Here it is – our first announcement about the 2011 Festival. A dozen of our restaurants and pubs are hosting a tasting evening.
It happens on Thursday, September 8 from 7 pm onward.
A ticket costs only $10 (yes – only $10!) and it buys tastings at four places. Just show up and present your ticket and you’ll be welcomed in.
Each sample, of course, is a “tasting” size. You’ll want to pause through your travels and enjoy a bigger bite to eat and even a full-sized beverage. Those are separate arrangements.
We have several brand-new restaurants in our neighbourhood. This is a great way to see them in action.
Just to whet your appetite – here’s a list of our plans so far:Ben Wicks, (424 Parliament) http://www.benwickspub.com/. Sampling of international beers – Czechvar (Czech) beer, Magners Irish Cider and Canada’s own Moosehead premium beer.
Butter Chicken Factory, (556 Parliament), Sampling of Cheetah beer and appetizers.
Flying Beaver Pubaret, (488 Parliament), http://www.pubaret.com/. Bombay Coolers in three flavours and a beer sampling from Great Lakes Brewery. There’ll be a “Beaver Bite” to nibble. Entertainment throughout the night.
House on Parliament, (454 Parliament), http://www.houseonparliament.com/ Vodka and oysters
JAMcafe, (195 Carlton), http://www.jamcafe.net/ Two samples of Rosewood wines with specially prepared matching hors d’oeuvres.
Margarita’s Mexican Fiesta, (229 Carlton), Flautas – a hard shelled taco roll filled with chicken, topped with sour cream with a small side salad.
Merryberry Café, (559 Parliament), http://www.merryberry.ca/. Select one of four different sangrias and a tapas plate.
Peartree, (507 Parliament) http://www.peartree.sites.toronto.com/ Popcorn shrimp with a mango martini.
Stout Irish Pub, (221 Carlton) http://www.stoutirishpub.ca/ Half-pint of Barking Squirrel craft beer. Karaoke from 9 pm.
Underdown Pub, (263 Gerrard St E) http://www.underdownpub.com/ Your destination throughout the night for live music and entertainment. After you’ve tried the other places, make Underdown your last stop and stay until the last chord. Beer sampling and samples from new menu items.
Winchester Kitchen & Bar, (51A Winchester), http://www.winchesterkitchen.com/ Free appetizers. Comedy night.
Young Thailand, (446 Parliament) http://www.youngthailand.com/ Thai appetizers.
There’ll be entertainment at three locations: Flying Beaver Pubaret, Stout Irish Pub and Underdown Pub. You can enjoy the music without a ticket throughout the night until closing time.
Support for Cabbagetown
The Festival is a wonderful place to support our neighbourhood. Events throughout the day bolster the efforts made by volunteers and organizations working in St James Town, Regent Park and Cabbagetown.Blair’s Run is the biggest and most noticeable. Several hundred sprinters, runners and walkers tear through a 3 km course early on Saturday morning. Friends throughout the area support them. The funds raised here (usually well over $25,000) support our own Cabbagetown Youth Centre (2 Lancaster)
Check out the tents and booths along Parliament Street during the day. You’ll find volunteers everywhere, explaining what their group does. The Kiwanis Boys & Girls Club, UforChange, the dance theatres, our major political parties, churches, community support groups and school organizations all present their programs for you throughout the weekend.
The parade is another showcase for community groups. Everybody is welcome to strut their stuff. It’s a grand stage to use to tell the rest of us that you’re there, serving Cabbagetown.
Festival dates
There’s lots happening during our Festival week. Here’s an advance guide. Book the dates now and watch for more information closer to the events.
One Night in Cabbagetown – Thursday, September 8 (7 pm)
Cabbagetown Short Film & Video Festival – Friday (7:30 pm)
Art & Crafts in the Park – Friday (1 to 6 pm), Saturday and Sunday (10 am to 6 pm)
Blair’s Run – Saturday (8:30 am)
Festival Parade – Saturday (10 am to noon)
Parliament St Festival – Saturday & Sunday (10 am to 7:30 pm)
Yonge St Mission party – Saturday (noon to 6 pm)
Riverdale Farm corn roasts, dance, tours – Saturday & Sunday (all day)
Cabbagetown Theatre Company – Saturday & Sunday (times to be announced)
Regular News
Cabbagetown Tee’s
Our new Tees are now available for you at two local stores – Labour of Love (242 Carlton) and Kendall & Co (541 Parliament). Our friends at Del Ray Cleaners (586 Parliament) are on holidays until next week and when they return, they’ll have a supply as well. Drop in and buy a few for yourself - $15/each.More summer supplies from Epicure
Patty has a new supply of Kozlick’s Mustard – an all-Canadian product that comes in six delicious flavours. She also has new white cheddar bread sticks from Fred’s Breads – you can enjoy a free sampling throughout this weekend at the store. 473 Parliament.Cabbagetown South and CNH
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Central Neighbourhood House. To celebrate, the neighbours living around CNH are joining with them to host a street party on Sunday August 14. There’ll be lemonade, watermelon, iced tea, sandwiches and Popsicles. Ontario Street (south from Gerrard) will be closed for the event and artists and artisans will display and sell their goods. 1 to 6 pmOmi does it again
Omi (241 Carlton) has become a success in Cabbagetown’s restaurant scene and a favourite for everyone who loves John’s Gangster Sushi. Post City blog has just done an excellent review. Click here to read it: http://www.cabbagetownshortfilmandvideofestival.com/history.htmlKendall & Co
Kendall & Co’s designer James Fobert relaxes with Johnny Pearl from Cabbagetown Carpentry after a tough day working on the store’s new signage. They’re enjoying a Buffalo Leather Sadari Double Recliner with matching ottomans. Now available. 541 Parliament, just east on Winchester.Me to We Store
The Me to We Store (223 Carlton) sells sustainably produced, sweatshop-free fashions. They’re currently featuring lovely Africa Tees by Jessi Cruikshank. This is her third design for Me To We – it pays tribute to the traditional geometric beadwork and brilliant colours of Maasai design. For every Tee sold, Me To We will donate a tree to the Maasai Mari region in Kenya.Closures on Winchester Street
Toronto Dance Theatre and The School of Toronto Dance Theatre (80 Winchester) are working on their building as part of a long-term renovation that will see these facilities upgraded and improved over the next eighteen months. We’ve been asked to pass along the notice that Winchester Street will be closed next Wednesday from 7 am to 4:30 pm from Metcalfe to Sackville. A crane will be used to install HVAC equipment on the roof. Cars parked here will be towed.Eric’s antique Tee
Our pal, Eric Morse, serves as the official photographer for the Spitfires Wheelchair International Basketball Tournament with players appearing from Mexico, Japan, the USA and Canada. The event took place last weekend at Etobicoke’s Olympium. Everyone there was exposed to Eric in his splendid Cabbagetown Tee. Those who envy this Tee are out of luck – it’s now available only as an antique on eBay. Eric, however, isn’t available there.
