Disclaimer: I won 2 complimentary tickets from Yelp Toronto Giveaway. So we ended up just paying…read morefor the food. Love the set up and location of Taste of Toronto. This is the first time I ever been to Fort York. Getting there was easy as Streetcar 509 get me right to the entrance. The ground is spacious and I like the white tent like set up giving it an English Garden gallery vibe. I was expecting the worse since I attended the Saturday Evening Session but was pleasantly surprised that the event was well organized and it was not too crowded. Maximum wait for me was less than 10 minutes for anything. Most of the restaurant vendors did have good time management and kudos for all the kitchen staff working so hard keeping us all fed and wait time to the minimum. We ended up trying Little Sister's Pork Belly ($8), Morimoto Toronto's Uni Carbonara with a bottle of S.Pellegrino ($8) and THR's Lobster Grits ($10). Each dish was well presented with good flavours. There are also a lot of free sampling and tasting in various food vendors, For wine tasting, they are going for $1 each or so. Love the different demo. Getting into Master Cooking Classes were impossible with the limited first come first serve openings but watching the cooking class was just as fun. American Express Lounge was a nice touch from AMEX as it has free samples and free bottle water to keep you hydrated. I would come back next year on a nice day to spend a few hours to wander around and sample some food. The longest line being Richmond Station and Drake. I would suggest to skip those as it really was no point spending your time lining up for food.

Contrary to a lot of reviews below, I absolutely loved Taste of Toronto…read more Our group wanted to try a variety of options, so we pooled our money and loaded it on 1 card. Surprisingly, the wait time to try top restaurants were not bad at all. We pretty much got a taste of every dish at every place. By the end of the night, I was holding my magnum ice cream with a big smile on my face. My friends were all struggling to walk and wanting to roll home instead. The main dish that made my night was: Splendido - "True North Atlantic Salmon Sashimi from Atlantic Canada - Avocado, sesame, race cakes." This dish had the "Wow factor." After having a slice, I was in shock. I honestly could not stop talking about how delicious this dish was that night. I had to get a second order immediately. The sauce had the perfect amount of flavor without being too strong to cover the taste of the freshly sliced Salmon Sashimi. The texture from the avocado compliments the tenderness and chewiness of the Sashimi perfectly. Amazing! What I really like about this festival is that you get a taste of the food from top restaurants around Toronto. I will definitely be trying Splendido shortly in the future. I look forward to Taste of Toronto next year and I highly recommend others to join me as well!

Attended 3 concerts (Baby Monster, Dua Lipa, Demi Lovato)…read more The arena was pretty easy to get to. Seating was pretty good. Food (naturally expensive) and merch was pretty easy get and find. Downside is the water fountains. I feel like there won't many (at least ones with water bottle refill stations).

This was honestly such a fun place to catch a game. I went on a Thursday night to watch the Toronto…read moreRaptors and the whole experience was just amazing from start to finish, especially because they got the win! The arena itself is right in the heart of downtown, so the whole area around it already feels super alive before you even walk in. There's people everywhere, jerseys, food spots nearby, and just that pre-game energy that makes it so fun. Inside, it was packed but in a good way, like full energy, loud, exciting, everyone already hyped before tip-off. I had seats in the 300 level and honestly I don't even think that's a bad thing at all. The view from up there is actually really solid, you can see the whole court properly and the energy from the crowd feels even more spread out and intense. Service-wise, everything was pretty organized. It was busy, so lines and movement around the concourse can get a bit crowded at times, but nothing unexpected for a Raptors game night. Once you're settled in your seat though, it's smooth and you can just focus on the game. Overall, I'd 100% recommend going at least once if you're in Toronto. It's not just about basketball, it's the full experience: the crowd, the energy, the location, and just being part of that atmosphere. Even from the 300s, it still feels like a really good seat. Definitely one of those experiences that's way more fun in person than on TV.

Decent event centre. Woman's in Aerospace used the space to…read morehost their event. At times it felt kind of cramped. There were still some people that were not part of the event and blaring music from the upper levels and a pair using the stairs as running exercises while we were having dinner... which seemed awkward.

