This was such a fun, spontaneous evening! It had a cool Oriental night market vibe with tons of…read morefood stalls, bouncy houses, and two live DJs. The food was tasty but definitely pricey, especially after the entrance fee (which wasn't cheap). Highlight was launching lanterns into the water such a sweet little moment with my kid. It felt like a cool blend of culture-meets-festival energy. Would totally go again, just maybe pre-game with snacks first .

The website: I wasn't impressed with this waterfront night…read moremarket. I had such high hopes though. Their marketing & pictures of past events looked so good. Hubby & I bought tickets for this year's event. Firstly, their website doesn't have any FAQs. Other than a link to buy tickets & what the cost of the ticket gets you there's not much more information. First Impressions: We arrived just after 4pm & lined up. We got through pretty quickly because there wasn't much of a lineup. The device they were using to scan tickets wouldn't scan ours so they took a picture instead. We had VIP tickets so we got the "nicer" red lantern with tealight candle (the kind with a battery & a switch to turn on). They did a bag check & saw one of us had a bottle of water with us (unopened). They made us throw it into the garbage before going in. That wasn't nice. I later saw people with their reusable water bottles walking around with it. Why were those allowed and not ours? Not nice. As we went inside some booths weren't even set up. Though a good amount were already making their food items for waiting customers. One booth near the entrance was grilling skewers & the smoke went everywhere. The food: After wandering around I decided to get the ube burger & fries from the Bunso booth. The burger was a lot smaller than I thought it would be. The beef patties inside were quite thin. It didn't look appetizing compared to the picture. But it tasted a lot better than it looked. LOL. One thing I will criticize about the burger I wish they hadn't put so much black pepper into the patty. It was a bit spicy for me. It would have been nice if they had seasoned it more gently. The fries were decent. My only complaint is that they weren't hot. But given the circumstances where they were cooked (outdoors on a windy day) I can understand that. The Chatime food truck was nearby so I bought a purple aura bubble tea drink from them. It was too sweet for me. I only drank about half of it before abandoning it. Later on I got the egg shaped waffles in a small carton & the combo comes with lemonade in a flask. This was from Eggette Lab. The flask is a round ring & the strap is pink. Hubby drank the weak lemonade in it. It was funny to see him wearing the flask with pink ribbon & cartoon cats on it. Hubby got chicken skewers from Bunso (no picture) & a Vietnamese coffee style drink (didn't catch name of food vendor). The good: -The red lanterns hanging above the dance floor were nice. -The water feature where the lanterns go was nice. But the water didn't look too clean. -There was a plastic gold dragon by the water which looks nice in pictures & there's a small red bridge beside the water feature for selfie shots. -There was also some plastic Fu dogs where the dragon dancers have a tent. -The fake cherry blossoms looked nice too. -People were friendly & food vendors were friendly. -There were picnic tables set up near the back of the area away from the dance floor. It was quieter there. -The live dj was good. The bad: -A lot of the same food vendors here have also been at Mel Lastman Square events which is free to get into - I didn't feel like I was getting anything special or VIP. I was hoping to see more food vendors I hadn't seen before. -The only washrooms were portapotties which were disgusting & dirty. You can use the washrooms at enercare center but you have to leave the market & might not be allowed back in. -The VIP ticket came with a free alcoholic drink. That booth wasn't even set up yet when we arrived. Hubby was able to get a soju bomb later. -There are no recycle bins or green bins. Everything goes into the garbage. That's a lot of waste. When we got home we opened up the lanterns to look at them. They are cheap plastic lanterns. We recycled them at home. The electronic tea lights are ones you can get at the dollar store. It was nice to experience a different night market but I don't think I'll come back to this one. There are tons of free-entry night markets around the city that I can go to.

