Fun things to do in Toronto May & June 2023

I live for summer and it starts Wednesday, June 21st. Woot, woot. Luckily life and fun in Toronto begins before summer so there are plenty of things to do to in the big city including one of my favourite events - World Naked Bike Ride.

Toronto Marathon Sun, May 7. I definitely won't be running this, but if you do - wow, amazing.
Peak Blossoms in High Park could be in the first week of May! (Cherry Blossoms in Toronto - should happen late April, early May. Best views in High Park)
World Naked Gardening Day Sat, May 6 (usually first Saturday of May).
Colour Me Rad 5k Sat, May TBD in Downsview Park.

Toronto Roller Derby League. Who knows?
Castrol Presents the Victoria Day Speedfest at the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, Fri to Sunday, May 19-21.

Anime North Fri to Sun, May 26-28.
Doors Open Toronto Sat to Sun, May 27-28. Chance to see things normally closed to public or attractions with no entrance fee.
Under the Big H Beer Festival and Carnival May TBD. In the Henderson Brewery parking lot.
DO West Fest (formerly Dundas West Fest) Fri to Sun, Jun 9-11. Dundas Street West from Ossington to Lansdowne presented by Little Portugal Toronto BIA
Woofstock Sat to Sun, June. TBD. Cute dogs in costumes at Woodbine Park in the Beach area. Don't forget about Winter Woofstock in November.
Luminato Wed to Sun, June 7-18. Cool art installations.
Toronto Pro SuperShow Sat to Sun, June 3-4. Muscles, enough said.

World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR) Sat, Jun 10. Right through downtown Toronto, nude. Meet at Coronation Park by noon for some bodypainting, ride begins at 1pm. It's a GO
The Beaches Ribfest - Beach BBQ and Brews: Fri to Sun, June 16-18.

Redpath Waterfront Festival Fri to Sun, June TBD. Moved into September 16-17, 2023. 
Nuit Rose in Church/Wellesley Village and Queen St W. A festival of queer art and performance. Sat, Jun TBD.

Northern Ink Xposure Tattoo Show Fri to Sun, June 9-11.

North By North East (NXNE) Music Festival Tue to Sat, June 13-17.

Taste of Little Italy Fri to Sun, June 16-18.

Northern Heat Toronto Beaches Rib & Beer Festival Fri to Sun, June 16-18.

Taco Fest outside Hotel X Fri to Sun, Jun 16-18.

Na-Me-Res Pow Wow & Indigenous Arts Festival outside Fort York, Sat to Sun, June 17-18

Dragon Boat Race Festival Sat to Sun, Jun 17-18.

Yorkville Exotic Cars Sun, Jun 18 on Bloor Street from 12 noon till 5pm.

Give me Liberty Street Festival in Liberty Village Thurs, June 22.
Collision Toronto Mon to Thurs, June 26-29. tech conference at the Enercare Centre.

Toronto Jazz Festival Fri, Jun 23 to Sun, Jul 2.

World Pride: Toronto Pride Week and Pride Parades Thurs to Fri, Jun 1-30. The Pride Village & Street Fair from Friday, June 23rd – Sunday June 25th, 2023. The parades are things of colour and beauty: Trans March on Friday, Dyke March on Saturday and the Pride Parade on Sunday, June 25th, 2023. The Street Festival on Church St is on during Pride Weekend. Pride Month starts June 1st. Formation area: Rosedale Valley Road closed from Bayview Avenue to Park Road to accommodate the formation of the parade. Parade route: Starts at Church Street and Bloor Street East, goes west on Bloor Street East to Yonge Street, south on Yonge Street to Dundas Street and back to the festival on Church Street. Roads will be closed for varying periods between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. The parade takes place from 2 to 6:30 p.m.

Hope Volleyball Toronto Sat, Jun 24 at Polson Pier. Charity volleyball bash/tournament.
Toronto Roller Derby League: Clam Slam Fri, Jun TBD. Part of the Pride Celebrations - love the name.

Some events in July

Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition Sun to Sun, July 2-9.

And Toronto's MotorFest the Honda Indy Toronto is coming Fri to Sun, July 14-16.

