So good to be back!!!…read more After missing out on this festival last year due to the pandemic and other events we finally made it back this year to the Unionville Festival. This year it was held on June 4th and was a special event for us as it was my daughter's birthday as well. When I asked her what she wanted for her birthday this year, she said she wanted to go to the Unionville Festival, so off we went. The Unionville Festival is an annual event hosted by the Unionville BIA. For more info, you can look them up at https://unionvilleinfo.com. Almost all of the businesses on Main Street Unionville offer something for families to do. The stores and restaurants are open, and some companies have booths or offer street food. It's also attended by several other vendors from the Markham area. There is much for kids to do as some of the locations have children's activities. The Varley Gallery had art-related activities for the kids. For grown-ups, there is a beer tent, and of course, the restaurant, bars and patios are open if you're looking for an 'adult' drink. Many of the shops are open for shopping and there are street vendors too. This is only a one-day festival but there is enough for two days. We had a great time as we ran into many people we knew, had some street food, and the kids had fun at the Fred Varley Gallery, we had dinner at the Old Country Inn, which doubled as one of the beer tents. It was a good day for us, as we shopped, we ate, we ran into friends and had a great time. Check out this once-a-year event for yourself.

This was my first year attending the Unionville Festival and it definitely will not be my last! The…read moreevent is organized thoroughly with a variety of vendors. To my knowledge, the number of vendors are increasing dramatically every year. Happening at Main Street Unionville, this festival is good for everyone and anyone. From bars, to family friendly restaurants AND cute little patios, there is something to do for everyone. Main Street Unionville is closed off for this festival all weekend so you can literally walk around this beautiful section of Markham while getting to know/enjoy different local businesses. The Opening Parade was also awesome! There was a lot of different cultural representations alongside great music. After the Parade there were a few entertaining performances that occurred at Carlton and Main Street. The festival was a lot fun and I really enjoyed the street musicians jamming out. Will definitely come back next year :)

When I came to Toronto, friends brought me to different food festivals, and Night It Up! was the…read morelargest. They've hosted at Markham Civic Centre every year, but this time was at the newly constructed downtown Markham plaza. Loud music and a campground of tents attracted the crowd as I turned on the corner of the street. But what made it memorable was that strong irresistibly-overwhelming smell - a passionate love or a vehemently hate for stinky tofu. I bought it from the Smelly Tofu food truck - the only Hong Kong-style among the three vendors. I sat front stage watching live performances as I enjoyed this guilty pleasure of nauseating messy snack. Young singers from @thesingingschool showcased their remarkable skills - from "Love The Way You Lie" and "Hold My Hand" to even their original songs. A group of children as little as a few years old were dancing. I roamed the area finding carnival games like fish catching, spin-the-wheel, jumbo Jenga and more. And before leaving, I hunted for my last bite - there was corn on the cob, skewers, flatbreads, takoyaki, seafood pancakes, leek pie and more - I opted in for the beef pie instead. What an amazing night!

Location This event is now hosted on Enterprise, in the same…read moreplaza as Good Catch, Goodlife and the VIP cinemas. Parking (including underground) is quite limited there - so best to come carpooling or explore nearby parking. One good thing is that the organizer does have a designated parking area setup for people coming in. Setup There are multiple vendors - from food, drinks to small gifts, organizations and even non-profits to promote anything! There are also festivities and live performances based on a schedule - so make sure to grab a seat if you want to watch any of them. I usually come for the food - to see what's new and exciting and what is not out there in restaurants. Inflation over the years have risen a lot of prices - so it could range anywhere from $10 for a drink to $15-$20 for food. Quantity wise - depending on where you look - can vary. You may have to spend at least 1-2 dishes to feel full. It's a staple yearly event that happens in Markham - definitely do check it out - and you may little hidden surprises !

