It’s easy to understand why Torontonians want to crank up their heat and stay indoors during January and February. But don’t let cool temperatures and a little snow accumulation prevent you from exploring the city.

Despite the chill, there are plenty of fun and fascinating events taking place. Here’s our look at some of the more unique ones:

New Height for Rooftop Skating Rink

There is something decidedly exciting about skating outdoors but when you’re gliding amidst other towering rooftops there’s an added kick. Check out Molson Canadian’s 100-by-45-foot ice pad set 32 stories high atop the financial district at 120 Adelaide St. W. You can purchase ice time between January 29 and February 7.

The Hills are Alive with Toboggans

Toronto has a surprising number of great spots, from baby hills for real beginners to steep cliffs that only old seasoned sledders can navigate. Cedarvale Park, Winston Churchill Park, Christie Pits and Bickford Parks all offer good variety in terms of different size hills.

Winterlicious

One of the city’s favourite foodie festivals gets underway January 29 and runs to February 11. Winterlicious offers delicious cuisine and unique culinary events at more than 200 restaurants. For more details, see website for details .

Want Fries With That?

La Poutine Week is the crème de la crème of fried foodie festivals that begins Feb 1 and goes to Feb. 7. For $10, you get to try a poutine dish from participating restaurants and then vote on the best Poutine Week location.

Spot of Tea

If your tastes fun a bit more refined, perhaps you’d enjoy exploring the world of tea at the Toronto Tea Festival. The two-day event at the Toronto Reference Library takes place January 30 and 31. A one-day pass is $15; two-day pass is $25. For more info, click here.

Try the Castle on for Size

Casa Loma offer two popular escape games for the adventurous at heart. Blending fact with fiction and gaming with theatre, the escape games offered here – Escape from the Tower and King of the Bootleggers – require advanced bookings. If gaming isn’t for you, consider the January 23 Robbie Burns celebration which includes a four-course Johnnie Walker scotch pairing dinner. See website for more.

Colour, shape, style and effort combined this past summer to create a painted street mural project thanks to the will, talent and hard work of those associated with the Regal Heights Residents Association.

Community activist Dave Meslin got the ball rolling a year ago when he proposed a neighbourhood street mural, which received immediate and unanimous support from the residents association. Using street chalk, Meslin coordinated the street project, which would pave the way this summer for something a little more permanent and a lot more ambitious.

Using paint, Meslin coordinated the design, sketch and painting of a street mural for Springmount Ave. just south of Rosemount. Meslin recruited local artist Melissa Frew and asked her to design a sketch. He suggested a water theme since the street painting was being placed directly over the buried Garrison Creek.

“The hardest part of making a street mural,” says Meslin, “is keeping the cars off the road while the paint dries, so when I heard about the Regal Heights Street Party it occurred to me that a pre-planned road closure would be the perfect opportunity to create our ground-level masterpiece.”

Meslin thought the mural team need a technical expert so he asked renowned street artist Victor Fraser to come on board and he accepted. From Melissa Frew’s sketch, the outlines for the mural were drawn and then on June 6, the day of the neighbourhood’s semi-annual street party, 20 area kids were asked to help paint inside the lines.

“The murals bring communities together in a collaborative creative process, building community and strengthening relationships,” says Meslin.  “As a bonus, the final product also serves as a traffic-calming measure as cars tend to slow down as they approach the painting.”

A push is now on at city hall to legalize the murals thanks to a permit process as other cities in Canada and the U.S. have done.

If you want to see more street murals in Toronto, Meslin suggests the following:

1. Contact your city councillor and ask why Toronto doesn’t have an official permit process.
2. Share this blog.
3. Don’t wait for the city to play catch-up with the rest of the world.  Organize a community mural in your neighbourhood this summer.

Thinking about ways to while away the last few days of summer? Try attending some of the varied, fun and interesting outdoor festivals the city has in store over the next week or two:

Food truck Festival – Sept. 27

Bring your appetite to Downsview Park for this event featuring 16 delicious gourmet food trucks. Included in the line-up is Busters Sea Cove, ME.N.U Food Truck, Fit to Grill and Indian fusion nosh from Tdots Naansense.