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)

Had a fun filled time here at Pingles Farm market…read more Very kid friendly. They had a little barn, with some farm animals, a jumping area for kids, huge tube slides, corn maze and food stations. They do have portable washrooms. Food and drinks can get very pricey, but you can bring your own snacks/food. The market is spacious and sells everything from sweet treats, popcorn, plushies and everything in between. My kids had a blast.

Came here for tulips. Buy some food from the store. Took some pictures. This place has entrance…read morefee. It's cheaper to book online than paying up front. Staff are friendly. I will Come back for apple picking

Went there for the First Time this past Summer and we received 5 Star Treatment. We bought a…read morepackage with a one night stay at the White Oaks hotel. Upon arriving we received our Swag bags full of Goodies with coupons for the outlet stores, dinner for two, free drinks, wine tasting tickets for a few of the Best Wineries. The Dixie Land Band Brunch on Sunday was absolutely Incredible, Great Buffet Food, Free Mimosa and incredible Music. We were so wowed with the experience, listened to some of the most beautiful talented musicians. We have decided to make this an Annual Event, except next time we will make it a Full weekend and will be taking a couple of friends along. This is one of those Festivals that you will be Wowed even if you are not that into Jazz.

From the owner: The TD Niagara Jazz Festival will take place this July 19th-22nd and July 27th-29th 2018 in the…read morebeautiful Niagara Region of Canada. Please join us for our 5th annual festival, which will include an incredible lineup of musical talent at stunning venues from the wine vineyards of Niagara-on-the-Lake to the Performing Arts Centre in St. Catharines.

My first time coming here for an event. Had a great time watching the race. You can also gamble and…read moreplace bets. Sometimes they offer family events with lots to do for the kids which is awesome! Place is well maintained.

I know Ajax Downs Racetrack from two different angles. Over a decade ago, I worked in the gaming…read moreindustry. I wrote brief profiles about our clients. Ajax Downs was one of them. The other source was my manager. He had heard about the lobster tails dinner with prime rib at a cheap price, and wanted us to take advantage of it. I knew that a dinner deal like that (I think it was $14.99 at the time, but have no clue whether this deal is still on) would be popular. Waiting in line for a while for such a deal turned me off. I'd be hangry and no one needs to put up with that. A few weeks ago, Ajax held a walk-in ribfest at Ajax Downs. I had never been to this one. Frankly, the last time I had set foot at a ribfest was in 2018. I decided to give it a try. I did manage to see the racetrack while I was circling to find a parking spot. I wish that I had taken a photo, but it's etched in my mind. It's closer to the casino. You truly can't miss it, even when you're preoccupied with parking! It's a dirt track. It had greenery. It looked nicely maintained. There are live races from May till October each year. Most races happen on Wednesdays. Each month, there's a race day on Sunday, but I don't get how the powers that be decide with Sunday of each month will be a race day. It's best to check the schedule before you head over here to take in some races and perhaps strike it rich. I was there on a Saturday afternoon, so the racetrack was quiet. The ribfest was not. It was nice seeing it so lively. Vendors were dishing out free samples of popcorn and such. There were many food trucks, from Caribbean good eats, to lemonade. I did find a parking spot fairly close to the ribfest's entrance. I lucked out in the E lot. Parking was free. There was also parking across the street where it was more on grass. I got half a rack of ribs and coleslaw from The Hogfather. Ajax Downs is so vast that it supported six ribbers, and included a huge area for hungry eaters to sit and chow down. Ajax isn't horrible to get to. From Markham, the commute is fine, with a few options. Highway 401 gets you here fairly fast, depending on the time of day. If you like a more scenic and relaxed drive, there's Taunton or Kingston Road. Ajax Down is ideal for an outdoors event like the Ajax Ribfest. I had a good time. The Beaches used to have Greenwood Racetrack eons ago. It was nice seeing a racetrack again. Next time, I'd love to check out the Downs itself when I'm not grabbing takeout for dinner. (211)