This is an Asian food market on a much smaller scale than say Night It Up or Taste of Asia. The…read morefamiliar smells of grilled meats and stinky tofu dominate the air. Many of the usual night market vendors are present (Chatime, Tea Shop 168, Formocha, Osaka original takoyaki, okonomiyaki, AA Grills raindrop cakes, Wei's smelly tofu, Mama Bear smelly tofu, and several of the grilled skewer purveyors). Kanto by Tita Flips was also present, selling calamansi ice tea and pork skewers. Because this market occupies the parking lot at Metro Square, attendants direct drivers to park at the nearby Greek Orthodox Church parking lot. There is a main stage but there was no entertainment at the time hubby and I were there. Worth going to if you have time to spare this weekend but probably many won't spend a lot of time here (mainly because of the relatively fewer food options available).

This event is smaller than Night it Up which has one fringe benefit... it was less crowded…read more This venue provides no seating, so people come and go more readily. After the initial influx in the mornings and lunch hours the crowds quickly dissipate. I could tell since I can see the venue from my condo so I can choose an appropriate time to go. One thing about the venue this time compared to some other time I *approached* it was the stinky tofu smell wasn't too strong. I recall one time they had the smell so strong I just turned around once I reached the corner. They have a good selection of food, but nothing unique. There are some that are misses and cheaper for a good reason. e.g. the $3 tornado fries vs the $9 tornado fries in the next store, the $3 one I got left much to be desired. Another miss after a long wait was the $10 squid tepanyaki. It smelled so good while they were making it but the end result was so rubbery I didn't enjoy it much. Honorable mentions: I had the deep fried onigiri. $7 for 2. I liked the fact that it had a crispy texture and was enjoying it but realizing that there was absolutely nothing inside but rice was a major disappointment. Fried tofu in volcano sauce ($8 but $15 with drink and takoyaki combo) somehow they made this crispy for a relatively long period in the sauce. The sauce had a mild kick to it but blends well with the crispness of the tofu. The lemonade drink with mint wasn't bad either. Top 3: The Osaka okonomiyaki for $7 was pretty good. However, I knew this store from work so I am biased in it. It was crispy and considering we ate this AFTER everything else we didn't feel bloated. This was my 3rd favorite. The Vietnamese (I am guessing from their script) Oh Ah Jen (fried oyster pancake) was quite good. I don't think I had an oyster pancake like that before (perhaps it's not something I commonly order at Pho places) but it was different from the HK places that's for sure. It had bean sprouts (which I don't normally like) but it had large chunks of oysters and the sprouts covered some of the sauce's flavors so it didn't get too strong. This was my number 2 The i-migo takoyaki was probably the best takoyaki I've had even compared to the ones I had in the Little Japan at the Philippines and J-Town's events. It was like a cream puff but instead of the pastry, it was takoyaki batter and instead of ice cream it was a bunch of takoyaki stuff. This is my number 1 favorite in the event. Unfortunately, there are a number of lower class people smoking around and this includes the staff at some of the stalls specific example was at i-migo which I just had to tolerate to get their takoyaki. Some suggestions for a future event. #1 get their security to deal with smokers especially among the staff. #2 disallow booths from putting up their own blaring music (I had to deal with that with the i-migo booth) #3 provide free wifi for the occasion #4 provide a Yelp review meter for each booth along with a QR code so we can rate. #5 manage the wash stalls better, there was no water in them 2 hours before closing time. #6 put in a Legendary Pokemon hunt. Pro-tip: go to Gong-Cha for tea afterwards, much better drink and you can start writing your reviews because they have free wifi and seating. Not to mention have a fully plumbed sink and toilet if needed.

We visited each rib station in order from left to right. The first one we went to was Billy Bones…read moreBBQ. They boasted "best sauce runner up" in 2015 and "best ribs runner" in 2014. It was really nice that one of the guys there gave us a short spiel on how their pork ribs are simply the best. Out of the ribs I tried that day, I really enjoyed the ones from Billy Bones BBQ the most.

