Getting ready for the 2024 for Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto

Track build and Grandstand construction for the 2024 edition of the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto race weekend is going well and the installation of the concrete barrier wall and fencing have started on Lake Shore Boulevard. Crews are working during off-peak times to minimize the impacts to traffic. Race weekend is from Friday, July 19 to Sunday, July 21.

Start/Finish Line on Princes' Blvd 

Final race prep, on and off the track, is underway on Thursday with many of the teams getting setup in their respective paddocks.

IndyCar's Paddock is in Enercare Centre and a credential is required to gain access. If you do buy the ticket you can get pretty close to the big rigs, racecars and some famous drivers. Keep an eye out for the drivers getting around on little electric scooters.

The CAA Member Lounge in the long hall

William Ashley's setup to display the winners crystal trophies

Temporary road closures on Lake Shore Boulevard West and Strachan Avenue will begin on Wednesday, July 17 and last until July 21, 2024. The weather forecast looks great, with just a small chance of rain on Sunday. If the race can't be run on Sunday it will be held over until Monday, along with the road closures.

Ontario Honda Dealers Pit Stop, Cooling Zone

Inside Enercare Centre you can find vendors in the long hall and new this year inside the main hall is the Ontario Honda Dealers Pit Stop and Cooling Zone along with a Fuel Up food stop.

Turn 1 viewing area

Thunder Alley, the Beer Deck and the Truck Stop areas are almost complete. NOS Energy Drink has a large setup adjacent to BMO Field where the Honda tent used to be.

Looking east along Princes' Blvd towards Turn 1

General viewing is along the north side of Lake Shore Boulevard West west of Hotel X, along Turn 4 infield, in the infield between the pedestrian bridge and Turn 10 and finally, along the outside of Princes' Boulevard towards Turn 1.

Pedestrian bridge, Pit exit and Turn 11

Pedestrian bridge for access to the infield

NOS Energy Drink area by BMO Field

Entrance to the race is from the east side of Enercare Centre or from the TTC Stop area at Manitoba Drive.

Here is part of the City of Toronto's media release, "Road closures for this event will begin on Wednesday, July 17, 2024: At 12 p.m.: southbound Strachan Avenue will be closed from Fleet Street to Lake Shore Boulevard West and at 8 p.m.: Lake Shore Boulevard West will be closed from Strachan Avenue to British Columbia Drive. The roads will remain closed all weekend and are scheduled to reopen on Sunday, July 21, 2024, at 11 p.m."

Current Weather Forecast (from July 15)
Thu, 18 Jul Sunny. High 24. Night Clear. Low 13.

Fri, 19 Jul Sunny. High 26. Night Clear. Low 15.

Sat, 20 Jul A mix of sun and cloud. High 27. Night Cloudy periods. Low 16.

Sun, 21 Jul Cloudy with 30 percent chance of showers. High 26.

Another outlet has mostly sunny and pleasant on Sunday, with a High of 24, low of 17 and only 25% chance of rain.

The Tragically Hip band has been named as the honorary grand marshals for the NTT IndyCar race on Sunday, July 21.

The welcoming press conference is scheduled for 12:30pm on Thursday so it will our first chance to see some drivers for this year's event.  There is a field of 27 cars in the NTT IndyCar Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto Streets of Toronto race. 

Jeff Atkinson (President OHD Indy Toronto), Jay Frye (President IndyCar) and IndyCar drivers Rinus Veekay, Pietro Fittipaldi and Christian Lundgaard (2023 Toronto winner) at the welcome press conference 

Christian Lundgaard 

Presidents Jeff and Jay

Some of the highlights of the conference with IndyCar were as follows.

1. Jeff A: Future of Honda Indy is in Exhibition Place. Improvements to Exhibition Place are also Improvements for Honda Indy.

2. Jay F: Jeff and Toronto did a great job getting the track ready after the massive flooding. Also happy to bring in hybrid technology mid-season

3. Rinus V: Temporary street courses change a bit each year, they found more bumps last year, will see what is different this year.

4. Pietro F: Hybrids will shake things up and it is a lot of work for the drivers.

5. Christian L: The winner of 2023 race is happy to be back 1 year and 2 days from taking the last Toronto race. He recently had a stopover in Toronto and came back to Exhibition Place to walk the track while it was still normal roads. Hopes for less yellow flags and caution laps.

Check out the full 2024 race weekend coverage at the following links.

NTT IndyCar Sunday Race Day

Saturday at the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto

Free Fan Friday at Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto

Getting Ready for Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto

Track Build for the 2024 Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto

Urban Playground and the Water Gun Fight in Berczy Park

The Battle of Berczy Park was a peaceful exchange of water during the third annual Toronto Water Gun Fight in the famous park, home to the flatiron building mural and the dog themed water fountain. The troops gathered at 1:30pm in the park, learned of the battle's code of conduct (see below), posed for a group photo and the water guns began blasting around 2pm on Saturday, July 13, 2024.

