Tip: There is one entrance for public parking and one exit further east on Elgin Mills Road East…read morethat takes a bit of turning to figure it out. I couldn't tell you when I was last at the Markham Fair. Maybe since I moved up to Markham with my parents many moons ago? This year, I visited the Canadian National Exhibition (The Ex) after a sixteen-year drought. My last Markham Fair visit was definitely longer. A Yelp giveaway helped me get back to enjoying a fair in my neck of the woods. I visited two fairs in just over a month. It's insane to me. Last year, it was Canada's Wonderland. It only took me eight years there... haha! I drove north up McCowan Road. I got a helpful sign saying that I needed to turn right on Elgin Mills Road East. Staff were great guiding me to a grassy field to park. I then walked over to the main entrance, which wasn't all that far. I will say that exiting wasn't as straightforward from the field. I had to merge into entrance vehicle traffic. I asked a male staffer if he knew where the exit was. He said that this entrance was the exit. When it's the regular fairgrounds, perhaps that's true. It wasn't the case. I got a knowledgeable male staffer further east who said to turn left (north), and then do two right turns to exit. He helped me exit the fairgrounds safely. At the gates, I got my ticket's QR code scanned to enter the fair. Easy peasy! I like the Markham Fair. It's fun. It's smaller than The Ex. It's kind of in my backyard as a Markhamite. There were a lot of food and drink vendors. I had lunch before coming here, so I didn't get a ton of food. I left with cookies and muffins from Blue Eyes Bakery, which is roughly a twenty-minute drive from the Markham Fairgrounds. I'll need to drop by this bakery because all its sourdough bread had sold out. I saw a lot: - Sheep at the Livestock Barn - Rabbits and chickens at the Poultry Building - Drummers drumming - Musical performances at the Entertainment Tent - The midway featuring the ferris wheel - Maple syrup demo - Krusher BMX stunt show - Firetruck fun checking it out I'm probably missing a lot here. There is so much to see in a day! I watched the last Krusher BMX stunt show on Saturday at 4-ish pm. It was awesome! It's cool checking out something new. There were a lot of vendors. From permanent jewellery to crocheted ducks, there's something for everyone. I didn't stay to see the fireworks. I knew that things would get busy. I left at around 7 pm and the lineup of vehicles getting into this fair was insane. Getting here at around 3:30 pm on a Saturday was perfect. The weather was sunny. It was straightforward getting into the fair. I had a great time! (427)

We took our toddler to the Markham Fair for the first time, and she had an absolute blast! She…read moreespecially loved seeing all the farm animals and the many booths handing out free balloons. The caged animal exhibits were a highlight, especially the rabbits and chickens. The weather was a little cool, but thankfully sunny, and we had so much fun watching the trucks and the dog show. It was a wonderful family experience, and we're already excited to come back next year. Definitely a great first visit to the Markham Fair!

Twoset Violin was the most recent concert I have been to at Roy Thomson Hall. The 4 previous times…read morewere school related assignment and field trips. Roy Thomson Hall was pretty easy to get to by public transport. The closest train station is St. Andrew with exits that lead towards the Hall. Staff were friendly and helpful. Though the prices might be pricey, the concert was fun and enjoyable. It was great to hear some classical music and Twoset Violin live.

Stopped by for Beethoven 5th Symphony. Bought two tickets in…read moreR partirre. Pluses 1. Different artists 2. You can bring drinks and food into venue but no cup holders etc Areas to improve 1. Acoustics is the main concern for me. I've gone to so many venues worldwide and I was very disappointed in the sound quality. My tickets were over $100 each. 2. Seating is uncomfortable 3. Upholstery and carpets are a light beige and scratchy and fuzzy and need to be cleaned 4. Crowded and tight women's bathroom It's not a pretty venue. Reminds me of the Paris Opera. Concrete and bland. Not sure if I would return.

