It turned out the day I chose to visit was bitterly cold. It was a shame that this dampened the…read moreotherwise good experience. There were various installations located throughout the Distillery District. Make sure you go down all the little alleyways to see everything. As I was about to leave I heard one of the staff informing a visitor that there was going to be a fire show.

This is the third year of this annual festival running Jan and Feb at the Toronto Historic…read moreDistillery District. The lights come on sundown to 9pm/10pm. It features many different artists from around the world. The exhibits are immersive with some that includes participation like this year's Cloud Swing (where people swing under light clouds). Each show piece is very different in theme and they are different over the years. I've been all three years. For some reason, the nights chosen have always been cold (at least my fingers freeze when taking pictures/videos! Luckily there are shops and restaurants you can enter to warm up.

Another food festival to attend to! Pretty nice, there are two sections (one on either side of…read moreharbourfront) with jewellery and food stand vendors. I went on Canada Day weekend and there were Pirate Ships, outdoor games (garden chess, jenga, ping pong), live statues and even a kids obstacle course! The event is not packed, in fact, the vendors were still setting up around 12pm, but it was probably because it was raining that day. The only reason I came here is to try the Teppan Ice cream ($6). They come in 5 flavours (mango, lychee, matcha, taro and oreo) with the choice of chocolate syrup or condensed milk as Topping 1, and peanuts, chocolate or sprinkles as Topping 2. I got the taro ice cream with peanut toppings. First time eating Teppan ice cream (stir fried ice cream that is rolled), it is much thicker than regular ice cream. It is gooey and holds its shape longer; it tastes milky and almost like coconut? Interesting taste; I thought it would be fluffy, but I'd try it again, perhaps a different flavour.

Love the artisan market. There were so many interesting vendors. Each unique in its own way and…read morewhen the weather is nice it makes the experience even better. I could spend every day here just checking out the view and the vendors.

This is my first time going to the annual Hot and Spicy Festival down and Harbourfront Centre. I…read moreguess I was expecting to have a lot of food vendor and I was disappointed. Most of the vendors that participated are selling hot sauces, mustard and more hot sauces... Might as well renamed the event to Hot and Spicy Sauces Festival. The Iron Chef Final on the last day was interesting though... and I got to sample the winner's cooking at the end of the show!! If you are in the area, definitely drop by. But doesn't worth a special trip for this!

The Hot & Spicy food festival is one of the last summer festivals the city of Toronto offers. It's…read moresituated in a decent location right by the lake at Harbourfront Centre. It also offers ample room to move around which makes it comfortable for families, seniors and festival goers in general and the lineups for vendors are short and minimal which work well in favour of the festival. The one area were they could really improve is offer more food vendors, instead of really having tons of vendors selling just hot sauces and spices. I'm not saying they should be reduced but there should be more of a balance because a lot of people come to festivals for the food. This would make the festival so much better because the location is pretty good, lineups are minimal, there are music performances and there is ample room to move around. One thing that worked well was the taco takedown competition where 6 restaurants in Toronto offered their take on tacos to see who had the best tacos in town, the price was $8 to try six tacos, one from each restaurant, they were pretty good but good thing "Seven Lives" wasn't involved in the competition because they would have blown away the competition. The lineup was a little long at 30 minutes but that's because it was the main food highlight of the festival.

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.

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.

Horror fans come out in horde's every time TAD comes to town! And no matter what your horror taste…read moreis, this festival will most certainly have something for you! Pure uncensored horror in all it's fright, gore and even comedy! And I wouldn't be surprised if they add "International" somewhere in the title as the 2010 festival had movies from a wide variety of countries, and you know that Asian horror is a whole different experience than what you would see playing at most cinemas. This year's festival was 8 nights long with 16 films raging from the much hyped about "human centipede" to a movie centered around a killer tyre! Yes a killer tyre! (Look up the trailer for Rubber). Tickets don't always sell out and you can get them at the box office until the last minute, but for bigger name movies (including the opening and closing nights features) you are better off with advanced tickets. Or you can opt for the VIP festival pass (you get a cool lanyard too!) that gives you access to all movies. ARRIVE EARLY! Line ups start very early but don't get too discouraged if it winds up around the block and goes all the way up the street, the Bloor Cinema has a large capactiy! And festival hosts and volunteers are clearly passionate about the festival which certainly adds to the experience. There are always a pre and post film interview/Q&A with the director. And after one film I was at, everyone was invited to the Pauper's Pub across the street for drinks with the director. I would love to see tiff do something like that! This was my first year with TAD and I will definitely try to get as many movies under my belt in the future! Just make sure to research your film a little before you go in case you walk in to a torture film expecting a different kind of horror!

I love horror movies and the b-grade ones are even better! You can imagine why I am a fan of…read moreToronto After Dark. Plus the tickets are not very pricey either.

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!

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!

So I actually had a really wonderful time going in the second to last day of the winter village…read more The last weekend there's no need to purchase a ticket to enter, there's no Santa or carolers, and it's less people since it's very early January. The lights and decorations were beautiful! The light snow added to the wintery ambiance. We got lucky with parking. A new nearby apartment complex was selling parking for the winter village. It was within a block away. If you followed the official event parking signs it'd lead you to 2 Church St parking garage which is about 1 mile away (probably a 25-30 minute walk in the cold. No thanks). The winter village was a smaller than I expected. We wandering around and left after an hour or so. There's a lot of pop up vendors selling everything from crochet plushies, poutine, dumplings, crepes, and more. I think most people would go during December or closer to Christmas. I think it's worth going at least once but I'd hate the crowds during peak times.

This year, the main sponsor isn't Dior but L'Oréal, and honestly, it's still just as beautiful--if…read morenot more festive and flashy than last year. There are more lights, more decorative details, and the brand installations feel more polished overall. Since the pandemic, it feels like winter events in Toronto have become bigger and more extravagant, and Distillery Winter Village is a perfect example of that trend. It's less of a simple holiday market now and more like a small winter-themed attraction. Still one of the best spots for photos Once the lights turn on in the evening, the atmosphere is hard to beat. If you're looking for cozy holiday vibes or festive photos, this place never disappoints. Food & drinks are what you'd expect Mulled wine, hot chocolate, sausages--classic winter market items. Nothing mind-blowing taste-wise, but you're definitely paying for the ambiance. About the tickets Evening entry requires a ticket, and honestly, I'm not sure it's always worth it--especially if you've been before. It's fun, but not necessarily something you need to pay for every single year. Tip If you don't want to buy a ticket, go before 4 PM. Entry is free, it's less crowded, and if you stay a bit longer, you can still catch some of the lights turning on. Expect crowds Weekend evenings are packed. Between tourists, couples, families, and dogs, it can get pretty hectic--don't expect a slow, peaceful stroll. Overall: Beautiful, festive, and very "holiday vibes," but definitely a mood-and-photos kind of place. Great to visit once a season, just keep expectations (and spending) in check.