Urban Playground

This activity was arranged by Urban Playground, a group dedicated to making Toronto fun - "one silly event at a time" with free social events in public spaces. They have also done the Pillow Fight and the Snow Ball Fight.

You didn't have to go far to get water

Code of Conduct:
"1. This is a water fight: don't bring any other weapons apart from water pistols. Water bottles and modest-sized containers also work in a pinch. Homemade soakers are encouraged.
2. Water balloons are messy: if you bring them, YOU ARE EXPECTED TO STAY AFTERWARD TO DO A THOROUGH CLEANUP because littering is a crime.
3. We are not going to be your parents, nor are we going to be the police, so if you see someone doing something stupid tell them to stop. If you're doing something stupid - don't. You're going to ruin it and this has the potential to be a massive laugh.
4. Dress for the occasion; you're going to get wet! Shorts, bikinis, flippers, floaty armbands...? Costumes are encouraged. Bring a baggie if you've got a cellphone or wallet to protect.
5. DO NOT terrorize the public. If they want to get involved, they will, but passersby and spectators must be left out of the action.
6. If you bring a camera, it better be waterproof or you should stay on the sidelines. We're not responsible if you get it broken. But please do post your photos after the fact.
7. This is a LAUGH. Don't take it too seriously, and don't beat each other up over it (close-up shooting and all that).
8. Leave no mess behind! We come and then go. The location looks as clean or better than before we arrived. If you brought water balloons, you are expected to stay afterward to guarantee this.
9. DON'T GET THE ARMED POLICE DEPLOYED BY BRINGING WATER PISTOLS THAT LOOK LIKE REAL GUNS! Seriously, WTF were you thinking?
10. If there's a summer drought, be modest in how much water you use.
11. If anyone asks who organized this: we all just happened to be in the same place at the same time. Weird, huh?
12. No dyed water. It stains clothes and the site. That's vandalism.
13. SPREAD THE WORD!
14. Have fun. Be responsible.
15. Events go forward, rain or shine. You aren't afraid of getting wet.
16. Come to Berczy Park and show some love.
See ya at the Playgrounds,
Kfir and Urban Playground team"

Watergun fight video

Toronto Festival of India parade

As part of the Festival of India there is a parade that runs down Yonge Street in Toronto and it contains thousands of participants and three humongous wagons that roll down to Queens Quay before making their way onto the Toronto Islands for the balance of the festival.

The impressive structures on the wagons come down when they need to pass under wires

The 2024 festival runs July 13 to 14 and is a weekend full of all India, including the culture, spirituality and the expression of community. The annual festival, which began in the 1960s, is called Ratha-Yatra and is organized by the Toronto Hare Krishna Centre. The event is free but you will still need to pay to get to the islands - and the lineups at the ferry boats and the water taxis were also humongous.

Here is the overall scheduling information from the festival.

Day 1: Grand Chariot Fest ParadeDate: July 13, 2024
Time: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Location: Yonge-Dundas Square to Queensquay
The festivities kick off with the grand Chariot Fest, a colourful procession featuring majestic chariots, traditional dances, and vibrant music. The parade starts at Dundas Square and moves down Yonge Street, concluding at Queens Quay.

Day 2: Festivities at Centre IslandDate: July 14, 2024
Time: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Location: Centre Island, Toronto
The celebrations continue on Centre Island with a full day of activities including cultural performances, arts and crafts, spiritual seminars, and family-friendly activities. Attendees can enjoy a free vegetarian feast, explore a vibrant marketplace, and participate in interactive workshops.

Festival Features:Arts & Culture Tent: Discover traditional crafts, captivating performances, and interactive workshops.
Spiritual Seminars: Enrich your mind and soul with inspiring talks on mindfulness, wellness, and spirituality.
Gopi-Dots Face Painting: Experience the beauty of traditional face painting and learn about its cultural significance.
Family-Friendly Activities: Enjoy workshops and activities suitable for all ages.

Toronto Outdoor Art Fair TOAF 2024

It's a busy weekend in Toronto and the TOAF returns to Nathan Phillips Square for the 63rd annual, three-day art event July 12-14, rain or shine. There are also a number of sculpture installations near the stage including ‘Journey Through Geometry’ by Safoura Zahedi previously show as part of DesignTO, pictured above as I am reflected in the steel plates, polished to a mirror finish.

Journey through Geometry

From TOAF's website, "The 63rd Toronto Outdoor Art Fair is a multi-faceted and multi-layered event. More than 165,000 visitors join us each year at Nathan Phillips Square. Visit us this year July 12 to 14 for a great weekend of art collecting and artist discovery, installations, guided tours, soulful kids programs, live painting, and site-specific dance."

Rows and rows of individual white canopy tents fill the square at City Hall, each full of some type of art. There are over 350 artists taking part in the art festival and you can sign up for free tours to check out some of the collections.

