Taste of the Danforth has overgrown

[adma]

A bit belated, but this merits posting...especially as something less inherently victim-of-its-own-success...

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If you liked "Taste of the Danforth" then you will be transformed by the South Asia Festival. Gerrard Street between Coxwell and Greenwood closes for the weekend starting tomorrow at noon. These five or six short blocks of east Toronto are a focus for those with a taste for vegetarian food. There is nothing like thali with naan bread at one of the small vegetarian restaraunts on the strip to make you feel like you've left the bustle of Toronto. But when the Festival starts, well, the community's passion for hot food and hot colours makes for a transportive experience. Try the food. Everything is good. Top it all off with "sweets" and gingery chai and this part of the city will be a favourite destination.

This is what Toronto as a broader community does so well. It, rather, we make room for people of all races and cultures to come to the city and find a stable society where they can grow their families and businesses. Places like Gerrard East are not ghettos but neighbourhoods. They remain part of the greater whole while allowing for cultural individuality. Toronto could well be a case study for politicians everywhere on how a stable social system can be built and maintained around people who are so culturally diverse. In fact, it should be.

Is the world listening or is it too easy to blow things up rather than do the hard work of designing and building stable societies?

 

[Mislav]

I didn't bother going this year cause seriously how are you supposed to enjoy yourself when the crowds make the Guvernment main room look deserted? I agree with ganja that the city could use more festivals like these. The Beaches Jazz Festival was another one that was just packed and there was very little if any jazz that I heard.

 

[fiendishlibrarian]

Hell is other people.

 

[adma]

The obligatory Yogi Berra line: nobody goes there anymore--it's too crowded

 

[esplanade guy]

After going to a number of BIA sponsered street festivals, I'm getting tired of the sameness of it all. Local restaurants set up little outdoor patios and sell second rate food at a higher price, which of course you have to stand in line for. They set up the same little stages and hire local no-name musicians to entertain the crowds. There might be a few booths of organizations or venders and maybe a few carnival games. That seems to be the basic formula and people seem to go back every year, walk back and forth, looking board as hell. There are no surprises, no creativity, no real show or event, just the same old, same old. I took a pass on the taste of the Danforth this year but I never really found it interesting or entertaining. As for the food, I get the better food, with no lineups and a cheaper price one week later in the same restaurants. There are too many other GOOD options for culture in Toronto, so from now on, no more BIA streetfests for me, except for the gay village, which has an unexplainable pull for me!

I enjoyed the fetish fair and all the kinky, sexy men! Did anybody see the nude Batman there? I found him quite interesting but I got a few picks to remember that charming fellow. The best buns contests were great, those drag queens are really good entertainers and funny as hell. Lina Over was so funny:rollin :rollin !!!

 

[building babel]

"Taste of the ROM/Gardiner/Royal Conservatory" might be fun. All along Bloor from Queens Park to St.George.

I don't know why our cultural institutions don't swipe the BIA-driven street festival idea more often and make something interesting of it.

Doors Open, the Queen West Art Crawl, Word On The Street etc. prove that you can do something worthwhile with the format.

 

[adma]

It may be significant that there's no mention of the Ex in this thread yet...or any other thread, for that matter...

 

[Darkstar416]

Even Busker Fest has left the Ex for St. Lawrence.

I still love The Ex though. Although I find it increasingly hard to explain why.

 

[building babel]

What is the dude on the left side of the Busker Fest poster photograph doing to himself?

 

[esplanade guy]

the ex

The Ex? Does anybody still go to that? I figured everything worth seeing, had been torn down by now.

 

[SD2]

Re: the ex

I still love The Ex though. Although I find it increasingly hard to explain why.

I love it too. I always have a great time there...I find it's just a great place to go with a group of friends.

 

[andreapalladio]

Re: the ex

I haven't been since 1992, which was the only time I've been. It was too commercial and boring. If I'm going to go to a fair, I want to see the best quilts and zinnias and biscuits, not to mention sheep and horses and pigs.

 

[TdotTrickyRicky]

We have added several festival and events in the last few years but I say we need something on the zany side. Those types of events always seem to draw media and international attention. The spanish and finnish are good at that kind of thing with their food fights and air guitar competitions and such.

 

[esplanade guy]

I think if they're going to have local street festivals, at least give us something worth going to see or do. Nobody seems to put much thought into doing something different or a little off the wall. All these festivals are exactly alike and a little underwhelming for me. Say what you want about Montreal but I have seen some really great festivals, shows and events on their streets, including some really weird but good stuff. Montreal always had original stuff going on at their festivals and free, outdoor shows with big name acts. I saw James Brown, Amanda Marshal, Cirque de solier, Sinade O'Conner and a bunch of other well known acts, all for free. Here, we get the Toronto Greek quartet. SHEESH!!! The staging and production values also pale when compared to Montreal, especially for gay pride day. Montreal puts on amazing shows for Pride week. The ones in Toronto are a sad sight to behold. Montreal wins this contest, EASILLY!!!

 

[andreapalladio]

Amanda Marshal, Cirque de solier, Sinade O'Conner and

The festival of poor spelling appears to be thriving down on the Esplanade!