A Busy City

 

There are so many events going on all over the city that it is hard to keep track of them all. I stumbled upon this one at the Wychwood Barns but have no idea what it was for. Everyone was speaking Spanish but there were no signs saying what it was about. The stalls selling food were very busy!

Happy Dancers

These people were having a grand time dancing at one of the booths belonging to a dance school during the Salsa On St Clair event. They were really good dancers and were really enjoying themselves as you can see from the smiles. The guy in the middle, particularly, had a great smile don't you think?

Dancers

Some people at the Salsa On St Clair event didn't need to be taking lessons like those in yesterday's post. This couple was really good and they were dancing along to the music coming from one of the main stages. As you can see from those people in the background it was hard to stand still with all the great music around.

Dancing Lessons

During the Salsa On St Clair event there were several dance schools giving lessons. They had some of their own students taking part and then the crowd really gets into it as they follow along. It's hard to stand still with the great music and all the dancing. 

Taking part in Signs 2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

Salsa

A weekend ago was the annual "Salsa On St Clair" which celebrates Latin life in Toronto. There were tons of food stalls serving every kind of food you could think of as well as 2 main stages with entertainment such as this one. The couple on stage were showing some basic dance steps before a performance took place.  The street was alive with music and there were several locations of demonstrations and instructions. I'll show a few more pics in the days ahead.

Future

Someone at the Ice Fest had carved this huge depiction of the DeLorean time machine from Back To The Future. It looked ready to drive out of the park it was so large and so detailed.

Back To The Ice

I'm showing just a couple more posts of ice sculptures form the Bloor Yorkville Ice Fest which had the theme Awesome 80s. Remember when cell phones looked like this? It is hard to believe the changes that have taken place.

Prince On Bloor St

There were a few ice sculptures at the Bloor Yorkville Ice Fest that were not in the park with all of the rest. This one depicting Prince was found along Bloor St. Prince lived in Toronto during the early 2000s when he was married to a Canadian so it is suitable to have this here for the Awesome 80s theme.  
Taking part in Signs 2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

Fun For All Ages

It was not just the young kids who were enjoying the sculptures at the Ice Fest. These two ladies had each been studying this one which is a bit hard to make out but is a representation of a Keith Haring piece which showed 2 figures holding up a bright red heart. I love Haring's work so was pleased to see this one.

An Icy Mystery

This young girl was looking at this ice Cassette tape as if she had no idea what it was supposed to be. She has probably never seen a cassette tape before!

Taking a Break From Ice Sculptures

The crowds were so large at the Ice Fest in Yorkville that a lot of people took a break in the park to relax and get some space. There are a few areas with heaters surrounded by blue chairs where everyone could take a rest although it seemed mostly kids were using the chairs.

More From The Ice Fest

With the theme of the Awesome 80s it wasn't surprising to see R2D2 turn up at the Ice Fest. It is so hard to take pics of these sculptures. I was wishing there was a dark background so the details would show more.

Terry Fox

This ice sculpture was one of the award winners and it depicts Terry Fox who was a Canadian hero who set out to run across the country in 1980 to raise money for cancer research. He had lost a leg to cancer as a child and managed to run from Newfoundland to the western part of Ontario near Thunder Bay where he was forced to stop as the cancer had returned. He died a few months later. Today Terry Fox Runs take place all over Canada and many other places in the world to raise money for cancer research. Read more about him HERE. The sculpture was sponsored by the Colonnade, a retail and residential centre on Bloor St.
Taking part in Signs 2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

Icefest

The Bloor Yorkville Ice Fest took place a week ago in the Yorkville neighbourhood and it was very crowded as you can see. The ice sculptures were set up along the edge of the park and the viewers were meant to walk along the roadway to see everything. I eventually went into the park for some pics the other way. The theme for the fest was the Awesome 80s and thus you see things like the Sony Walkman in ice. I'll show a few more pics for the next couple of days.

Dancing In the Street

One of the highlights of the Salsa On St Clair event is the dancing which is led by several dance schools scattered along the street. Part of the time they do demonstrations with really talented dancers which make you want to go for Salsa lessons. With that in mind they also conduct mass introduction classes such as this one. It is interesting that it seems to be all women who are brave enough to get out there and try it. The guys all seem to be a bit shy!

Salsa on St Clair

A section of St Clair Ave was closed for the weekend of July 7 & 8 for the 14th annual Salsa On St Clair which is a large Latin street party featuring Hispanic culture, music, & food. There are dance demonstrations and lessons along the street as well as 2 large stages with ongoing entertainment. One of the highlights of the day is always the Samba Squad which you see here. They play world music featuring drums and have to be one of the most diverse groups you will ever find. They have members of different ages, ethnicity, & gender and it all works so well!
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

Dancing In The Neighbourhood

The Seaton Village neighbourhood has been the site of Porch Dances for the last several years. People gather on the street outside of the first house on the event and are entertained by a family dancing on the porch and are then led onto the next location by that man visible in the pic with the tall hat & megaphone. There are usually a couple of detours on the way such as this one where he led us down a laneway to the lot of the local food co-op where 2 women danced for us. This pic was taken on the first of the 5 nights the event was held. Lots of people came out to enjoy it!

The Main Stage

During the Salsa On St Clair festival there were small dance and performance areas all along the street but there was also this main stage which even had an upstairs area with umbrellas. This is where the larger bands and performers were  found and I was lucky enough to catch this band, the "Mexico Amigo Mariachi", playing their set. They were really good particularly the woman singer. So many people around me seemed to know all the words in the songs and were singing along with her. The stage was set up in front of a mural I have shown you before (HERE).

Taking Back The Street

Somehow I missed posting any pics from the "Salsa On St Clair" street festival which took place in July and for 2 days over a weekend closed several blocks of St Clair Ave to traffic including the streetcars. The festival is a celebration of Latin culture and includes lots of food booths, Salsa dancing and great entertainment. As you can see there were lots of people on the street, even on the streetcar tracks, but I'm not sure how many of them go into any of the local businesses. Hopefully they return to the neighbourhood later to shop. Another pic tomorrow.

Samba Squad

There was a stage at the Salsa On St Clair festival but this group was performing on the street and they were wonderful! Known as Samba Squad, this percussion group was formed in 1999 by Rick Lazar (in the blue t-shirt) and they play in a Afro-Brazilian Samba tradition with a world fusion flavour. The sound was terrific and there were huge crowds around them all the time!