Festival hours
Friday, 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Saturday, 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Sunday, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM

A volunteer holds up an Art Tour sign

Downtown Toronto Ribfest 2024

Ribs slathered with thick layers of barbecue sauce and cooked over large grills could taste good, but how can you be sure the food is tasty? Because of all the trophies piled up in front of the booths, plus all the banners stacked high above the mobile kitchens! This is a weekend made for meat and you can find it at the Northern Heat Rib Series Downtown Toronto Ribfest. 

Yonge-Dundas is easily accessible from public transit and just across from the Toronto Eaton Centre

Yonge-Dundas Square is fenced in and the food festival is open from Friday, July 12 to Sunday, July 14 and is free to attend, but bring some money because ribs ain't cheap. And they say "Get ready for…
MOUTH WATERIN’, FINGER LICKIN’, BELLY RUBBIN’ GOOD BBQ!" There is a Friday only coupon for two free sides available on their website.

The tight quarters in the square mean that there won't be a beer tent or live music at this festival.

Ribfest hours
FRIDAY: 12pm – 10pm
SATURDAY: 12pm – 10pm
SUNDAY: 12pm – 9pm

One Week till Fan Friday at Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto 2024

July 19 is coming fast and Free Fan Friday in support of Make-A-Wish® Canada opens the exciting 2024 race weekend at the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto. Friday is free with a voluntary donation to the charity, otherwise single day or weekend tickets are available for the rest of the 36th edition of the race festival in Toronto. Seats in the Grandstands will be on a first come, first served basis for Fan Friday.

From the media release, "To kick off the exciting festival weekend set for July 19-21, in lieu of paid admission, spectators can make a voluntary donation to Make-A-Wish® Canada and receive complimentary gate admission on Friday, July 19. More than $1 million has been raised for children with critical illnesses to grant their wishes through these efforts over the past 12 years. Honda Canada Foundation will match donations dollar-for-dollar made by generous race fans up to a total of $50,000 during the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto weekend."

You can donate at the entrance or within Enercare Centre where a Make-A-Wish® Canada Zone is set up. There will be activities, prizes and photos with the charity's mascot Roary. There will also be a 50-50 raffle contest with the draw to be held on the Monday after the race weekend.

Gates will open at 8:30am on Friday and on track action starts at 9am with a Radicals Cup practice session. All five race series will be taking part in the first day, including the NTT IndyCar Series practice at 3pm, with the first race of the weekend by the Radicals Cup starting at 5:05pm.

There are four driver autograph sessions planned for Friday; 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM NTT INDYCAR SERIES Autograph Session (Heritage Court in Enercare Centre), 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Sports Car Championship Canada Autograph Session (Heritage Court in Enercare Centre), 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM Radicals Cup Autograph Session (Heritage Court in Enercare Centre) and 3:15 PM - 3:45 PM USF2000 & USF Pro 2000 Autograph Session (Heritage Court in Enercare Centre).

A charity running event, the Rev and Run 5000, will begin after the cars have left the track for the day beginning at 6:25pm.

There will a food truck section along with beer gardens and vendors in Thunder Alley and you can also view the supporting series paddocks, no ticket required. For entrance into the IndyCar Paddock or the Pit area additional tickets are required.

Check out the full 2024 race weekend coverage at the following links.

NTT IndyCar Sunday Race Day

Saturday at the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto

Free Fan Friday at Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto

Getting Ready for Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto

Track Build for the 2024 Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto

Evanescent now in Brookfield Place

The long hall in Brookfield Place is now the temporary home to the Evanescent art installation. The big, shiny balls are nestled in the Allen Lambert Galleria, on display as part of the Luminato Art Festival.

Putting the installation together

Previously installed in the garden outside of Brookfield Place, it fits in nicely in the long, glass and steel arched space home to many large scale art pieces in the past. Evanescent should probably be on site until the end of July 2024.

From Brookfield Properties website, "Atelier Sisu is a Sydney based design studio led by award winning artists Renzo B. Larriviere and Zara Pasfield. The pair work with a multi-disciplinary team to create experiential environments, installations and sculptures. Their direction of work sits between the fields of art and architecture (art-chitecture), with particular focus in the realm of public art. Their work endeavours to be visually engaging and intellectually elegant in nature. This immersive piece of ‘art-chitecture’ appeals to our universal playfulness and childlike wonder. Evanescent is about living fully in the moment and not taking life, in all its beauty, for granted. This large-scale public artwork is Instagram-worthy, yet its magical message might just encourage you to put your phone aside."

Reflektor art installation at Soho and Queen St West

It's been locked up behind a metal fence for too long, now it is free to mirror the cityscape around it. The shiny, metal art sculpture designed by Jyhling Lee Landscape sits at the corner of Soho Street and Queen Street West in downtown Toronto, sitting beside the MEC store.

The semi-circular, muti-faceted artwork is named Reflektor and really catches the eye as you pass by. I was drawn to the piece and walked up into the circle, taking photos and reflected back into the camera. It's kind of like a giant, metal orange, spread apart in one piece and created in the cyber orange factory.

From behind it looks just like a ball