Great event and especially since I went first night it was nice and cool and the lines weren't that…read morebad at all

What a great food festival this is. Definitely one of the busiest food festivals in Toronto. The…read morefood items here are outrageous. Lots of seafood offerings on a sick, lots of meats on a stick. The flavours are not only Chinese, but also Indian inspired. Think Hakka. Make sure to try some of the tasty and interesting drinks, from fresh fruit drinks (some served in a pineapple), to ice teas to bubble teas. The perfect accompaniment on a hot summer day. The festival is very busy, so be prepared for the crowds. Parking can be a hassle, but there is lots of street parking in the surrounding neighbourhoods. On a hot summer day, you can step into the adjacent Pacific Mall to cool down. So, why not a 5 star review you ask me? Simple reason: The place has a very unappetizing smell. I asked around, and was informed that it's the Sticky Tofu. I do believe that people eat it as a novelty, like durian fruit. So, I hope I'm not being culturally insensitive when I mention it. But honestly, I think this festival would be much better if the Sticky Tofu truck was stuck on the 401. Sorry. In case I'm misunderstanding the whole Sticky Tofu thing, please enlighten me! Other than that, I would definitely recommend this food festival. As an added bonus, there is a stage with dance and song performances.

Taste of Asia just isn't what it used to be. Sure there's still lots of food stalls this year but…read moreit's a far cry from the past. It feels more like a community fair now with many non-food stalls like GO transit, embassy of India, MPs, plants and even Scientology (lol). Food options were good, but predominantly Chinese. There's a few Thai and other Asian cuisines but the variety was rather poor and selections were limited compared to a Night Market that I attended last year in New York. Food prices definitely went up by quite a bit this year ($20 for 4 scallops/oysters).

Stinky Tofu....The whole event just smell like Stinky Tofu...I can smell it even at the underground…read moreparking lot!! That's just insane! Richmond Hill Summer Carnival is like a night market with food vendors plus on stage competition and performers. A lot smaller scale than the other Night Market but the good thing about this is there are tons of parkings and no lines for anything. Similar food vendors as other events selling BBQ skewers, Pineapple drinks, Bubble Tea, Stinky Tofu and Takoyaki. Good to pop by if you have the cravings for the tofu..but if you are not into that, stay away... STAY FAR AWAY!!

Stinky Tofu Hong Kong Style The very first booth that we…read morestopped by because we are in need of some stinkiness XD These stinky tofu is made the moment you put in an order, such that all customers will have the best of the stinky tofu. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. After three minutes, the deep fried stinky tofu is ready! We added lots of sweet sauce, spicy sauce, pickled cabbage and it's ready to eat! When you're actually eating it, it doesn't smell stinky at all. I think the essence of HK style stinky tofu is in the sweet sauce so make sure you add lots of it! A variety of seafood available at HK Seafood Station. We wanted to try everything! Here it is! We got Grilled Whelk in Shell and Stuffed Clams. The Grilled Whelk in Shell is very good and perfectly seasoned. They did not taste fishy at all. On the other hand, we felt like we were scammed by the Stuffed Clams, as there was very little clams in it. The clams did not taste bad, but it's not worth the money for it. Taro Tornado Fries! We were told to add EVERYTHING to the crispy goodness and so we did. powdered ranch, ketchup, ceasar, garlic powder, chilli powder etc. it was super fresh and crunchy not to mention fun to eat! Here's a video of the making of tornado fries! Notice how it's night time already. Although this was a relatively small event, we managed to spend a few hours there and ate all the food items we missed at Night It Up as it was less crowded and not as stuffy. And so here's a close for this year's night market events, until next year!

This is the best Street festival I've been to in the GTA…read more It's huge, there's a good variety of vendors & there's a wide variety of price points (eg you can still get $1 pop, $4 hotdogs, $5 paella, $2 pizza slices & $5 mango lassi, but you can also get a $15 coconut). And some vendors give out free stuff too. There's even a separate alcohol section (with $5 for 12oz craft beer) so you can get your buzz, even in the middle of the day.