A solid hall with room for improvements! It's difficult to find a good, high-quality banquet hall…read moreso close to the downtown core, and Palais Royale meets many of the marks. The multi-level entry is visually appealing, but impedes the flow of people entering. Lines get slow, but once inside, the downstairs washroom and coat check is spacious. Washrooms were well-maintained and even have hand lotion, my fave! The cocktail reception area is split into two thin halls in front of the main hall. I liked the idea of separate rooms but the layout was cramped for the amount of people. Foodwise, appetizers were delicious! Main course was more your typical banquet quality, overcooked steak as happens usually. Staff were very polite and helpful, and the outdoor area overlooking the lake is lovely. Free parking is a huge plus! Just replace that carpet with hardwood and the hall would look that much classier.

Such a beautiful Toronto experience! This was actually my…read morefirst time going to an opera, so I wasn't sure what to expect -- but I ended up loving it. Toronto Concert Orchestra created such a welcoming experience at Palais Royale. The waterfront location is gorgeous, and enjoying the harbour view before the show made the night feel like a mini getaway without leaving Toronto. We upgraded to the VIP experience, and I thought it was worth it. The waterfront lounge, food, and drinks were a great way to start the evening and made it feel like more than just attending a concert. The performance was incredible. I especially loved how they transformed familiar stories into opera, making it easy to follow and enjoyable even for someone who has never attended one before. This is such a great idea for a date night, anniversary, girls' night, or even a solo night to do something special for yourself. Don't forget to arrive early to enjoy the venue and views! Would definitely recommend checking out Toronto Concert Orchestra if you're looking for a unique thing to do in Toronto.

Nice space. Just went to private event hosted here yesterday. I never even knew about this museum…read moreuntil I got an invite. Lol. Tucked away in between buildings and with only a door and small sign, my friend and I almost passed this place. It's 3 stories and while we didn't get to browse around much to see the art. I would come again for a more detailed look. I think it's free admission but not 100% sure. Please double check before planning to head here.

The DX is a small but interesting gallery space in the TD bank tower right in the Financial…read moreDistrict. It's not where you normally expect to go to look at art -- sort of a hidden gem in the middle of all the banks and businesses. And unlike most things in the Financial District, they are open on weekends! Also, I have been there a number of times and it is never crowded. Actually, on several occasions I've had the gallery to myself. Kind of nice! It's housed in the old Toronto Stock Exchange, but the trading floor is not open to the public. It is used for private events, mostly. I was there for an exhibition opening party and the hall is very Art Deco, clean, and elegant. The main gallery is on the 3rd floor. Again, it is small -- probably 30 mins. is enough for most people to walk around. They have a variety of special exhibits (no permanent collection) that rotate every few months. I have been there for an exhibit of Princess Diana's dresses that were being shown before they were auctioned. They also had a photography exhibit in May as part of the CONTACT festival. They had a Chinese Industrial Design exhibit a few years ago and every year there are Canadian Design Awards and you can see some of the winners here. Currently, the exhibit is a collection of ballet costumes and sets in collaboration with the National Ballet of Canada, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary. Entrance to the main gallery is ~$10 (student discount available, $8), but look out for free exhibits on the main floor. Tuesdays from 5-8pm are PWYC. Considering the size of the gallery, the admission prices are a bit expensive IMO. Also, check out the little design shop on the main floor that sells great gift items, stationary, and home accessories mainly by independent Canadian designers. In addition to the exhibits and store, they organize lectures and events pretty regularly. Check the website for details: http://www.dx.org/.

I attended a Jackson Wang Concert in a couple of months ago. The concert was great though the merch…read moreseem to run out pretty quick. The Coliseum was pretty accessable by transit and car. Also, entering and exiting the Coliseum was pretty quick. Lots of staff around. Food selection and pricing are pretty standard like at other event venues. I felt like food station/stalls seems pretty tiny and not many. I had a small nitpicky issue. It's with people wearing a little too much perfume/cologne to busy and crowded places. I feel like they don't care that perfume can and will affect others (allergies or not).

Went here for the indoor lake during the international boat show. It's a nice space with ample…read moreseating and it was arranged with the indoor lake in the center for activities. Well organized and the Different than a regular season sport event and interestingly different. Theres also a few food vendors in the area and connects to the adjacent exhibit spaces.

