Quick Links
Toronto Stuff
May 22, 2013
Toronto Festivals - November 2012
Remember: Please ALWAYS check with website for exact dates, etc. as details may change after the listing is posted here.
Festivals already been and gone this year
Winter Magic Festival - Window Wonderland
{Nov 1-28, 2012}
Window Wonderland rekindles the tradition of holiday window displays. Experience the nostalgia as Ryerson Retail Management students partner with businesses to create creative and eye-catching holiday windows throughout Downtown Yonge BIA.
Windows will be revealed on November 1 and the Awards Ceremony will be held on November 28.
**Passersby can cast their vote for best window at Wintermagic website**
**FREE**
Sleepwalk Guitar Festival
{Nov 2-4, 2012}
- Where: Great Hall, 1087 Queen St. W (at Dovercourt), Toronto
- Cost: Prices vary
- Performers: James Burton, Albert Lee, Junior Brown, Nels Cline (Wilco), Cindy Cashdollar, Colin Linden, and Paul Pigat just to mention a few
| Website || | facebook || |
**Tickets/pass**
Royal Agricultural Winter Fair
{Nov 2-11, 2012}
**Tickets required.**
Winter Magic Festival - Ice, Wine & Dine
{Nov 3, 2012: 4-10pm}
Celebrate the season on Elm Street
(between Yonge/Bay Sts) during the Winter Magic festival, Ice, Wine & Dine. Enjoy an evening of culinary delights, festive cocktails and live entertainment on this historic street!
Area restaurants will be offering $5 sampler menus throughout the night. There will be $5 wine tasting and martinis at our licensed patios. Make sure to check out the Martini Ice Lounge! The night’s live entertainment will include: fire performers, stiltwalker, DJ & beat boxer.
Winter Festival of Lights •Out of Town•
{Nov 3, 2012-Jan 31, 2013}
**FREE. Tickets required for some events.**
The Day of the Dead Festival
{Nov 3-4, 2012}
**FREE**
416 Toronto Creative Improvisers Festival
{Nov 7-10, 2012}
The 416 Festival has provided an encompassing ‘snapshot’ of the creative improvised music scene in Toronto. It continues to bring together local performers and visiting artists with diverse approaches to real-time music making and to give audiences a real feel for this vibrant artistic community.
This edition will give audiences a 4-night panoramic overview of the Toronto improvised music scene that includes hand-signal-directed orchestra, laptop mash-ups, ambient dreamscapes and free jazz virtuosity by some of the most creative practitioners in country.
- Where: TRANZAC CLUB, 292 Brunswick Avenue Toronto
- Times: 9:30pm-1am
- Tickets: $7 or PWYC
Schedule/Performers:
| Nov 7: | Fern Lindzon 3 - Fern Lindzon, Heather Segger, Mark Segger DO! - Chris Cawthray, Simeon Abbott Vespaziani/Bull - Arthur Bull, Bob Vespaziani, with special guest Tena Palmer |
| Nov 8: | Build To Suit - Arnd Jurgensen, Guy LeBlanc, Bob Vespaziani, Jim Bailey, Matthew Poulakakis, and Alan Bloor Peebles/Fisher – Sarah Peebles, Colin Fisher Emilio Guim's Lullaby North - Emilio Guim, Chris Adriaanse, Dylan Hillyer, Tim Monis |
| Nov 9: | CCMC - Michael Snow, John Oswald, Paul Dutton, and John Kamevaar Brodie West Hall/Story/Thewari - Glen Hall, David Story and Rakesh Thewari |
| Nov 10: | Cybernetic Orchestra (McMaster U) with David Ogben Edges - Allison Cameron, Joe Sorbara, Sandro Manzon, Kathryn Ladano Toronto Improvisers Orchestra – Ambrose Pottie with others |
| Nov 10: | Free Music Improvising Workshop With Glen Hall: 10am-noon, Palmerston Library, 560 Palmerston Avenue 416 393 7680 |
Winter Magic Festival - Illuminite
{Nov 10, 2012: 6-7pm}
A spectacular holiday lighting ceremony at Yonge & Dundas Square with live music by SPLASH from Etobicoke School of the Arts and an amazing pyrotechnics show by renowned Circus Orange.