I was really impressed with this theater, and after the show, I made sure to walk around and check…read moreout the view from all the different seats. There is not a bad seat in the house. They also have a snack bar, which I was expecting to pay terrible prices for. But, snacks for the kids, and coffee for me, were incredibly reasonable. Also, the paid parking lot under the theatre was cheaper than taking the subway anywhere in Toronto. On top of that, you're right in the heart of the area, so there's lots to see and do when you're walking around. All in all, it's a great experience.

Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts is a cozy and well-run venue that's perfect for live…read moreshows and community events. The space is intimate, with great sightlines and acoustics, making every seat feel close to the action. The staff are friendly and the building is clean and easy to navigate. It's a great spot for a night out without the downtown crowds, and they host a wide range of events throughout the year. There are parking spots available in the back of the building with 2-hour parking limit.

The Centre is a little north of Yonge and Major Mackenzie and there is a parking lot on the west…read moreside of the building with 250 spots. The box office is on the left upon entering the building. There's also coat check and a small concession stand on the opposite side. The lobby is a spacious couple of stories with art hung on the wall. Each piece of art has a tag associated with it that informs you of the artist, title of artwork, medium, price and size. There were ushers ready to answer any questions and direct audience members scattered throughout the lobby. I saw second row from the stage on the left. It's nice to be close but you have to look up since the stage is higher. Also, the speakers are right in front of you so protect your eardrums with earplugs or sound isolating earphones. There is a gradient to the seating so that should help with everyone being able to see the stage. There is balcony seating with seats extending all the way to the front along both sides.

This one is a toughie to rate as I don't think it's fair to compare Field Trip to Coachella or even…read moreOsheaga, I wasn't really able to make it to the entire festival, and I'm a bit biased as I won passes through Yelp. Price-wise, I still find it a tad expensive if comparing it to Osheaga 'cause it's half the price as the festival in Montreal, but also waaay less acts. Tickets for this year's Field Trip were $75/day or $125/weekend, just includes access. Osheaga - $250, but how can you compare the line-up? Just to give you an idea - additional costs include food trucks which averaged $10, Buster's was more, tallboys were $9, and parking, THE FREAKIN' parking was $14 and slightly cheaper after 6pm at $11. Vibe? Pretty chill. Ridiculous outfits seem to be more prominent during the hotter day. You sorta just walk around, check out a food truck (or 2), buy a drink if you want, smoke wherever you want, and listen to a band if you want. What made this festival unique was that they permitted children under 12 for free + activities for them. So if you're a parent of young children, thinking of attending, I think it would be VERY worthwhile for you. Tip: You may want to bring noise cancelling headphones though 'cause although your ears may be able to take the music, I found it quite loud even not directly in front of stage. Food trucks, Etsy booths, free water refill station and stuff like that were good when you weren't enjoying the music. Tip: Check out the weather before you head out! It was raining the entire 2nd day and slightly chilly, so dress accordingly.

I have been to Illumi several times before and I'm so happy to see some modifications and new…read moredisplays added. I couldn't enjoy my visit as much this time unfortunately as I was not properly dressed for it and hence managed to spend only 30 minutes, however, I still enjoyed their new Arabian nights theme. They've added a beach bonanza which is great for kids. Would love to come back and explore properly. Dress warm! Incredible display of lights and a fun night out! I've been wanting to check out Illumi for a while & would always see the huge tree from afar whenever I drive by. I have been to a few holiday events in the past to see lights but illumi was an event completely magical and different from the other holdiay events I've been to. I gotta say it's probably even the best one. There are different displays, from an European escape (where you can ride the merry go round) to a section with animals, penguins and igloos. I couldn't say which is my favourite as they're all very good. It is kid-friendly as well and there are multiple photo ops opportunities and spots around you can stop for pics. Dress warm. You can also take a break inside where there's lots of seating space and some food options, as well as some merch for sale. The bubble tea (both hot/cold) were really good and the churros were also tasty. I'm not usually a fan of pretzels but I found the ones there tasty as well. Lots of parking space. Organized and many staff around to assist. Bring your cameras/phones with a full charge, a big and warm jacket to enjoy the experience. Give yourself at least 75 minutes or more. Strongly recommend booking online in advance as well for tickets.

