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In the Spotlight, Nov 14
Downtown Yonge BIA presents Winter Magic!
A series of signature events to bring holiday cheer in the Downtown Yonge BIA Neighbourhood!
www.wintermagic.ca
Illuminite
Sat., Nov 16, 6pm at Yonge-Dundas Square
This is the official kick off to the holiday season in Downtown Yonge BIA neighbourhood. Live choirs will fill the square with music, and beautifully outfitted dancers will perform a variety of styles - at times on multiple stages and platforms. Get into the rhythm of the season with drummers in illuminated costumes, jugglers with illuminated props and stilt walkers dressed in reflective mirrors.
UK aerial act Heliosphere will headline the event with the most captivating performance of all: an acrobatic performer suspended and moving in the night sky above you attached to a hot-air balloon.
Ice, Wine & Dine
Fri., Nov 22, 4pm to 10pm on Elm Street between Yonge & Bay Streets
Historic Elm Street comes alive in an evening of culinary delights, festive cocktails, ice carvings and live entertainment! There will be wine sampling and a Martini Bar.
Photo Contest
Take your photo at the event, share on Twitter or Facebook with #IWD13 and get a chance to win gift certificates at one of the restaurants within the BIA
Kidzfest
Sat., Nov 23 from 11am to 5pm at Yonge-Dundas Square
This is a fun packed day with free entertainment and activities for the whole family! There will be crafts, bouncy castles, rides and we’re bringing TumbleBus, where fun meets fitness. There will be tons of children’s characters for meet & greet – My Little Pony, The WotWots, SpongeBob, Chuck the Dump Truck, characters from the new The Lego Movie, Rapunzel and Santa!
Photo Contest
Take your photo at the event, share on Twitter or Facebook with #Kidzfest13 and you get a chance to win a 4-family pack tickets for the Little Mermaid playing at the Elgin Theatre!
Buskertainment
every Friday and Saturday starting Nov 22 to Dec 1, Noon to 4pm
Unique and dynamic Street performers entertain holiday shoppers in Downtown Yonge Neighbourhood. All the donations raised by the Buskers will go to Raising the Roof.
Photo Contest
Spot the busker, snap a photo and share on Twitter or Facebook #WMBusker for a chance to win gift certificates from Downtown Yonge BIA.
Window Wonderland
Nov 15 to Dec 1 throughout Downtown Yonge neighbourhood
Window Wonderland rekindles the tradition of holiday window displays. Experience the nostalgia as Ryerson Retail Management students partner with businesses to create eye-catching holiday windows throughout Downtown Yonge BIA. This is a competition amongst the students. There will be two winners – the Judges’ Choice and the People’s Choice.
Visit Downtown Yonge BIA Facebook page and vote for your favourite window.
For more information, visit www.wintermagic.ca.
What's on
Restoration of Mattamy Athletic Centre to be recognized by Heritage Toronto
On Thursday, November 14th one of Canada’s most renowned buildings, the former Maple Leaf Gardens, will be recognized by Heritage Toronto with a historical plaque.
First opened in November 1931, for over 65 years the Gardens was the site of many iconic cultural, sporting, political, and religious events. In 2012, the building re-opened as a Loblaw and Ryerson University’s Mattamy Athletic Centre, a 220,000 square foot athletic and recreational centre with a fitness centre, multi-purpose gym and NHL-sized ice rink.
The unveiling of the Heritage Plaque will be followed by a free public skate.
Schedule: Ceremony at 2 p.m.; Free public skate 3 – 4 p.m.
Location: Alumni Lounge, 4th floor Mattamy Athletic Centre, Ryerson University, 60 Carlton Street
What's New in Downtown Yonge
ING Direct Initiative
Do you have old sports equipment that you no longer need? The Toronto Cafés will take them off your hands (as long as they’re clean).
We’re looking for items such as:
- Soccer uniforms
- Shin pads
- Soccer socks/shoes
- Ice skates (men, women, children)
- Helmets
- Pads
- Sticks
- Any other used soccer/skating equipment you may have!
