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bitterlawngnome mentioned the Kensington Market Festival of Lights to me. The idea of celebrating the winter solstice seems like the perfect way to counteract winter blues. Sweden's Saint Lucia Day works, doesn't it? Granted that Toronto's only at 43°41' N, it's still cold. Light and heat at night are valuable commodities.
After a brief unexpected run-in withcubmike74, C., and J. on College, I made it to the other attendees. vaneramos has a photo of the festival's final moment, a great papier-mâché effigy set on fire by acrobats. Afterwards, we attendees went off to the excellent Pals WT International Chinese Restaurant (376 College Street), reviewed very positively as it should be reviewed in Now and Ultra Vires.
The evening reminded me that I love Toronto for its density, for the distribution of population in a given area that seems so characteristically Torontonian to me. I love it.
bitterlawngnome mentioned the Kensington Market Festival of Lights to me. The idea of celebrating the winter solstice seems like the perfect way to counteract winter blues. Sweden's Saint Lucia Day works, doesn't it? Granted that Toronto's only at 43°41' N, it's still cold. Light and heat at night are valuable commodities.Light up the longest and darkest night of the year at the annual Kensington Market Festival of Lights. Enjoy the annual lantern-lit celestial carnival and Samba Squad pumped procession, as they move through the narrow, culturally rich streets of historic Kensington Market.
Join in this beautiful hand-made cavalcade of musicians, giant puppets, stiltwalkers, firebreathers and revelers to beg for the return of the sun, and honor the many traditions of the Winter Solstice.
The Festival of Lights was created by Ida Carnevali in 1987 when a handful of costumed troubadours with trumpets and tambourines defied the mid-winter blues; this now legendary multi-cultural celebration welcomes thousands of participants annually.
Bang a drum or a pot and pan, ring a bell, carry a lantern, make a puppet or wear a mask.
After a brief unexpected run-in with
cubmike74, C., and J. on College, I made it to the other attendees. vaneramos has a photo of the festival's final moment, a great papier-mâché effigy set on fire by acrobats. Afterwards, we attendees went off to the excellent Pals WT International Chinese Restaurant (376 College Street), reviewed very positively as it should be reviewed in Now and Ultra Vires.The evening reminded me that I love Toronto for its density, for the distribution of population in a given area that seems so characteristically Torontonian to me. I love it.
