Black Friday in the #Toronto Eaton Centre

The first real Black Friday shopping day has spread from the United States into Canada. Stores in the Eaton Centre featured large discounts and shoppers took advantage starting early in the morning at the mall (6 am!) with a lineup to get inside. Later in the morning the stores were back to normal as the best deals always seem to be limited door crasher deals. The event is held the day after the American Thanksgiving holiday which this year falls on Friday, November 23, 2012.

Many people are also getting their credit cards ready for the upcoming Cyber Monday.

Big Rocks at Sugar Beach

Candy cane striping on the big granite rocks means Sugar Beach is ready for Christmas! The urban beach is now in the off season so seats under the pink umbrellas are easy to get, but think about bringing a warm coat and some hot chocolate.

The beach is cool, but I really think I like looking at the Great Lake Steamers, like the Shoveler, that dock by Redpath Sugar and get unloaded by the big bucket.

See more sugar after the jump.

CFL Grey Cup Festival Cheer Dance Day

Teams of young #Toronto cheer groups competed in Yonge-Dundas Square as part of the @100thGreyCup Festival Cheer Dance Day. Competitors were coached by a squad of the Toronto Argonaut Cheerleaders. The festival events continue here and at City Hall in the days leading up to the November 25 Grey Cup Championship Game.

See more after the jump.

It's a Brookfield Place Christmas

The Christmas Ring Tree art installation is back up in Brookfield Place, hung with care with decorations, icicles and lights. Holiday cheer is increasing by the minute as Toronto embraces the coming season of giving and family. Bring a toy and make a donation.

This is no Charlie Brown Christmas Tree!

Office staff will soon be meeting over cocktail cheers and fancy lunches in restaurants around the city as Christmas parties start early in the season.

Over the Rainbow rises in #Toronto

Crews begin to hoist the sparkly rainbow that will advertise the new Andrew Lloyd Webber's production of the Wizard of Oz. The play will be held at the Ed Mirvish Theatre (formerly the Canon Theatre) on Yonge Street, will open in December and features an all-Canadian cast.

"Developed from the ever popular MGM screenplay, this new production contains all the beloved songs from the Oscar®-winning movie score, all the favourite characters and iconic moments, plus a few surprises along the way, including new songs by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber."

The star of the show playing Dorothy was chosen during the 16 episodes of the CBC series "Over the Rainbow". Auditions started in Vancouver on June 1 and ended in Toronto on June 18 at the Glenn Gould CBC Studios. "CANADA HAS VOTED! DANIELLE IS YOUR DOROTHY!", Danielle Wade won the role and is from La Salle, Ontario and has experience in musical theatre.

The Hobbit's Shire in Union Station

Bilbo Baggins begins his Unexpected Journey from his home located in the lush green hills of the Shire, unexpected because the Shire is really in #Toronto Union Station. That reminds me, I have to load my precious Presto card.

The new movie from the director of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy opens December 14, 2012.

"The adventure follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Sorcerers."

A look back at #Toronto Graffiti

 The 36" Steel Wheels tour car in mustard yellow.

More of the city is being covered in steel and shiny glass as condos rise from the remnants of old neighbourhoods but you can still find nooks and crannies filled with colourful graffiti. In one hundred years these will be worth millions of dollars if they survive - remember that when you pass by the mostly bad, but occasional art gem in the raw.

SPUD grenades and Mayor Ford faces

Deadboy raccoon 

See more graffiti after the jump.

Sad year for desserts

And the people that make them. After finding out that Kraft Foods will close the #Toronto Mr Christie cookie plant in 2013 we have now have to bear the potential loss of twinkies. In the lakeshore bakery the loss of over 500 jobs is sad news for the local economy and the individual workers - I hope things work out for them.

To ERR is Human

To ARR is Pirate! From a Cafe sign found on the #Toronto Islands

Winter AnimeCON

AnimeCON is coming December 9, 2012 to the Metro #Toronto Convention Centre and you know that you wanna go, all dressed up, maybe as Sailor Moon.

Grey Cup Festival at City Hall

Giant @100thGreyCup football has now destroyed part of the reconstructed #Toronto Nathan Phillips Square, it was moved from Yonge-Dundas Square after it wreaked havoc at that square (they might even have to replace the busted up concrete with grass!). The Zip Line continues to hurtle people high above the concrete in place of a new downtown relief subway line and their screams don't even drown out the fine music from the band 'Of Gentlemen and Cowards' rocking on the main stage, pictured below.