Are you wondering why we want your old stuff? For the month of November, the Toronto Cafés are supporting Second Kicks and Skate to Great, which are organizations that give children the change to enjoy soccer and skating.
In addition to collecting equipment, we’re also donating 100% of funds generated in the Cafés in November to both organizations.
Second Kicks has donated over 10,000 uniforms since 2004. In 2011, ING DIRECT collected 325 jerseys, 75 pairs of shorts, 50 balls and 30 pairs of soccer shoes. Let’s double this in 2013!
Skate to Great’s mission is to provide every child the opportunity to skate, regardless of their circumstances. Skate to Great's main initiative is to collect new and used hockey and figure skates (along with equipment such as pads, sticks and helmets) for organizations that need them.
Chef Abraham - the Executive Chef of Trios Bistro at the Toronto Marriott Downtown Eaton Centre Hotel
In 2010, Abraham was recognized with the prestigious “Rising Star” award which recognizes and celebrates culinary excellence and talent amongst Marriott Full service portfolio of hotels.
For Chef Abraham cooking is about embracing nostalgia while creating new memories and getting people to experience those emotions while eating his food. He feels that preparing meals with the best and freshest ingredients, in the right way, are the first steps to a memorable culinary experience. His philosophy about cooking? It is a reflection of the chef’s ability to enjoy themselves. That is why he believes the most important ingredient for any meal is the passion the chef infuses into a dish during the preparation. “Customers will taste your mood”, he says to his apprentices, “so enjoy making it!”.
Chef Abraham is the Executive Chef of Trios Bistro at the Toronto Marriott Downtown Eaton Centre Hotel, overseeing a team of 45 with a full-service restaurant and banquet facilities for up to 1,500.
More information is available at http://www.triosbistro.com/chef
To Do in Downtown Yonge
Open Streets Summit
Join the Open Streets Summit for an innovative discussion to learn how Toronto can use existing city streets to encourage active and healthy living.
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Schedule: Registration: 9:30 am; Summit: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: 245 Church Street, Ryerson University, George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre
Join Regus for a special networking event!
Tuesday, November 26th
Time: 4:00pm-6:00pm
Location: One Dundas Street West, Suite 2500
Network with like-minded business professionals at this afternoon event!
WineWire.ca will be providing wine tastings for attendees.
Enter for a chance to win a pair of tickets to see the Raptors vs. Spurs on December 10th at the ACC.
RSVP to: Krystle Michie at +1 416-570-5659 or krystle.michie@regus.com
More info: regus.ca
2nd Annual Ryerson Rams LGBT Awareness Game
Come support the 2nd Annual Ryerson Rams LGBT Awareness Game at the Mattamy Athletic Centre as we speak out against homophobia in sports, and celebrate the accomplishments of athletes of all identities. The game takes place on Saturday, November 16th, at 2:30PM, as the Men’s Hockey Team face-off against the visiting Carleton Ravens. We invite our local community to come out and help encourage a more inclusive locker room and work towards a better future for all athletes."
Get your tickets now at www.mattamyathleticcentre.ca
The Beauty Express Gala event
The Beauty Express Gala event at Hudson's Bay Queen Street for Thursday November 21st from 11 to 8 pm.
Tickets are $10 with $2 donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
Also included with the tickets are:
- Complimentary make overs, mini facials
- exclusive gift with purchase
- prizes
- light refreshments snacks
- $8 redeemable in product
More products and brands than ever at thebay.com/beauty
- Consultations, makeovers, facials and samples: all complimentary
- 2,000 beauty experts to help you find the perfect product or a whole new look
- Top trends and exclusive launches
A Victorian Christmas at Mackenzie House
Begins Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Tuesday to Friday, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Discover the story of how families celebrated Christmas in 19th century Toronto as you tour the Mackenzie home which is dressed in greenery for the holidays.
Adults: $7.08; Seniors /Youth/Children: $4.42 (plus tax)
During the Victorian Christmas program, until December 24, children are invited to write a letter to Santa Claus during their visit.
