to Metro Square, as it’s usual home- Nathan Phillips Square- is under a massive renovation project… it’s a great space off King St.West that links Metro Hall with Roy Thomson Hall, across from the Royal Alex Theatre.  www.torontojazz.com for the whole line-up!

Delhi 2 Dublin

Metro Square is also the new home for the last of the announcements I went to this past week, for Luminato- Toronto’s Festival of Arts and Creativity, taking place June 10-19 (also celebrating an anniversary – #5).  While it is not strictly a music festival – it bills itself as “an annual multi-disciplinary celebration of theatre, dance, music, literature, food, visual arts, fashion, film, and more” (what more could there be??!!) – the event I went to focused on their music offerings, which are spectacular.  And again, many free, including Grammy Award winning k.d. lang and Kronos Quartet, quirky pop combo-turned children’s act They Might be Giants (my sister dated their guitar player – you will NOT be reading about that in a future blog…) and Canadian favourites The Joel Plaskett Emergency.  Yes, all FREE!! And I just have to give a plug here for one of the coolest indie bands I have ever seen who performed for us at the press conference (and will be opening for Punjabi superstar Malkit Singh of Bend it Like Beckham fame).  They’re called Delhi 2 Dublin, and like the name implies, they are an amazing mix of Indian and Irish music, wrapped up in a neo-punk blanket…

See you out at ALL these shows! Mr. Toronto

Earlier this week, I attended the big media event at the Royal York Hotel, where they announced the nominees…these things are never too exciting – loads of categories no one really cares about (unless you’ve been nominated, of course), loads of people no one has ever heard of (and then of course, the ones you HAVE heard of, but don’t care about – Justin Bieber, anybody?….) So let me just share with you some highlights of the event itself.

First of all, it’s important to note that “the event” is really a whole whackload of activities, some of which having started already!  For example, The Bata Shoe Museum has already opened an exhibit of Juno Award winner’s shoes…. and next week, the AGO opens up a collection of artwork chosen by Award winners…. then, as we get closer to the main event (which is on Sunday, March 27, by the way), there’s a flurry of activity, from block parties to concert series, to photography exhibits and film screenings…. for a complete list, visit www.junoawards.ca

As for the main event itself – it’s taking place at the Air Canada Centre, and will be as much concert as award ceremony…scheduled performers (announced to date) include Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, Hedley and Johnny Reid.  And if those names don’t mean that much to you, they are upping the ante by having superstar rapper Drake as the Host, and by giving special awards to Shania Twain and Neil Young…OMG!!  Tickets for this public event are on sale now through Ticketmaster.

See ya there!

Mr. Toronto

The week started out with a visit to the Bell Lightbox, spanking new home of the Toronto International Film Festival.  But that’s what it’s used for just a few weeks out of the year (in September) – this fantastic/gorgeous new building has enough to keep people flocking there year round…and not just movie buffs, either.  They are currently showing an amazing exhibit from the warped mind of Director Tim Burton (came here from MoMA in NYC), which is as much an art exhibit as anything else. There are 2 fantastic restaurants- one a VERY reasonable casual dining spot on the main floor (Canteen) that serves yummy pizzas, pastas, salads and sandwiches; the other, (Luna), a classy joint with a great view on the second floor. And, if you ARE a movie buff, 5 state-of-the-art and intimate theatres are showing very interesting (i.e. not your typical Hollywood Blockbuster) movies all day, every day…

My next fun stop this week was at the beautiful new-and-improved SONY Centre (formerly the Hummingbird and originally the O’Keefe).  It’s being used for all kinds of cool performances, from theatre to dance to music, but I was very pleasantly surprised to see it used for the show I went to see – Robert Plant.  Though I was never a big Led Zeppelin fan, his new Band of Joy is sublime, and right up my alley (great new album, too!).  The venue is comfy, and has great acoustics and sightlines from everywhere…and they even let you bring your drinks to your seat! (critical for a Robert Plant show…)

Next, I had a meeting with Luminato, the newest cultural festival in Toronto that is already celebrating its 5th year (how time flies!).  It doesn’t occur til June, but they’ve already announced much of their lineup for the 10-day event.  More on that later in the year (but if you’re really anxious, go to www.luminato.com)

Finally, a big theatre announcement – was too busy to make the media announcement, but it was all over the papers the next day.  Mirvish productions is bringing in a hugely successful (in London) family show this spring (starts May 3) called the Railway Children.  The coolest thing about the show is that an actual train is part of the production, so a special theatre is being built for it down by some railroad tracks by the Steamwhistle Brewery.  Which is another cool topic/attraction I could talk about, but that’s enough for now!

