Friday, June 24, 2005

Dufferin Park Market & Update on Festival Caravan

I went to Dufferin Park farmers market yesterday. It’s a bit south of Bloor on Dufferin for those of you who are in Toronto and want to check it out.. It was very interesting. Most of the vendors were the same as the ones I saw at Riverdale market on Tuesday so I didn’t bother taking any pictures. The crowd was different though, and there was a wonderful “community” atmosphere about the place. Lots of couples with young children and babies and dogs, older women chatting with everyone else – it was like a big casual party of friends and relatives in someone’s back yard.

At times I felt like I was back in the ‘60’s with lots of hippies all around – long skirts, Rasta hairdos, jangly, bracelets, bare feet, toddlers wearing nothing but diapers running about being inquisitive with parents close at hand but allowing them the opportunity to explore this new world of theirs.

There was also more prepared food at this venue. I tried delicious iced sorrel tea which was fruity, tangy but sweet and the most luscious shade of deep fuchsia ever. The ginger beer was very gingery. There were delicious looking roti and bison sausages on buns. This week is Cooking Fire Festival of Outdoor Theatre so I’m not sure it the cooking I saw was typical for Thursdays. Tonight is supposed to be some wonderful theatre and food, but I’m too hot to leave my air conditioned home. So I’ll just have to live vicariously through any of you who choose to go and wish to write me a comment telling me all about it.

I also wanted to give you all an update about the Toronto Caravan Festival that was supposed to start this weekend and go on for 2 weeks. Apparently things are still very much up in the air. There will be some entertainment at Dundas & Yonge. Here’s all the info I could find:

“Tylaine Duggan, Executive Director of Caravan, states the Caravan WILL take place at a location to be announced at a press conference on Friday June 24 at Yonge Dundas Square. In addition, there will be free events at Dundas Square at these times:
Friday June 24 noon - 9pm
Saturday June 25 noon - 11pm
Sunday June 26 noon - 6pm "

It is a shame that the event, as planned, fell apart. We live in a city with the most wonderfully diverse cultures and how excellent it would be to see and hear and smell and taste all these differences in one huge venue.

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