Select a card that has been printed on our 1845 printing press, and write a personal message. Drop the wish card into our magic post box and it will go to Santa! Included with admission.
Pogue Mahone Irish Sessions!
Every Sunday 3pm-6pm
The Irish Sessions continue to breathe life into the atmosphere at Pogue Mahone on Sunday afternoons! Pick up your fiddle or we’ll even settle on some spoons, and join us from 3-6 pm. We’re taking party bookings on a daily basis, so remember to book in advance and we can assist you to make this year’s event a success. Reservations are also recommended for Sunday November 17th, before or after the Parade!
We are also taking advance reservations for New Year’s Eve, Sandy MacIntyre will be back for a repeat performance with Steeped in Tradition, and tickets are $44.99 for a three course dinner along with champagne toast at midnight. Cover for the door is $20.
8th Annual December Show and Sale of Small Works
Ever wondered about the building marked by that historical plaque on Elm Street? Come for a rare visit to our unique historic venue on Sunday, December 1st. Enjoy the festive atmosphere, meet the exhibitors and have your holiday purchases signed! Visual artworks in a variety of media by Arts & Letters Club Members. Books of biography, history, fiction, poetry and humour.
Admission Free. 11:00 a.m.– 4:00 p.m.
The Arts & Letters Club, 14 Elm St
www.artsandlettersclub.ca
Great Britain’s Royal Ballet brings The Nutcracker to Canadian Cinemas just in time for the Holidays
Great Britain’s world famous Royal Ballet pirouettes into Canadian cinemas this December for a limited two-night engagement, just in time for the holidays. Visions of sugar plum fairies and tin soldiers will soon be dancing in the heads of many Canadians as the UK’s premier ballet, in collaboration with Arts Alliance Media, broadcasts its world-renowned production of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Ballet from the Royal Opera House stage to cinemas across the country.
Tickets are on sale now for the two-night engagement, which will hit the big screen at Cineplex Odeon Yonge & Dundas Square on Thursday, December 12, 2013 at 7:00pm. An encore performance will be presented on Sunday, December 22, 2013 at 12:55pm.
Audiences will be transported from their cinema seats to the front row of the famed Royal Opera House where they will be immersed in a quintessential British holiday experience live from the Covent Garden Stage. The series is a must-see event for fans of the ballet, and a wonderful introduction to those who’ve always wanted attend—all for the price of a movie ticket and some popcorn.
Ballet performances included in this season:
THE NUTCRACKER, December 12 & 22, 2013
GISELLE, January 27, 2014
SLEEPING BEAUTY, March 19, 2014 and April 13, 2014
THE WINTER’S TALE, April 28, 2014
For a complete listing of participating Cineplex Theatres screening The Nutcracker Ballet on December 12th and 22nd, Click here
Live nights of Music
Weekly at Monarchs Pub in the Eaton Chelsea Hotel
Join in for five fabulous live music nights each week at Monarchs Pub in the Eaton Chelsea Hotel at 33 Gerrard St. Come out to play some tunes, meet new friends and hear great music at their Acoustic Open Stage every Tuesday. Enjoy North America’s leading jazz bands every Wednesday and electrifying blues with Toronto's most renowned musicians every Thursday. Rock your Friday night away with a different live classic rock band every week and dance the night away to all your favourites with their live DJ every Saturday.
Call 416 585 4352 or visit www.monarchspub.ca for more information
Jazz Bistro
Toronto’s newest jazz venue and dining destination
Located at 251 Victoria St., three-level club includes a performance and dining area, wine bar, private event space and expansive rooftop patio. The open-concept design ensures guests on the second floor balcony have a perfect view of the stage, which features a magnificent red pop Steinway piano (the only one of its’ kind in the world). The warm and inviting space serves as an intimate setting for authentic, live jazz performances by some of the world’s finest jazz musicians, and will focus on promoting Toronto’s own jazz artists. The space creates a comfortable atmosphere for quality modern bistro dining.
Call 416 363 5299 (JAZZ) or visit jazzbistro.ca for more information
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