Fun things to do in Toronto March & April 2023

One of the best things coming to Toronto in March is the much awaited official start of Spring on Monday, March 20, 2023! I am hoping the Spring Equinox is overshadowed by a balmy unofficial start to the season much earlier. Instead of just impatiently waiting for the sun I will be checking out some of the events and attractions that make the city so much fun to visit and explore.

Winter Stations in the Beach From continues from Feb 20 in March.
International Bicycle Show Dates to be confirmed. Cancelled for 2023, will be back in March 2024.
Toronto Rock Lacrosse till April 22.
Toronto Spring Camping & RV Show Thurs to Sun, Mar 2-5.

Optik interactive installation at Yonge-Dundas Square Mar 3 to Apr 2

Roundhouse Craft Beer Festival. Was cancelled and is back on for Sat, Mar 4 at 11:00 AM-5:00 PM Brought to you by Steam Whistle and the Toronto Railway Museum

Toronto Sugarbush Maple Syrup Festival Sat, Mar 4 to Sat, Apr 1.
Toronto FC Start date to be confirmed.

Celebrate Toronto Mon, Mar 6 launch in Nathan Phillips Square, continues until Mar 18 in various venues. Toronto's 189th anniversary festival

Toronto Sugarbush Maple Syrup Festival Sat, Mar 4 to Sat, April 1.

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

National Home Show  Fri to Sun, Mar 10-19. Canada Blooms will return in 2024.

Lumiere The Art of Light in Ontario Place. Fri, Mar 10 to Sun, May 7. 2023

Toronto Motorama Custom Car and Motorsports Expo Fri to Sun, Mar 10-12. 

Sugar Shack Sat to Sun, Mar 11-12 down at the waterfront.

Toronto Sportsmen's Show Thurs to Sun, Mar 16-19.

Toronto ComicCON Fri to Sun, Mar 17-19. Come for the costumes, read a few comics and meet some stars.

St Patricks Day Parade Sun, Mar 19.

Earth Hour Sat, Mar 25 at 8:30 pm.

Toronto Pillow Fight Sat, Apr 1 at 3pm at Nathan Phillips Square, to be confirmed. During World Pillow Fight Day.

Toronto Blue Jays Home Opener Tue, April 11.

ImportExpo - Toronto Opener 2023 Apr 1.

International Spring Motorcycle Show Sat to Sun, Apr 1-2.
Toronto Roller Derby League Who knows?
Toronto Beaches Lions Easter Parade Sun, Apr 9.
Fashion Art Toronto Thurs to Sun, Apr 27-30.
Future of Innovation, Technology and Creativity FITC Mon to Tue, Apr 17-18.

Battle of York Weekend TBD

Toronto Comic Arts Festival TCAF Fri to Sun, Apr 29-30.

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

Fun things to do in #Toronto in Jan and Feb 2023

HO HO HO, Santa delivered a great present of a spanking new year full of optimism and fun. Forget that January and February are cold as heck and enjoy the snow and if you can't enjoy the outdoors try to go to all the amazing events that take place indoors.

Polar Bear Dip at Sunnyside Beach. Sunday, Jan 1. Noon at Sunnyside Beach. 'Do the Dip'. Last year was cancelled but die-hard dippers came out anyways. You can join a big crowd in 2023.

Myth and Evidence at Harbourfront Centre. Nov 2022 to Mon, Jan 16.
Toronto Rock Lacrosse All home games are played in Hamilton's FirstOntario Centre.
North American International Motorcycle Supershow Fri to Sun, Jan 6-8 at the International Centre. Check my post here to enter a contest to win tickets to the Motorcycle Supershow.
Toronto No Pants Subway Ride Sun, Jan 8. Meet at 3pm at Eaton Centre Dundas Street entrance, 3:20pm head out on the rails. 

Canada's Bridal Show Fri to Sun, Jan 13-15.

The Franchise Expo Sat to Sun, Jan 14-15.

