Fun things to do in Toronto March & April 2022

In March of 2020 the world at large started shutting down as the Covid-19 started spreading through the populations and the World Health Organization declared the infectious disease a pandemic. As I write this post in the waning months of 2021 the restrictions in Ontario are starting to wind down and more and more people are starting to return to their offices.

A Provincial News Release from October 22, 2021 predicts that most safety measures would be lifted in the first quarter of 2022, we will see if this forecast comes true: "March 28, 2022 At this time, it is intended that remaining public health and workplace safety measures will be lifted, including wearing face coverings in indoor public settings. Recommendations may be released for specific settings, if appropriate. In addition, the provincial requirement for proof of vaccination will be lifted for all remaining settings, including meeting and event spaces, sporting events, concerts, theatres and cinemas, racing venues and commercial and film productions with studio audiences."

Hopefully Covid restrictions will end, just as winter starts to fade and the first day of spring happens on Sunday, March 20, 2022. Yeah for the vernal equinox!

Ontario Place Winter Light Exhibition Sat to Sun, Feb to Mar. Cancelled.

Previous Winter Station installation

Introspection (2022) has a mirrored interior

Looking out of The Hive (2022)

Winter Stations in the Beach From Feb 21 until Thurs, Mar 31. It's a go. See my photos here.
International Bicycle Show The Spring show has been cancelled until 2023, but the fall 2022 show is a go.

Toronto Rock Lacrosse till April 30.

Toronto Spring Camping & RV Show Thurs to Sun, Mar 3-6

Toronto FC Starts Sat, Mar 5

Celebrate Toronto Fri to Sun, Mar 4-6.

Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto opens for the 2022 Season Thurs, Mar 10.

Toronto Sugarbush Maple Syrup Festival Sat, Mar 12 to Sun, April 10. 

Green Living Show Fri to Sun, Mar. To be confirmed

National Home Show  Fri to Sun, Apr 15-24 confirmed. Canada Blooms will return in 2023

Sugar Shack Sat to Sun, Mar down at the waterfront. To be confirmed

Toronto Sportsmen's Show Thurs to Sun, Mar 17-20. It's a go

Toronto ComicCON Fri to Sun, Mar 18-20. Come for the costumes, read a few comics and meet some stars. It's a go

Roundhouse Craft Beer Festival Sat, Feb 5. March 19. Brought to you by Steam Whistle and the Toronto Railway Museum

St Patricks Day Parade Sun, Mar 20 (new date). It's a go

Toronto North American International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Fri to Sun, Mar 25-27 (rescheduled from January) It's a go! Check out my contest for a chance to win a pair of tickets to the show.

Earth Hour Sat, Mar 26 at 8:30 pm.

Toronto Biennial of Art 2022 Sat, Mar 26 till Sun, June 5. They are on a mission to make contemporary art accessible to everyone.

Toronto Sugarbush Maple Syrup Festival Sat, Mar 12 to Sun, April 10. 

Toronto Pillow Fight is a go! Sat, Apr 2 at 3pm at Nathan Phillips Square. During World Pillow Fight Day.

Toronto Blue Jays Home Opener Mon, April 4.

Interior Design Show Thur to Sun, Apr 7-10. In the south building of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. "Presented by Miele, IDS Toronto will explore the realm of possibility with its 2022 theme, New Futures, reflecting Canadian design within a global context catalysing new ideas, solutions and expression featuring fresh branding by Sali Tabacchi design studio."

Interior Design Show

ImportExpo - Toronto Opener 2022 Sat, Apr 9. Now at the Enercare Centre

International Spring Motorcycle Show Sat to Sun, Apr 9-10.
Toronto Roller Derby League Who knows?
Toronto Beaches Lions Easter Parade Sun, Apr 17. It's a go
Fashion Art Toronto Thurs to Mon, Apr. To be confirmed - sometime in Spring/Summer
Future of Innovation, Technology and Creativity FITC Mon to Wed, Apr 11-13. It's a go

Battle of York Weekend TBD

Hopefully the fruit blossoms will come out to play, along with the warm weather. Check out the famous High Park Cherry Blossoms Festival.

Toronto Motorama Custom Car and Motorsports Expo Fri to Sun, Mar 11-13. It's a go. New dates Apr 29 to May 1.