Mr. Toronto

But there are LOTS of other (more accessible?) festivals coming up over the next couple months — here are some highlights:

• Pride Toronto – our epic Gay weekend and parade (June 24-July 4)
• Fringe Theatre Festival – 150 different shows! (June 30-July 11)
• Summerlicious – 150 of Toronto’s top restaurants offer special – and cheap! – menus (July 9-25)
• Festival of India – some of this food is actually free! (July 17-18)
• Caribana – our wild and crazy Caribbean extravaganza (July 28-August 1)
• Taste of the Danforth – if your taste buds are more Greek-centric (August 6-8)
• Festival of Beer – if you need something to wash all that food down with; great music, too – at Exhibition Place (August 5-7)
• Summerworks – more than 40 plays, concerts and workshops (August 5-15)
• And, of course, the good ol’ CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) closes down the summer festivities (August 20- September 6)

So pack your sunscreen and party hats and come on down – we’re waiting for you!

Mr. Toronto

If you’ve never visited TIFF before, you have to check it out.  Besides great movies day and night – many of which you can now actually see since tickets have become more accessible – it really is almost impossible to hang out – at the right places, anyway – and not bump into a movie star somewhere.

So what are those right places, you might ask?  Well, despite many of the movies/galas being shown further downtown, Yorkville is still the centre of activity.  Hotelwise, stand outside of the Four Seasons Hotel and you’re guaranteed a sighting.  The Park Hyatt is right up there, too, with a close 3^rd being the Intercontinental – all spitting distance from each other. And the Hazelton is a very ritzy boutique hotel – with it’s own private screening room – where you can also see beautiful people hanging out in its beautiful bar/restaurant, One….as for other restaurants, Sassafraz still draws them in, as does Bistro 990, which claims to be the “Official Restaurant” of TIFF…Sotto Sotto is an Italian fave of the stars…but you can pick any of the local restaurants, grab a table, and hope for the best (George Clooney ate at a non-descript Yorkville sushi joint last night…)

And then there’s the shopping.  The stars are always visiting their favourite stores in Yorkville, and on Bloor Street. The Roots flagship store is a sure bet, as is Holt Renfrew.

But the great thing about TIFF is you never know where you’ll bump into someone.  I almost ran Dennis Miller over as he was jaywalking on University Avenue a couple years ago, and rode up in an elevator with Sean Penn at the Delta Chelsea last year! (where I also spotted Geoffrey Rush having a drink in the bar).

So put on a comfy pair of shoes, grab your binoculars and autograph book, and come on down!

See you at the movies!

Mr. Toronto

Groovin’ on a sunny afternoon here in Toronto. And the festivals continue….

Just coming off of Indy weekend, where I actually got to ride around in the pre-race parade with other sponsors, VIPs and drivers, and wave like the Queen to the stands surrounding the track. Also got to meet Gene Simmons, who was the parade Grand Marshall. Was never a huge Kiss fan, but you gotta admire the guy for what he has accomplished musically and as a marketing genius….

And now we’re heading into the Just for Laughs festival…had to turn down tickets to see Sarah Silverman, one of my faves, but there is plenty of other stuff on tap – including John Cleese and a huge free outdoor gig by Russell Peters, a native son who has just been listed as one of the top 10 wealthiest stand-up comics (guess he’s having the last laugh…)

Yesterday also marked the kick-off of ten days of Caribana festivities, always a wild and crazy time in the City…good time to be opening a new reggae musical, which Mirvish Productions is doing next week – The Harder They Come. Not sure how this 70’s cult movie is gonna translate to a play, but will let you know! (or better yet, come find out for yourself!)

Last blog I mentioned our city’s great outdoor patios…this time I want to mention that there are some dynamite gelato places (seems like everyone wants gelato nowadays – ice cream ain’t good enough any more…) in some very cool areas of the City. Check out one of the two “Little Italys” we have here – at College St. or St. Clair Ave.; La Paloma on St. Clair is one of the oldest and well know gelaterias in Toronto…or head over to Hollywood Gelato, located on a cool strip packed with great restaurants and bars, on Bayview Ave. just south of Eglinton.

And come catch a Jays game before we all lose hope for yet another season! I’ll be there Sunday against the Red Sox…

Mr. Toronto