Cider Festival – Sept. 26

Looking for an interesting and new way to cap off your summer? Look no further than the Toronto Cider Festival at the Yonge-Dundas Square. The event showcases craft ciders from across the country as well as Toronto food trucks, live music, cocktail competitions, games and contests.

Word on the Street – Sept. 27

This national celebration of literacy and the written word invites you to participate in author events, presentations, workshops, and to browse a marketplace that boasts one of the best selections of Canadian books and magazines. This free festival at Harbourfront Centre has something for all ages, from children and youth to adults and seniors.

 Woofstock – Sept. 26 & 27

At Woodbine Park, this admission-free event is the largest outdoor festival for dogs and their faithful owners in all of North America. With over 200,000 attendees and 150,000 canines, expect the unexpected in addition to a slew of doggy-related vendors and activities such as stupid dog tricks, canine beauty pageants and dog races.

Canada’s Walk of Fame Festival – Sept. 25 to Oct. 1

Showcasing 100 per cent Canadian talent, this festival features free performances at Yonge-Dundas Square, the Massey Hall concert series and new musical talent at the Horseshoe Tavern. Canadians in all fields are inducted into the hall of fame thanks to this non-profit organization that seeks to pay tribute and recognize Canadian achievement.

Gentleman’s Expo – Sept. 25 to 27

This celebration of manhood at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre covers every gentlemanly pursuit from fashion, cars and alcohol to sex, entrepreneurship and gaming with more than 100,000 square feet of brands and experiences.

Small World on Common Ground – Sept. 26 & 27

A free festival featuring music and arts on the grounds of historic Fort York. Enjoy this family friendly cultural feast that also includes spoken-word artists, pow wow fit sessions, crafts and food.

As part of its ongoing series of neighbourhood walks, Freeman Real Estate is hosting a historic tour of Wychwood Park on Sunday, September 27 at 1 p.m.

As part of its ongoing series of neighbourhood walks, Freeman Real Estate is hosting a historic tour of Wychwood Park on Sunday, September 27 at 1 p.m.

Formerly known as the gated community of Bracondale Hill, Wychwood Park is a small enclave that was set up around the turn of the last century as an artists’ colony thanks to Marmaduke Matthews, an artist and aficionado of the Arts and Crafts movement. Matthews would gain prominence as an artist after painting traditional Canadian scenes that appeared in the illustrated ad work of Canadian Pacific Railway.

Matthews’ friend Alexander Jardin owned a huge block of land in the Wychwood area, which is north of Davenport Road and just west of Bathurst. Jardin sold a good chunk of that land to artists. The land was still very rural back then, when Matthews planned his pastoral community and named it after Wychwood in his native Oxfordshire.

“The area is a little enclave that is almost not part of the city,” says Marilyn Spearin, a local history buff and former school teacher who is leading the tour.

She is referring to the fact that although Wychwood was amalgamated into the city of Toronto in 1909, it remains a private community. The streets and amenities are paid for by the local residents, and the community is managed by an executive council. As one of Toronto’s more exclusive neighbourhoods, house prices easily top a million dollars.

During its start, the land was divided into irregularly shaped lots situated around a central park, pond and tennis courts designed by Toronto architect Arthur Edwin Whatmough.  Many of the homes in Wychwood were designed by Whatmough in the Arts and Crafts style.

Several well-known people have lived there, including Marshall McLuhan and Anatol Rapoport. In 1985 the area became the first residential zone in Ontario to be granted heritage status. A handful of other homes were designed by Eden Smith, a well-known architect who lived in the neighbourhood.

Wychwood is a leafy area home to ravines, old-growth trees and Taddle Creek, a six-kilometre stream that has been largely buried throughout most of the city except in a few spots including Wychwood where it is visible above ground.

The tour On September 13 will also encompass a visit to the nearby Tollkeeper’s Cottage, an historic tollgate structure discovered in the early ‘90s that now houses a museum and a gift shop. Located at Davenport and Bathurst, the cottage is also now home to a blue canoe thanks to the David Suzuki Foundation. As part of the foundation’s homegrown national parks project, the canoe is designed and planted with plants that encourage bees and butterflies. For more info visit www.tollkeeperscottage.ca.