Moved to June

O'Cannabiz Conference and Expo Wed to Fri, June 1-3. It's a go

2021 Xmas tree at Toronto City Hall

A 58 foot Christmas Tree is in Nathan Phillips Square ahead of the 55th annual Cavalcade of Lights. This year the festival won't include a fireworks show but the magic will remain as over 300,000 lights and over 500 large ornaments will decorate the tree. The 2020 tree is shown in the photo at top.

Previous Cavalcade skating party

A 58 foot Christmas Tree is in Nathan Phillips Square ahead of the 55th annual Cavalcade of Lights. This year the festival won't include a fireworks show but the magic will remain as over 300,000 lights and over 500 large ornaments will decorate the tree.

The 2021 tree has been raised and is awaiting the decorations (Nov 18)

The pond is drained and waiting to be turned into a skating rink

The rest of the square will have enhanced lighting which you can view online during the holidays to help with social distancing. Mayor Tory suggests wandering through the square in small groups as opposed to the massive party that it became precovid. The Cavalcade of Lights is on Saturday, November 27, 2021.

Mayor John Tory says “I'm happy to see the City of Toronto's official Christmas tree arrive to mark the start of the holiday season. Watching the Christmas tree arrive in Nathan Phillips Square and seeing crews working to decorate for the Cavalcade of Lights is another sign of the progress we are making fighting COVID-19. I can't wait to see the tree lit up later this month and hope it will help fill people with the spirit of the holidays."

A New Year's Eve celebration is also planned for City Hall on Friday, December 31, 2021.

Fun things to do in #Toronto in Jan and Feb 2022

Of course the best laid plans always fall apart when Covid-19 crashes the party. On December 17 the Premier of Ontario introduced plans for new capacity limits and an accelerated booster rollout - taking effect on Sunday, December 19, 2021, in response to the rapidly-spreading Omicron variant. Once announced the result was almost immediate as events started to be cancelled and some businesses that serve the public give up and begin to close for the holidays. 

So the new questions are; Why didn't they open the boosters back up for large scale distribution in September? Will Omicron be milder? Why are cloth masks now not recommended? OMG I have never seen more reverses on the benefits of something (in this case wearing masks) from health experts that I have with this virus. Is March 28, 2022 still the magical end to restrictions in Ontario?

From the "Ontario Releases Plan to Safely Reopen Ontario and Manage COVID-19 for the Long-Term" report. "March 28, 2022: At this time, it is intended that remaining public health and workplace safety measures will be lifted, including wearing face coverings in indoor public settings. Recommendations may be released for specific settings, if appropriate."

It's even more important now to check ahead before going to an event, or buying a ticket, than before. Good luck Toronto.

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Roll the dice and see what the new year has to offer, will it be lockdown, or maybe booster shots? Here's to things returning to normal, or semi-normal and the city coming back to life. These are the events that typically happen, will they return in 2022? I will note if the organizers cancel the event as the information becomes available, otherwise check their websites before you make concrete plans to attend.

Drive Thru Fun Co. Presents Snow Magic at Ontario Place Nov 12 - Sun, Jan 16. It's a go.
Polar Bear Dip at Sunnyside Beach. Wed, Jan 1. Noon at Sunnyside Beach. 'Do the Dip'. Was a go, now cancelled.
Toronto Rock Lacrosse The 2021-2022 season starts in Dec of 2021. All home games are played in Hamilton. It's on.
North American International Motorcycle Supershow Fri to Sun, Jan 7-9. It's on. Now cancelled. Now postponed to unknown dates.
Toronto No Pants Subway Ride Sun, Jan 9. Meet at 3pm at Eaton Centre Dundas Street entrance, 3:20pm head out on the rails. To be confirmed. Now cancelled.

Nordic Lights at Harbourfront Thurs, Jan 27 to Sun, Feb 13.

Festival of Cool at Harbourfront Wed, Jan 19 to Sun, Feb 13. Spectacle and celebrations down at the water's edge.

Canada's Bridal Show Fri to Sun, Jan 21-23. It's on.
Toronto International Boat Show Sat to Sun, Jan 22-30. It's a go. Not anymore - Omicron has entered the conversation. Now revised to a virtual show from Wed to Sun, Jan 26-30.