On Saturday July 26 I attended the TFOB. It was my 2nd time attending this particular Beer Fest…read more but my previous visit was in 2011, 14 years ago, at the same location, west side of The CNE Grounds. I arrived in the long lineup to get in at about 2:20 pm, 20 minutes after the Fest. started. The line moved fairly steadily and I got in at about 2:40. As usual at the bigger Beer Fests that I attend, I walked around to get 'a lay of the land' and find out which Breweries and other beverage Companies were there and what they had available. My admission included a sampling glass and 5 tokens which could be used for beverages and food. Additional tokens cost $1 each and samples were predominantly 2 tickets for a 4 oz (half glass) pour, therefore $2/each. I started sampling around 3 pm and continued doing so for 3 1/2 plus hours; I had a total of 10 samples - mainly beer - but also Pear Apple Cider and Mango Guava Vodka Soda. I experienced a wide variety of flavours and styles in the different beverages I had. Loud music was playing through large speakers in the large outdoor area that the Fest. mainly took place in; indoors there was a stage with instruments on it and several other beverage providers. For food, there were food trucks stationed in a separate area at the Fest.; due to the cost I had lunch beforehand. It started to rain later in the afternoon and I left around 6:45 pm. More Attendees had arrived as the afternoon progressed and although it became fairly crowded outside, there was still adequate room to circulate throughout the Fest. I quite enjoyed experiencing the TO Beer Fest. for my 1st time in a very long time. Largely a younger crowd was present and it appeared to me that many others who came quite enjoyed attending as well.

In the last 2 decades, I have been to TFOB probably 6-7 times. It was previously held at Fort York…read morebut a while ago, with growing popularity - they moved the location to Exhibition Place. I was not happy about this change because it became less accessible (far from the city core, and need to take GO transit) but I go there anyway as I love beers. I go there to sample many different beers - it is HEAVEN for beer lovers. Just like endless beer flights. Especially, if you have luck with the weather - the experience will be very relaxing. To me, it is like a paradise - surrounded by hundreds of thousands of happy, friendly, and cheerful zythophiles - feels like a community celebrating the golden beverage! As per food - the qualities are declining, unfortunately. They used to invite a variety of Toronto's popular restaurants and chefs, but not anymore. Now all are "food track level" except for Oyster Boys. Food can be purchased with both cash and tokens. Tokens are sold by mobile-token-sellers - TFOB staff are walking around selling tokens. It accepts credit and debit cards but I strongly recommend you carry cash, as the debit machine seemed to have a lot of issues here and there. Beers - there are several sections based on the types of producers (import, local, newbies, etc...). My recommendation is the area called "Change Makers" - you can sample new local breweries' products on tap - if you want to support new local businesses, and try new and different beers, it is a "must go". This year's best was - Town Brewery (Whitby). I am not saying this just because I am a Whitby resident. This place is really passionate about what they are doing and continues to make high-quality beer. I was glad to have beer from Left Field - for established stability. We also had a very nice conversation with the staff from Old Credit Brewing Co - I thought their beer was worth people's attention! Final note - be careful about the size of the bag you bring in. If it is too big, you are not allowed to enter. Only a small handbag is allowed. No backpack. There is no locker around (on-site, at Exhibition GO station or Union Go). So, you will be in big trouble if you have a big bag! Cheers!

This was quite a small scale theatre but it was a nice breath of fresh air considering the…read moreprevious/recent musicals I have attended. The theatre was quite clean and had your standard staff showing you the way to your seats. The stage was quite close to our seats but it wasn't close enough to make you feel your apart of the stage. However that can be a great thing and not so much as a con. I didn't get to experience the concession during intermission but my husband did say it was "not bad." The acoustics were good and the seats were comfortable. The knock down of the star is the difficulty and lack of parking offered near the theatre. However there was construction happening so that may change in the future. 7/10

After enduring some of the more popular Toronto venues (i.e. cramped leg room (or no leg room),…read morebottomed out seats, too much perfume/after shave, poor air-quality and poor acoustics), what an absolute pleasure it was to attend a show last night in a wonderful venue. The Regent Theatre in Oshawa is a magnificant structure, recently renovated and has not only charm but good acoustics, great air quality and seats which are comfortable, newly upholstered with a reasonable amount of leg room. So glad I discovered this place. Have decided to book tickets there again for a show in May. Took us 40 minutes to drive from Toronto to Oshawa - no hardship and worth it.