The excitement of the festival grows as the Argos won against the Montreal Alouettes bringing the Toronto team into the 100th Grey Cup Championship Game against the Calgary Stampeders. On Tuesday, November 20 there will be a 6pm Argo Pep Rally at Yonge-Dundas Square.

The army set up an obstacle course

Flying down the Zip Line

Argo Alumni Zeke O'Connor signs autographs at the Eaton Centre Sears

Honda Indy Turbocharged Tickets

Returning with vengeance the 2013 @HondaIndy #Toronto race weekend has two full IndyCar races as well as plenty of other excitement for race fans. Two day tickets are released for sale on December 10, 2012 at 10am while single day tickets will go on sale May 1, 2013. "Select seats will be pre-released to the public in a special Cyber Monday promotion on November 23."

Individual IZOD IndyCar sanctioned races will take place on Saturday (with a standing start) and Sunday (with a rolling start) and drivers will complete for full money and points for each race. The weekend fun starts July 12-14, 2013.

“Back-to-back IZOD IndyCar Series races in one weekend offer huge value to fans,” said Charlie Johnstone, Vice President and General Manager of the Honda Indy Toronto. “Fans can watch Saturday’s race and then walk over to the city’s nightlife or entertainment districts for a typical night on the town, while the Sunday race will offer more suspense and build-up.”

Some of the grandstands will be replaced with super-grandstands for improved seating comfort and viewing sight lines. The Dr Pepper grandstand in turn 11 will be undergoing an upgrade! The higher grandstands will also provide better track-side access for the $35 one day General Admission fans.

I followed the wrong Santa Claus Parade

When I didn't get jostled by mega-crowds along the sidewalks of #Toronto I should have clued in that I wasn't at the real Santa Claus Parade. Instead I waited in relative peace and watched in anticipation, then giddy with excitement I saw the approach of the parade. The floats and bands that I imagined from a distance slowly turned into Santa Claus, just Santa Claus, no reindeer or dancing sugarplums, no candy, no Christmas kisses and I am pretty sure that he wasn't even an official Santa Claus. He was a Canadian knockoff with a CN Tower on his hat.

Apparently the start, middle and finish of the parade was the fake Santa

Still, for parades it wasn't that bad.

Buskertainment

#Toronto Street Performers are raising money for charity during the @DowntownYonge BIA Buskertainment event. During Holiday Season weekends from November 17 to December 23, 2012 the buskers will be at 7 locations around Downtown Yonge between noon and 2pm.

All the donations will go to directly to the Raising the Roof charity which is working on long term solutions to Canada's homeless.

Friendly BIA staff provide information during the event

See more busking after the jump.

Grey Cup Festival at Yonge-Dundas Square

Footballs, @ArgosCheer and an afternoon of sports events and entertainment brought out @CFL fans for the @100thGreyCup Festival in downtown #Toronto. Yonge-Dundas Square became the Nissan Family Zone with fun activities for children and parents running everyday until Saturday, November 24, 2012.

Cavalcade fireworks at City Hall

The Grey Cup will move from Nathan Phillips Square to Yonge-Dundas Square on Sunday, November 18, 2012.

 

The festival also help to sponsor the 2012 Cavalcade of Lights in Nathan Phillips Square. In addition to the activities at Young-Dundas the festival also has a ton of activites at City Hall. The Zip Line is setup high above the ground and the reflecting pool is now a temporary football field.

 

While back in the Square beside the Eaton Centre the entertainment continues.

The Moon Runners Dance Crew on the main stage

\Giant Panda mascots from the Toronto Zoo

 

Some of the events and attractions included a Stilt Walker, Vanier Cup Trivia, interactive games on the gridiron and music by D\J Floh Back. Sunday's edition of the festival will feature the Beagles Band, Burning Boyz and more gridiron games and will be open from 11am to 6pm.

CP 24 reporter Jackie Crandles on the scene

 

Upcoming daily themes are Art of the Game on Monday, November 19, Bullying Prevention Day on Tuesday and Cheer Dance Day on Wednesday. See more after the jump. Posted by James and Joe Hamilton.