Toronto Light Festival Fri, - Sun, Jan. To be confirmed.
Blue Jays Winter Fest Sat to Sun, Jan. To be confirmed.
Ice Breakers at Queens Quay. To be confirmed.
Toronto Roller Derby League Sat Jan TBD Season Opener and 2022 season.
Toronto Chinatown Lunar New Year Celebrations Sat to Sun, Jan. To be confirmed.
Winterlicious Mon, Jan 31 start. To be confirmed.

Harbourfront Centre Kuumba Feb. To be confirmed.
Hey, it's Groundhog Day on Wed, Feb 2. Groundhogs can't be stopped! Don't forget about Wiarton Willie!
Toronto Coldest Day of the Year Ride Sat, Feb 5. To be confirmed.

Bloor-Yorkville Icefest Festival Sat to Sun, Feb. To be confirmed.

Black Film Festival Wed to Mon, Feb. To be confirmed.

Happy Valentine's Day Mon, Feb 14. Hugs and kisses everyone.

Motorcycle Show Toronto Fri to Sun, Feb 18-20. It's a go. Not Anymore

Spring Fish and Boat Show Fri to Mon, Feb 18-21. It's a go.
Canadian International AutoShow Fri to Sun, Feb 18-27. It's a go.

Beaches Winter Stations Design Competition Displays start Mon, Feb 21. It's a go.
Winterfolk Festival Fri to Sun, Feb 18-20. It's a go.
Outdoor Adventure and Travel Show Fri to Sun, Feb 25-27. It's a go.

Moved into March....

Toronto International Bicycle Show Fri to Sun, Mar. To be confirmed.
Toronto Sportsmen's Show Wed to Sun, March 17-20. It's a go.

Roundhouse Craft Beer Festival Sat, Feb 5. March 19. Brought to you by Steam Whistle and the Toronto Railway Museum

Moved into April....

Moved into April Interior Design Show IDS2022 Thurs to Sun, Apr 7-10. It's a go.

The Franchise Expo Fri to Sun, Apr 22-24. It's on.

Wineries closer to Toronto than Niagara-on-the-Lake

Thousands from the GTA travel on weekends into the Niagara-on-the-Lake area, famous for its blend of wineries, scenery and lovely towns. Getting there is a scramble on the QEW which many times slows to a glacial pace, then you have to wait to get close to the tasting bars. Well, you can get off the path most travelled and enjoy the Bench and Niagara Escarpment areas from Beamsville to St. Catherines. 

Back 10 Cellars

I know one of Ann's favourite wineries is Angel Gate which is on the Beamsville Bench and the last time we visited I learned that Nuns used to look after the property. Then when it became Angels Gate they made the building look like a church or mission.

Grape vines on rolling hills

The BENCH Brewing Company

We found a Ghostbusters hearse

Spend some time watching the boats travel the Welland Canal in St. Catherines

Shoreline Commemorative in Toronto

Once upon a time the edge of Lake Ontario cut through what would become Church Street, just north of the Esplanade. The spot was marked with a work of art as part of a development in 2014. You can find other markers of the past limits of the waters of the Great Lake throughout Toronto, like the one in nearby Distillery District.

From the artist's website, "Shoreline Commemorative by artist-architect Paul Raff is a public artwork commissioned by Concert Properties for their urban boutique residential development The Berczy. The artwork’s location, south of Front Street on the west side of Church Street, was the site of Lake Ontario’s shoreline for thousands of years. The artwork has a sculpted limestone base evoking the original topography of the city’s edge. Its focus is a glowing glass orb set on a bronze tripod, which acts as a dense glass rendition of the line separating sky and water. The tripod reminds passerbys of the surveyors’ instrumentation of the line of sight, an important tool in creating the city. The brick wall to the south is inscribed with the text: “For 10,000 years this was the location of Lake Ontario’s shoreline. This brick wall stands where water and land met, with a vista horizon.” These elements, as an ensemble, present a summary of the experience of being on the shoreline with the horizon view open to open water, an experience formerly available at this exact location."

The inscription reads "For 10,000 years this was the location of Lake Ontario's shoreline. This brickwall stands where water and land met, with a vista of horizon"

Mini Train and Carousel in Guelph

The 80 acre park in north Guelph along Woolwich and Woodlawn Streets is a lovely park bisected by the Speed River, full of special features including the miniature train and carousel. The amusement rides are open daily from Victoria Day weekend to mid-September and during weekends only until early October (10:30am till 6pm).

