Kensington Market Winter Solstice 2022

The shortest day and longest night is here as the winter solstice comes to the Northern Hemisphere on Wednesday, December 21 (at 4:47pm). In Toronto we celebrate hope and new beginnings with the 33rd annual Kensington Market Winter Solstice festival taking place today between 6 and 9:30pm and includes the Fire Finale! My Youtube video of the parade and Fire Finale can be found here.

The parade gathers at Augusta and Oxford. Dec 21, 2023

Kensington Market, self-described as Toronto's most vibrant and diverse neighbourhood, is bounded by the streets of College, Dundas, Bathurst and Spadina. The parade begins assembly early in the evening and is centered around Augusta Avenue and Oxford Street where the roped off intersection comes alive with an indigenous opening ceremony, paper mache characters, musical bands and exciting fire breathing performances. In the crowds people will be carrying lanterns to light the way, while others will be carrying large paper mache figures on poles waiting for the parade to start around 7pm.

The majestic bird waits for the flames for the fire finale 2023. It is a Phoenix 

Schedule from Red Pepper Spectacle Arts
"All are welcome to the 33rd Annual Kensington Market Winter Solstice, on Wednesday December 21st. We are returning to our live, in-person Parade and Fire Finale.
6:00pm Parade Assembly, at the intersection of Augusta Ave and Oxford St.
6:30pm First Light Opening
7:00pm Parade Kick Off
Dress warmly, with glowing adornment and bring a noisemaker to bring in the return to light.
Handmade Solstice Lanterns will be available for sale from 3:00pm - 6:00pm, on Augusta Ave north of Oxford St. Look for the Solstice Lantern Tent.
See you in the parade!"

The parade continues down Augusta Avenue, turns west on Dundas Street West and enters Alexandra Park and ends at the baseball diamond. The diamond is roped off and in the centre will be the large paper mache art installation that will be lit on fire and burned to ashes while fire performers twirl and dance as they put on a great show. The night is truly spectacular. The Phoenix is lit on fire at 8:15pm.

The Phoenix is engulfed in flames

You can see some photos of past Winter Solstice festivals on the following posts: 

2009 Winter Solstice

2010 Winter Solstice

2012 Winter Solstice

more 2012 Winter Solstice

2015 Winter Solstice 

2016 Winter Solstice

2017 Winter Solstice

2018 Winter Solstice

See more of the 2022 Winter Solstice after the jump.

Motorcycle Shows in Toronto 2023

Motorcyclists lean down and extend their hand in greeting every time they pass another motorcyclist because they love to ride and share their pride every time, every darn time. Imagine if we did that when driving cars - it just wouldn't happen. There are a few motorcycle shows every year and they start early, no sleeping in after New Years Eve.

Check out my post here for a contest to win a pair of tickets to the 2023 show

North American International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW will be at the Toronto International Centre Jan 6-8. "Check out all the Newest items in Motorcycling in massive displays with New Bikes, Huge Manufacturer and Dealer Displays, walk the Century of Motorcycles Exhibition, discover the hottest Shopping Bargains, check out the Enormous Used Bike Markets and find all of your Parts & Accessories for sale in hundreds of Exhibitor booths. Meet over 100 Clubs, Rides & Rallies, and Purchase your Bike right at the Show. LIVE Motocross Freestyle shows, LIVE music. Meet industry celebrities and watch some of the biggest names in bike builders compete to win $50,000 in Cash and Prizes at The Canada Cup Championship Custom Bike Competition on the AMSOIL stage in hall 5."

There are two Port Dover motorcycle Friday the 13th rallys in 2023 - the first is a chilly one on Friday, Jan 13 and a slightly warmer one on Friday, October 13.

The Toronto Motorcycle Show at the Enercare Centre in Exhibition Place this February. "Toronto’s premier powersports event, The Toronto Motorcycle Show presented by NFP, is roaring back to the Enercare Centre at Exhibition Place, February 17 - 19, 2023, and is set to deliver plenty of fun, excitement, and new discoveries for riders of all styles, ages, and experience levels. Riders, future riders, and lovers of the motorcycle lifestyle will be able to check out some of the most anticipated models for 2023, from many of the world’s top manufacturers."

The Toronto Motorcycle Spring Show kicks off the riding season at the International Centre in April (Sat to Sun, April 1-2). Presented by Riders Plus Insurance the show delivers an incredible weekend of new and used bikes, motorcycle gear and accessories with attractions and exhibits that appeal to everyone from beginners to hardcore bikers.

Toronto International Snowmobile, ATV and Powersports Show (Fri to Sun, October 20-22) at the International Centre. "If you’re into snowmobiles, ATVS and an all around Powersports enthusiast, this is the show for you! As soon as you step foot on the show floor, you’ll be blown away with the incredible roster of exhibitors and the feature events taking place around the show. The enormous Outdoors Event Centre with Live test drives and Freestyle Shows featuring snowmobiles, ATVs, motocross and street bikes. You’ll find huge Manufacturer Displays showcasing all of the new snowmobile and ATV line-ups. This show has more corporate manufacturer displays than any other snowmobile and/or ATV show across North America. All of the new machines under one roof, over one weekend, you can’t miss it! We guarantee it will be worth the drive to get here."

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

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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.