We visited the Metro Toronto Convention Centre for the T.O. Food & Drink Fest, and the overall…read moreexperience was very smooth from the start. Check-in and badge pickup were easy, and everything was clearly organized with signs showing where the lines began and how to move through ticket scanning and up the escalators. The event map helped a lot, and vendors were easy to find. There was a great mix of food, drinks, desserts, chocolates, warm meals, and even merchandise, plus short chef demos and fun bartending classes happening throughout the festival. The venue itself handled the crowd well, and the aisles were clearly marked, which made walking around comfortable. It was nice to see live chef presentations where they explained dishes step by step. Parking is available in both the North Building and South Building garages, which is convenient, but it is on the expensive side.

I was at a conference here last week and overall enjoyed the location. It was walking distance from…read morea few different hotels, several restaurants, and lots of family activities like the aquarium and stadium. The design is mostly underground and very confusing at first, it took me a couple of days to get the layout down. The rooms were comfortable and visual and audio all worked well. Bathrooms were tidy and everything was clean. I especially liked the hallway seating, there were tons of little nooks with comfy couches and chairs where you could tuck away in between lectures.

Amazing space on Dovercourt for medium size events. Well…read moreworth going if you get the chance! Home to some hipsters from the 1950's, and you'll see my photos from that show. There was another similar event last weekend but sadly I was double booked and couldn't go but love seeing. the Kewpie Dolls, a bunch of matching sweetheart ladies who can rock out!

superb venue,,,great staff...down to earth clientele ...well worth a visit and totally…read morerepresentative of Dovercourt Village area

My office Christmas party was held at Maple Banquet Hall last Thursday. It started at 11 am and…read morelasted for a few hours. This banquet hall is located in the same plaza as Zauq, which is a couple of stores down. Parking can be extremely busy, so it was recommended to carpool with colleagues. I drove my intern over here. We had no problem finding a parking spot steps away from the main entrance. The banquet hall is pretty. Flowers in vases greet you. We had a check-in reception area a few steps away from the main entrance. Our office has roughly 200 people. We all fit in nicely at Empress Hall. It had huge, round tables that were nicely decorated. There were a couple of Lindt chocolates for each guest. Nice! Meals were buffet-style. I chose the perfect table. Ours was one of the first ones called by number to hit the food lineup. Yay! The food is mostly Italian. I enjoyed the penne pasta with veggies. I loved the roasted chicken with mushroom sauce. There were veggies. The round roasted potatoes were so good. There was also an eggplant parmigiana for folks who requested a vegetarian meal. Our manager said to the female server that he wasn't a vegetarian, but wanted one. She denied his request, which was kind of funny, but made sense. The food was yummy. I was stuffed, but wanted dessert. I went overboard with my plate of sweets. I got two freshly baked cookies. They were the best and tasted homemade. I also indulged in chocolate cake, a Portuguese egg tart, and carrot cake. To make it look like I was eating healthy, I got some cantaloupe slices, to balance my guilt out a bit. We had pitchers of water and Coke at our table. I tend to drink Diet Coke, as regular Coke is too sweet. This pitcher was watered down that I was good with it. I was probably the only person who drank it. There was juice, coffee, and tea behind us. I got this fruity juice drink that was yummy. We had games and raffles afterwards. This hall is roomy for all these activities. We were supposed to have a dance. I have a feeling that we had all eaten so much that we simply couldn't budge. There are two sets of washrooms for men and women at this banquet hall. They were clean and the mirrors were big. It was a perfect venue for our Christmas party. My team had a ton of fun. It's a good seven-minute drive from work, which is a bonus. (471)

I have been here on numerous south asian events whether it is a big community dinner or wedding…read morerelated events. It is a sub par banquet hall. I think the main attraction is that it is cheap to host an event. The food is ok and the service is meh. Washrooms I will not even comment! For whatever reason, I am at the banquet hall at least twice a year on my family's request. Yay for me. I would recommend other banquet halls in the area versus this one.