Amazing, amazing, amazing. This is the best light display that I have even seen, bar none. They…read morereally do have amazing displays. This place is had to miss as you can the towering animated tree from miles. The tree is about 154 feet tall and made of 44,000 interactive luminous spheres. The place is huge. It spans about 13.8 acres which is equivalent to 10 football fields. There are 20 million bright lights spread between 13 "magical universes": Jurassic Encounter, The Colorful Animal Kingdom (Animals like snakes, elephants, flamingos, zebras and camels), A Kids Paradise, The Crazy Boulevard (a colorful set of houses with lights synced to music), Magic Lanterns (traditional Asian scenery), The Cavalia Horses, The Happiest Farm , The Europa Place, The Scarlet Spiders, The Tunnel of Love, The Infinite Poles (A North Pole/penguin land), and The Land of Frost. The also have a red lighted tunnel, which I liked but my favorite sections were The Crazy Boulevard and Scarlett Spiders. Yes, it is a bit pricey, but they have a lot to offer including free parking. They also have a limited amount of wagons to pull the little ones, that you can check out for free. They were all gone when I got there. I recommend buying your timed ticket online to ensure your time. You can buy it onsite as well, but you may have to wait if your time slot is full. The displays are very interactive. There are either designated spots for you to stand or you will also see lighted dress to pop your head in, lighted snowmobiles glowing benches, and tractors to sit on, and a bunch of animals to climb on and make great photo ops. I am not sure if the animals were intended to be climbed on, but everyone was doing it and and no one was saying anything about it. There are so many photo ops here. I hope you have a lot of memory available on your phone. I would also recommend wearing gloves that you do not have to take off to operate your phone. My hand froze. It was really cold when I visited. I really like that they had a heated snack bar/gift shop, to sit, warm up and get a quick bite. There is also a heat up room and some very warm bathrooms to warm up in as well. While here you can also visit a food truck, purchase hot and or adult beverages. You will find a carousel in the compound. I did not ride it though. We spent about an hour here and could have easily been here longer if it was not so cold. If I lived in Toronto, this would be an annual event for me. I really, really loved this place. If I could give it 6 stars I would. It is only available to view for a brief time around Christmas and I highly recommend checking this place out.

Can't recommend this circus enough!! We all had so much fun recently! Looking forward to going…read moreagain next year

Amazing show. No notes, trapeze artists were my favourite part. Can't wait to come back!read more

You can definitely feel the history in this place…read more Despite being an older facility, the Brampton Memorial Arena is a great venue for sporting events and the like. I ended up visiting here for the final game of the 2017 Minto Cup series and was very impressed with the overall experience. This arena evokes memories of the 70s -- an old-school snack bar, wooden benches that have been repainted multiple times and have to be folded down to sit on, that old brick masonry that befits a building like this... it's a great place to sit and watch a game. The venue is a bit deceptive, in that it can seat nearly 1,400 people. It just doesn't look like it from first glance. I'm not sure if I've ever been in an arena this raucous. Considering that the arena is smack dab in the middle of a residential neighborhood, the walls nearly blew down with how much people were screaming. The game I watched had two teams, the Coquitlam Adanacs and Six Nations Arrows, battling it out. In the end, the game was a complete blowout - the Arrows won 8-3. Speaking from the perspective of someone who was covering the event, there's a definite pecking order to the place. The press box is incredibly crowded and not suited for anyone who's casually covering an event. I had a family whining at me because I was in the stands taking photos (that said, I will never be intimidated by someone trying to tell me how to do my job). Some photographers seem to lord themselves over everyone else, and you can't go into certain places (even with a media pass) without approval, despite others being able to do so whenever they want. That said, the experience was a memorable one, and I will most likely be back in the future to cover more games and championships. If you haven't seen the Minto Cup in person, you really should visit the arena - it's even older than the Stanley Cup! Brampton Memorial Arena is well worth the visit. Come for the games, stay for the history.

My childhood arena, many great times spent here. Last week…read morewas there for the alumni game and junior B home opener. Concessions were horrible. Nothing left for home opener. No popcorn, 2 hotdogs and 1 slice of pizza. Young lady had an oh well i don't care attitude. Lots of people wanting and nothing to buy.... Tonight 2nd home game next young lady sweet and polite. No popcorn no pizza hotdogs being made. Visiting teams and spectators went hungry. Not a good showing of our hospitality