I love the Aurora Street Festival and try to go every year. The Aurora Chamber of Commerce runs…read morethis yearly event and this is its 22nd year. They block off Yonge St from Wellington St South to Murray Dr to make a 1.5 km long pedestrian mall where you can buy all types of food from vendors and food trucks. Like the name says, it's a festival running right down the centre of Yonge St. They claim over 500 vendors participate and it sure seems like it, once you start walking it keeps going and going... This is a big event, some 30,00 people come out for the event, it's a really great family oriented crowd. Your kids can get their faces pained at least a dozen times. Along the way are people selling everything from toys and gadgets to new products and food. Oh there is a lot of food, some of it's even healthy. There are a lot of handout along the way, from businesses to public organizations like the Police, the region, the city, etc, etc, etc and I always come home with a shopping bag pull of useful stuff, most of it for free ;-) There are a lot of scheduled entertainers along the way, there's no way to get bored, and always a lot go good bargains. There us little shelter along the way so sunblock is a must, I have come home from this festival redder and fuller than I planned.

Didn't visit Markham ribfest this year as they charge $5 admission and the lines have become…read morecomically long. Instead, opted to visit ribfest on the last day in Stouffville. It turned out to be a much wiser decision imo. More available parking, free entry, much cozier space (held in Memorial Park) but also WAY smaller lines. You were able to get to the front of the food lines within 15 mins tops. My friends and I bought our bbq from Sticky Fingers as it had the largest line (isn't that usually the rule of thumb? Pick the vendor with the longest line lol). So a friend and I ordered: - a full rack of pork ribs - a full rack of beef ribs - a pound of brisket - mac n' cheese - baked beans Funnily enough, we unanimously agreed (along w/ our friends who tried some of it), that even though it was RIBfest, the brisket was the best. We got some fatty and lean brisket in our pound and it was glorious. The pork ribs were 2nd place. While the beef ribs were good they still weren't quite as tender as I think I've ever had. The pork ribs also had way more flavour. The seasoning didn't quite permeate the beef ribs all the way down to the bone. The sides were mediocre. While the mac noodles were al dente, the cheese sauce was bland. Overall 4 stars. Can't give 5 stars because those prices were getting kinda ridiculous ... holy hell. They raised the prices out the wazoo.

Stouffville Country Ribfest has been kicking around for years. Oddly, I had never dropped by until…read morelast Saturday. Since this pandemic, the format has changed from a large ribfest with lots of activities at Memorial Park to a drive-thru version at the same place. I decided to give the drive-thru a whirl. Drive-thru events in Stouffville are organized exceptionally well. If you are getting a COVID-19 vaccination shot at the drive-thru, you need to book through Eventbrite. The same holds true for this ribfest, which was painless and straightforward. I booked a timeslot to drop by between 5 pm and 6 pm. I got there just after 5:30 pm. It was easy to locate. A woman that I first met asked if I had checked in online. I did and showed her my confirmation. She was pleased. She then found my name on her list and asked me to drive up a few feet. A second woman handed me a menu. I thanked her and slowly drove over to the rib vendors. This ribfest is probably one of the smaller ones that I have been to. There were only two rib vendors: - Sticky Fingers - Fat Boys BBQ Since I had already got ribs from the former at Scarborough Ribfest the previous weekend, my choice was simple. Go with the latter! There was good music provided by Excellent Productions to keep us all entertained while lining up. Perhaps I'm the only weirdo who ended up taking a photo of the staff there as I waited in line. Everyone there waved at me! I love friendliness. The Fat Boys BBQ line moved fast. When it was my turn to place my order, I had a helpful and nice woman help me out. I got the following: - Full rib rack meal, which comes with coleslaw and baked beans - Cornbread (2) I love cornbread. I had a feeling that this place's cornbread would be yummy when I saw a sign there that it offered a fully loaded cornbread with pulled pork. I paid using a credit card. I provided a tip. The woman let her colleagues know that I had added a tip and they all said thanks in unison. It was so unexpected, but a lovely gesture. I pulled up next to where all the barbeque magic was happening. Another woman provided a bag with my name on it. I thanked her, placed my food safely in the car as if I were guarding it with my life, and drove home. The food was amazing. Let's start with the cornbread. I love cornbread a lot. It was fabulous. It was perfect. Soft and buttery. Yum! I'm so glad that I got two. I had the other one for breakfast and smeared peach jam on it, which I have never done before. Wow! If I see this place again at another ribfest, I'm getting the fully loaded cornbread. The ribs here are so good! The meat was tender and hearty. The sauce was flavourful and delicious. I loved the ribs so much. I couldn't eat them all in one sitting. I had the remaining half the following day and they tasted even better! The baked beans were the best batch that I have had in a while. It was smoky, full of flavour, and wasn't overly sweet or salty. Just right. So yummy! The only weakness was the coleslaw. Although it was fresh, it lacked flavour. I ended up adding rib meat and baked beans on top. The coleslaw was that bland. I had a great experience here. There were lots of clear signs around to indicate that you're driving in one direction, along with staff to help with any questions. The entrance was at Hoover Park and Park Drives, and I exited at Park Drive and Main Street. (320)