Free, massive food festival with plenty of cheap eats and free samples…read more Booths can range from healthy superfoods to junk food pop-ups, to vegan clothes & accessories, to the few who have nothing to do with veganism. Sample everything, grab something to eat, sit on the grass, and listen to the live indie bands. Like what you sampled? Well many booths are selling their products tax free and at discounted prices. I strongly recommend that you bring cash and a sturdy shopping bag, or two. Plenty of different panels and cooking shows. For full schedule, visit: vegfoodfest.com/schedule Parking is a headache. I strongly recommend that you take the TTC to Union station then the streetcar should drop you right infront of Harbourfront centre.

The Annual Toronto Vegetarian Food Festival is easily my favourite event of the year. It's in its…read more27th year, after starting as a small fair at George Brown College in the '80s. It draws 20,000+ people to the Harbourfront Centre over the course of the weekend and exposes people to the fact that cruelty-free, plant-based diets are not just healthy but also delicious and easy! There's loads of free speakers on a wide range of subjects from weight-loss and nutrition to the sociological aspects of meat-consumption, which is my area of interest. Last year I took in two talks by Carol J. Adams, noted professor and author of 'The Sexual Politics of Meat', on feminism and how marketing of meat for consumption intermingles with the subjugation of women's bodies as 'meat' in advertising. It was very stimulating and thought-provoking and I didn't have to pay American university tuition just to hear it. The cooking demos are all free as well. I've enjoyed the 'Vegan Iron Chef' competition two years in a row but this year I'm planning to see some 'educational' one's like how to make 5-step vegan fudge and how to properly cook leafy greens like kale and swiss-chard (I haven't a clue on the latter). Of course, the best part of a Vegetarian Food Festival is the food. They have everything from cupcakes and ice-cream to raw food, dim sum, Jamaican, Indian, and so much more. There's also loads of free sample to be had like kiwis, milk alternatives, granola bars, protein powder just off the top of my head. I'll probably take in 1.5x the caloric intake I usually eat but I won't gain a pound because nearly everything at the festival is vegan. Whether you're a vegan, vegetarian or just a veg-curious omnivore, you should pay the Food Fest a visit this weekend. If you're thinking 'this isn't my bag, I eat meat and I don't like vegetables.' Think again, the Food Fest is for everyone and can help you reduce your meat intake and up your vegetable count for improved health. Everyone knows eating lots of vegetables is good for your health and heart but a lot of people don't even know how to cook them. This is the place to find out so you can have a longer, healthier life and reduce your impact on the environment! If Bill Clinton can do it, you can too: http://sanjayguptamd.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/29/sanjay-gupta-reports-the-last-heart-attack/ You can also check out and support all the great community vendors, like the animal rescue groups such as Toronto Cat Rescue, Annex Cat Rescue, North Toronto Cat Rescue, Ferret Rescue, and Rabbit Rescue. There's also activists groups like Sea Shepherd, Farm Sanctuary and others. And of course, there's Yelp. This is where I got my first introduction to Yelp and my very own Yelp re-useable swag bag from Kat F. Hope to see you there! Val G.

I'd heard of the festival for ages, but finally checked it out. It's a bigger event than I'd…read moreexpected, with several blocks set aside for a few stages and vendors and tents galore. It turned out that the band playing the main stage when I came was a Blues band. That's fairly typical of Jazz festivals too - though I personally prefer Jazz and would've hoped to have caught that. There was a great vibe, and wonderful to see so may people coming out enjoying it together and supporting local business. Will be back for sure.