Interior Design Show IDS2022 Thurs to Sun, Jan 19-22.
Toronto International Boat Show Fri to Sun, Jan 20-29. 
Toronto Light Festival Fri, - Sun, Jan to March in the Distillery District. 2023 dates to be announced.
Blue Jays Winter Fest Sat to Sun, Jan. To be confirmed.
Ice Breakers at Queens Quay. To be confirmed.
Toronto Roller Derby League Did Covid kill TORD?
Toronto Chinatown Lunar New Year Celebrations Sat to Sun, Jan 21-22.
Winterlicious Fri, Jan 27 to Thurs, Feb 9.

Harbourfront Centre Kuumba Wed to Tue, Feb 1-28.
Hey, it's Groundhog Day on Thurs, Feb 2. Groundhogs can't be stopped! Don't forget about Wiarton Willie!
Toronto Coldest Day of the Year Ride Sun, Feb 12.

Bloor-Yorkville Icefest Festival Sat to Sun, Feb 18-19.

Black Film Festival Wed to Mon, Feb 15-20.

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

Motorcycle Show Toronto Fri to Sun, Feb 17-19. Down in Exhibition Place.

Spring Fish and Boat Show Fri to Mon, Feb 17-19.
Canadian International AutoShow Fri to Sun, Feb 17-26.

Beaches Winter Stations Design Competition Displays start Mon, Feb 20.
Winterfolk Festival Fri to Sun, Feb 24-26.
Outdoor Adventure and Travel Show Fri to Sun, Feb 24-26.

Moved into March....

Toronto International Bicycle Show Fri to Sun, Mar. Spring show cancelled for 2023, will be back Mar 8-10, 2024.
Toronto Sportsmen's Show Thurs to Sun, March 16-19. 

Roundhouse Craft Beer Festival Sat, March 4. To be confirmed. Brought to you by Steam Whistle and the Toronto Railway Museum

Win Tickets to the Toronto #MotorcycleSupershow 2023

The new year brings a fresh slate of events and one of the first is the 47th annual North American International Motorcycle Supershow scheduled for January 6 to 8, 2023 at the International Centre. There are several ways you can enter the contest; You can have a chance to win a pair of tickets (I have two sets available) to the Supershow by sending me an email at jmhcet@gmail.com or commenting on my blog post, or liking and leaving a comment my twitter post, or by liking and leaving a comment on my Instagram post (all shown below). The contest will close Dec 31, 2022 and winners will be contacted directly.

Everything motorcycle will be spread through 5 halls of the International Centre - which also comes with free parking, starting with Touring & Cruising Halls 1W & 1E, Industry Showcase Halls 2E & 2W, The Vintage and Classic Hall 3, Racing & Performance Hall 4, Choppers & Custom Bikes Hall 4, Choppers & Custom Bikes Hall 5 along with Canada Cup Championships and a Used Bike Market. There will also be live entertainment and special guest stars.

The hours are FRIDAY 11AM-9PM • SATURDAY 10AM-8PM • SUNDAY 10AM-5PM.

Enter to win a pair of tickets to the #Toronto #motorcycleSupershow 2023. Like and comment on this post.#motorcycle #torontocontest #torontotickets Jan 6-8 pic.twitter.com/hnHJBok9ei

— jmhcet (@jmhcet) December 14, 2022

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Toronto Grand Prix Tourist (@instajamesphotographer)

The Kringles are back in Kringlewood

Toronto's favourite Christmas neighbourhood is on Inglewood Drive, west of Mt. Pleasant Road, where giant Kris Kringle blowups (otherwise known as Santa Claus) line the street, welcoming visitors to the famous seasonal attraction.

 

Now if they could add some Yukon Cornelius and Abominable Snowmonster (Bumble) characters from the Chistmas special Rudulph the Red-Nosed Reindeer into the mix then this street would be the best in the world. Plus the houses are quite amazing!

Puerta Plata in the Dominican Republic

Decided to actually go to the Caribbean for an all inclusive vacation and picked the Senator Spa Resort in Puerta Plata and it was gorgeous. We went in late October and it was the perfect weather and in the low tourist season so it wasn't too busy at all. The umbrella alley is pictured above.