The lighting of the 45’ high light tree with more than 52,000 LED lights will cap off the night’s festivities, along with the illumination of the 3D polar bears, and other breath-taking holiday lighting installation
**FREE.**
Seasons Christmas Show
{Nov 16-18, 2012}
Cavalcade of Lights
{Nov 17, 2012: 7pm}
Headlining: Dragonette. With other performers on stage: Suzie McNeil, Alyssa Reid, Sean Jones, and Justin Abedin. Circus Orange will also be there.
Also, making the celebrations that more special, will be the 100th Grey Cup Festival. Have your picture taken with the Grey Cup between 5pm - 10pm at the 100th Grey Cup tent at Nathan Phillips Square the same night
**FREE**
Winter Woofstock
{Nov 17-18, 2012}
- Where: Direct Energy Centre's Hall (C ∓ D) @ Exhibition Place, 100 Princes Blvd
- Time: 10am-6pm
- Admission: 2-day pass: $8 (online); Adults: $10 (cash only at the door)
**Tickets**
Winter Magic Festival - Buskertainment
{Every Saturday & Sunday, Nov 17- Dec 23, 2012}
From Noon - 2pm at various locations in Downtown Yonge, the streets will come to life with dynamic buskers to entertain holiday shoppers.
Come see our stilt walker, illusionist, human statue, and more as they perform throughout Downtown Yonge. All of the Buskers’ proceeds will be donated to Raising the Roof, Downtown Yonge BIA’s official charity partner.
Santa Claus Parade
{Nov 18, 2012}
The route is packed with over 1/2 million spectators. Santa Claus and his reindeer is the last float on the parade, so keep warm and be patient!!
The Parade will begin at 12:30 pm. Here's a glimpse of what to expect.
**FREE.**
Santa Train
SOLD OUT
Boarding time: Various times
Return time: Various times
Cost: $18.50 OR $19.50 + tax (per adult and same price for child
2+) through December
Experience a special day on the Santa Train! During the trip, you will be served fresh-baked cookies (peanut-free) and hot chocolate. There will be strolling musicians who will lead all on the train in carol singing, and Santa will visit each child at their seat to talk with them, and will give them a small gift and pose for pictures
Tickets sold by advance purchase only and as of Oct 2012, many dates are SOLD OUT but there are still a couple (and I mean only a couple) of dates that you can still reserve a seat on the train.
For future reference, you should arrange to buy these early in the year when first released.
**Book early as it sells out quickly!**
One of a Kind Christmas Show and Sale
{Nov 22-Dec 2, 2012}
SWEA Swedish Christmas Festival
{Nov 24-25, 2012}
There you can buy traditional Swedish gifts as well as Swedish food, glögg (mulled wine) and much more.
**FREE**
Shop Cats - Wandering Winter Craft Show
{Nov 24, 25; Dec 1, 9, 2012}
Ross Petty's Snow White
{Nov 23, 2012-Jan 5, 2013}
Venue: Elgin Theatre.
Lowe’s Toronto Christmas Market
{Nov 30-Dec 16, 2012}
The event will feature hundreds of hand-crafted products, family-friendly entertainment, specialty food and beer, mulled wine gardens, a 45-foot Christmas tree decorated with over 18,000 light bulbs, a children’s village and much more.
This year’s event will have no shortage of entertainment for all ages with carollers and choirs, children’s story telling and headlining performers on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings.
| What: | A traditional European-style Christmas Market |
| Where: | Distillery Historic District 55 Mill Street, Toronto |
| Cost: | FREE |
| Times: | Monday to Friday: Noon - 9pm Weekends: 10am - 9pm |
Inspired by the old world and influenced by the new, this annual event is free to the public and captures the heritage and charm that you would find in a traditional European Christmas market.
| Website || | facebook || |  |