Wasn't aware of this annual tradition in Markham until this year! Apparently the largest Tamil…read morestreet festival in Toronto with over 100,000 people attending every year. A three day festival that celebrates the Tamil culture, cuisine, arts and entertainment. Markham Road at Turbine and McNicoll was closed off and you could see people walking quite a distance from where they parked their vehicles to get to this place. It was packed! Lots of good food, very loud music and many happy faces! A few freebie giveaways through promotional marketing teams from banks, insurance companies and the usual other vendors at these street events. I can't for the life of me remember the truck that had the sweet treats but the line-up was the longest which is usually the best indication of tried and tested goodness and it really did live up to our expectations. The sundae and funnel cake topped with strawberries and ice-cream was probably the best we've had in Toronto.

Yeah yeah, Markham as a city is expanding and urbanizing and becoming a mini metropolis. That's…read morewhat everyone is so focused on. But so often, we forget that a short drive up north will land you smack dab in the middle of Markham cow country. And it's GORGEOUS. Green pastures stretching off into the horizon and country roads taking you on winding adventures. One particular country road took me to the Harvest Moon Festival, a charming little festival celebrating local foods and farmers. Harvest Moon Festival is a derivative of the Markham Fair, which has been around forever. For a festival that's brand new, only one day, and on a Thursday for that matter, there were a good amount of people attending. It was $20 to get into the festival which includes 4 sample tickets. These tickets could be used at approximately half of the vendors there, most of which were alcohol samples. Food trucks and non-sampling vendors were also present, like Love Gelato and local farmer's markets. My sample tickets were well-spent at Touro Churrascaria. They were cutting off large portions of meats and pineapple straight from their mini rotisserie grill. I also got to try mini smore squares from The Smokery (decadently rich), and Waupoos' new hopped grapefruit cider (amazing and refreshing). I luckily had the chance to take part in the gourmet dinner experience as well, catered by Marca on Main and using local ingredients. Dinner included a delicious caesar salad, a beautifully presented braised short rib, and a creamy tiramisu. The red wine they chose was a great accompaniment to the beef, even though it was quite warm after being in the sun and a fly flew into my glass halfway through :( I think for what it was, Harvest Moon Festival had a pretty successful initial run and I'd love to see its continued success. These simple and quaint events really bring you back to a time when townhouses weren't popping up like hot corn. And with all the exotic night markets and greasy food fests, it's nice to be reminded of the beauty in our backyard and the foods that come with it. (77/100) - 2016

So last night I went to the harvest moon festival at the Markham fairgrounds. Huh? You might ask…read more Exactly. I had not heard of it either. I got to go because of yelps advertising. If I would have missed this it would have been a pity! It was great. So heres a rundown: - food trucks -gourmet special dinner -rockingly great band -farmers market -guy in a scarecrow costume ( fun not horror) -microbrewery tables and samples -local vineyard booths and samples -local restaurants sampling -fancy smancy smores -flowers -free parking I'm gonna be the first person to buy tickets next year! I've told all my friends and they want to go to. Great job on a great event! Cheers!