Standing on the tiny railway track

Carousel building

The park hosts seasonal events including outdoor concert series at the amphitheater and in winter time the annual Rotary Sparkle in the Park returns December 16 to 31, 2021 (5:30pm to late).

You can also find rock gardens, children's playground, horseshoe pits, a windmill, a 9-hole disk golf course, a floral clock and walking trails. 

In autumn the park is full of vibrant colours. You can see more photos after the jump.

Glowing Hearts in Brookfield Place

#HeartsTO at Brookfield Place is helping the United Way of Greater Toronto with donations when you post the hashtag and photo of the hearts. The neon LED lights have been setup in the downtown core by partners of Brookfield so keep your eye out and share the love.

Halloween in Toronto 2021

October 31st in Toronto was still a Covid Halloween (no large events) but some people dressed in costumes as they returned to the clubs and restaurants. Out in public we saw The Steampunkin mobile rave on Church Street, then head into Barbara Hall Park and Neon Riders took their last official bike rave ride of the season.

A spooky character playing Bram Stoker's dracula on Church Street in the Village

People did gather at Yonge-Dundas Square either wearing costumes or looking at the people wearing costumes. One of the big costumes of 2021 are from the television series "Squid Game".

Jesus is floating on a tiny cloud

Posing with Squid Game people

The CN Tower lit up the night with lighting that included "spooktacular orange" and pumpkins in honour of the night.

Pumpkins high above the skyline on the CN Tower

Toronto Neon Riders Halloween Night Rave 2021

Capping off a fantastic year the Neon Riders end the official riding season with a haunted journey on October 31, 2021. The Halloween night bike rave ride headed to the west side of Toronto as far as Bloor West Village after first gathering at Toronto's City Hall.

Santa was checking his naughty list

Gathering at 6pm in Nathan Phillips Square for the night's ride

From their facebook webpage by Steve D'Silva "Neon Riders proudly presents the 2021 Halloween Ride. I have scouted out some of the best decorated Halloween houses in the city and we are going to do a Rave Ride and check them out. The ride is on Halloween night so we are once again going with the Skeleton crew theme. Feel free to dress up as a skeleton to scare the kiddies as they go trick or treating. As usual we will be meeting up at Nathan Phillips Square, but please take note of the early start time of 6:00 pm. Hope to see you all out there as this ride will be a lot of fun."

I decided to join them for only the second time and am amazed by their coordination and safety precautions that keep the riders together and the ride so fun. About 75 riders took part in the Halloween 2021 ride, decorating their bikes in lights and boom boxes as the riders wear skeleton and other scary costumes. 

Typical of the people drawn into the friendly, inclusive group I met a new rider who had seen the Nuit Blanche art ride during the Geary Art Crawl. She loved the energy, the music and the friendly group and decided to join Neon Riders and so went on her first rave ride on Halloween night.

Everyone is now hoping that some unusually warm November nights will bring the group out of hibernation before Christmas hits the city along with all that white stuff that makes biking difficult in winter.

See more photos of the rave ride after the jump.

The SteamPunkin Halloween in Toronto

Legend has it that a steampunk fairy godmother waved her wand and created a rolling pumpkin DJ booth pulled by a metal rat, crewed by Cruella Deville and her Dalmatian pack on this all hallows eve. Reality is that some very hard work went into the creation that is called The SteamPunkin and the DJs help to bring the mobile rave to life on October 31st, 2021.

Here is a closeup of the ROUS or Rodent of Unusual Size

Their facebook page notes that The SteamPunkin is "an artistic carriage combining a fusion of an old school fairytale coach, pulled by the zodiac year of the rat all wrapped into the futuristic world of the Victorian era, the sub-genre of Steampunk."

The party started on Church Street in the Village around 4pm, gathering some costumed revelers before heading through the streets of Toronto and ending up in Barbara Hall Park. It really is cool seeing the procession traveling along roads shared with everyday traffic and I am so glad that I was able to finally see The SteamPunkin in person. I was at the party early but as the day descends into darkness, the lights on the rat and the DJ Punkin turn into quite the light show.

The DJs were JD Mack, Amanda Raygun and Purpelle while Dr Draw performed with his electric violin. See more of the party after the jump.