Toronto Summer Festivals – A Glimpse of the World at Home

I am a huge proponent of the multiculture. It informs my design and my world outlook. I also teach English and through my teaching have met students from literally every corner of the globe.  In my artistic life, as Mikooshka (my musical alter-ego), I craft music which crosses over from genres like reggae, rock and hip-hop to Latin, African, and Brazilian.

For many Torontonians, summer in the city means getting an opportunity to catch a little of the flavor that the world brings here via Toronto’s immigrant communities. The major festivals are a great place to start and I will outline some here and offer a few quieter “year-round” activities you might consider as well.

Caribana: Note: Parade is tomorrow – Aug 1st. Happening annually and drawing as many foreign visitors as Pride, this is perhaps the most significant cultural festival in the city. A long time ago I attended the parade and was blown away by the color and energy. Caribana has been unfairly associated with violence (which has usually only occurred in the wee hours on weekends), and overall the parade and larger events can be considered safe and welcoming (a positive joyful atmosphere pervades). At other times of the year you can try jerk chicken, oxtail, and rotis at any of the fine Caribbean restuarants that dot the city, and we have some amazing reggae and island musicians in this city.
Try: Ackee Tree restaurant at Queen and Spadina, and one of the many reggae gigs in town – perhaps a good one would be the classic Canadian reggae outfit The  Satellites, playing at the Orbit Room on College (every Tuesday night for “Roots Rock Reggae”).

Turkish Festival – Aug 7-8, 2010: Last year I happened upon a neat Ukrainian festival in Bloor St. Village, and this year I’ve just seen a promo for the Toronto Turkish Festival. It looks just as exotic and authentic, with music, food, and traditional costume and dance on the program. You can check out the official website and for a low-key around the year food experience you could try Champion Turkish restaurant, located near Pape and Donlands subway stations. Try the Donar! (It’s also known in these parts by the Arabic name Shawarma).

Hot and Spicy Food Festival – Aug 13-15: This Harbourfront event at the lakeside outdoor venue in downtown Toronto is about more than food – it also encompasses documentary film and music. Beyond the many artists and chefs making an appearance there is a renowned Cuban-Canadian jazz musician named Hilario Duran. He performs a free gig on Friday August 13th.

Inuit Arts and Culture Festival – Summer 2010: Continuing, weekends only until September 6, 2010 at the Toronto Zoo. As Douglas Coupland so rightly pointed out in his movie “Souvenir of Canada,” we often don’t get a chance to engage with the First Nations people of Canada. It seems that we are in a disconnect with the one million people who make up the Canadian aboriginal community (in Souvenir of Canada Coupland jokes that we ironically only experience Native culture in ceremonial dance demonstrations when the Queen comes to visit). Now’s your chance to dip at least a toe into the world of the Inuit and check out the Inuit artists work at the zoo.

In each case the festival offers an opportunity for us to learn a little bit more about the fascinating diversity of Toronto. Admittedly unless we make a friend or have family members in these other ethnic communities, we may never get a full immersion, but I think any attempt at “getting out feet wet” is a good start. Get out there an enjoy a few cultural events this summer.