We took a guided city tour of Puerta Plata and we got to see a lot of the attractions in the town, famous for bars, gates and barbed wire along with plenty of police, army and navy in the downtown area. From the Amber Museum (above), to the pink alley and the town square all the way up the mountain to the smaller version of Christ the Redeemer statue.

A donkey waits for you to take photos so the owner can ask you for cash

You can see photos of the resort and more of the city after the jump.

Toronto Sign before the skating rink

The Toronto Sign is so nice at night and I managed to drop by before the cold weather turned the concrete pond into a municipal skating rink.

Toronto Holiday Fair in the Square 2022

Winter carnival season has returned to the heart of the city as Holiday Fair in Nathan Phillips Square from December 2 to 23, 2022 (closed Mondays). Amusement rides combined with the Cavalcade of Lights and vendors bring life to the concrete square while opportunities to skate on the cement pond make City Hall the place to be in the runup to Christmas.

From the Fair's website, "Holiday Fair in the Square is returning to the heart of downtown Toronto! This year, the Fair will be working in association with the City of Toronto's Cavalcade of Lights to transform Nathan Phillips Square into a magical winter wonderland! Combining the charm and elegance of a Christmas market with the excitement of a thriving winter carnival and light show, Holiday Fair in the Square is a holiday tradition you don’t want to miss."

December 2nd to December 23rd 
Opening Friday, Dec 2nd at 4:00 pm
Closing Friday, Dec 23rd at 9:00 pm

Regular Hours
Tuesday to Thursday – 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Friday to Saturday – 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Sunday - 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Monday - closed

See more of the fair after the jump.

The Distillery Winter Village 2022

Santa has plenty of time this winter to hang around in the historic Toronto Distillery District and hear all about the presents that children want for Christmas. The Winter Village is on from November 17 to 31, 2022 and you need tickets (purchase online before your visit) after 4pm on weekends and also from December 27 to 31 after 4pm. Adult entrance costs $11 plus tax.

You can visit the seasonal cabins for food, beverages and gifts/vendors but remember the cabins are cashless and open after 10 am, seven days a week. The historic neighbourhood really comes alive when darkness falls and the Christmas lights shine bright.

The Distillery Historic District shops, restaurants and cafés are open starting at 10 a.m. daily, seven days a week, while the outdoor vendors are open at noon from Tuesdays to Sundays.

See more photos after the jump.

#RAWF100 Royal Horse Show at 100 Years

Canada's top equestrian event is back in Toronto during the 100th Anniversary of the Royal Horse Show in Exhibition Place. Opening night was November 4 and the Royal Horse Show and the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair continue until November 13, 2022. The Royal Horse Show includes top class show jumping and the RCMP Musical Ride on every day but Monday and the final day. Tickets to the Royal Horse Show includes admission to the Royal Winter Fair. Parking at Exhibition Place was $16 for the day.

From the Royal Horse Show website, "Watch over 1,000 competitors vie for more than $1,000,000 in prize money and the coveted title of Royal Champion!

The world-renowned Royal Horse Show returns this year with incredible competition and a chance for our fans to take in all the sights and sounds of the ten-day event.

Mark your calendar for November 4 – 13, 2022 and join us in celebrating our 100th Anniversary! You’ll enjoy Olympians and other top international athletes and horses competing at the highest level in Show Jumping while experiencing Canada’s largest variety of equine breeds and events. The Royal Horse Show also features inspiring entertainment with special features during each horse show paid performance. This year’s Royal Horse Show showcases the very best in horse sport with an elevated CSI5*-W rating from the International Equestrian Federation (FEI)."

The RCMP Musical Ride

During Saturday's matinee we caught some magnificent jumping by Junior and pony categories and in the busy arena one of the horses refused to jump and one of the riders fell off their mount and was disqualified. The crowd were very supportive of the disappointed riders.

The Royal Winter Fair is also bustling with activities and vendors. A ring is setup where various brands of cows were shown to judges.

Maple Lodge Farms had their free rooster hats back at the show

This cow was enjoying his blow dry session

One of the feature attractions at the RAWF is the Burnbrae Farms Culinary Academy where you can learn to cook with some top Chef's, then sit down and enjoy your creations.