The tour is expected to take one-and-a-half to two hours in total. Participants are asked to meet outside of the Freeman Real Estate office at 988 Bathurst Street just before 1 p.m. Rain date is set for October 4.

As part of its ongoing series of neighbourhood walks, Freeman Real Estate Ltd. is hosting a historic tour of Wychwood Park on Sunday, September 20th at 1 p.m (rain date September 27^th 1 pm).

Formerly known as the gated community of Bracondale Hill, Wychwood Park is a small enclave that was set up around the turn of the last century as an artists’ colony thanks to Marmaduke Matthews, an artist and aficionado of the Arts and Crafts movement. Matthews would gain prominence as an artist after painting traditional Canadian scenes that appeared in the illustrated ad work of Canadian Pacific Railway.

Matthews’ friend Alexander Jardin owned a huge block of land in the Wychwood area, which is north of Davenport Road and just west of Bathurst. Jardin sold a good chunk of that land to artists. The land was still very rural back then, when Matthews planned his pastoral community and named it after Wychwood in his native Oxfordshire.

“The area is a little enclave that is almost not part of the city,” says Marilyn Spearin, a local history buff and former school teacher who is leading the tour.

She is referring to the fact that although Wychwood was amalgamated into the city of Toronto in 1909, it remains a private community. The streets and amenities are paid for by the local residents, and the community is managed by an executive council. As one of Toronto’s more exclusive neighbourhoods, house prices easily top a million dollars.

During its start, the land was divided into irregularly shaped lots situated around a central park, pond and tennis courts designed by Toronto architect Arthur Edwin Whatmough.  Many of the homes in Wychwood were designed by Whatmough in the Arts and Crafts style.

Several well-known people have lived there, including Marshall McLuhan and Anatol Rapoport. In 1985 the area became the first residential zone in Ontario to be granted heritage status. A handful of other homes were designed by Eden Smith, a well-known architect who lived in the neighbourhood.

Wychwood is a leafy area home to ravines, old-growth trees and Taddle Creek, a six-kilometre stream that has been largely buried throughout most of the city except in a few spots including Wychwood where it is visible above ground.

The tour On September 20th will also encompass a visit to the nearby Tollkeeper’s Cottage, an historic tollgate structure discovered in the early ‘90s that now houses a museum and a gift shop. Located at Davenport and Bathurst, the cottage is also now home to a blue canoe thanks to the David Suzuki Foundation. As part of the foundation’s homegrown national parks project, the canoe is designed and planted with plants that encourage bees and butterflies. For more info visit www.tollkeeperscottage.ca.

The tour is expected to take one-and-a-half to two hours in total. Participants are asked to meet outside of the Tollkeeper’s Cottage just before 1 p.m.

There are plenty of ways to celebrate the last true month of summer and not all of them involve a cottage in the Muskokas. If you’re tied to the city thanks to work, family obligations, finances or some other bond, know that there is a wide variety of fun and entertainment on tap this month thanks to the city’s line-up of outdoor festivals.

Let’s take a look:

Habari Africa Festival (Aug 14-16, 2015)

Harbourfront Centre presents this mix of arts and culture in partnership with the Batuki Music Society. Celebrate the diversity of African culture with the finest talent from across the continent. Music, film, dance, visual arts are on tap or you can create crafts and join workshops.

York-Eglinton International Street Festival (Aug 15-16, 2015)

This family-friendly festival kicks off Friday August 14 with a sidewalk sale followed by two full days of food, music and merriment that celebrates a range of international cultures including Caribbean, Italian, Portuguese and Latin.

 Rastafest (Aug 14-22, 2015)

A multi-discipline festival showcasing different aspects of the Rastafarian culture, history and lifestyle, including international reggae artists who will perform at a major concert in Downsview Park. Activities include music, dance, drumming, market place and food demonstrations.

 Wheels on the Danforth (Aug 15, 2015)

A car show like no other, this “on-the-street” event is a judged car show featuring classics, exotics, tuners, muscle cars, hot rods, and motorcycles all lined up on the closed section of Danforth Ave. Highlights of the day include a market place, food trucks, a Kid’s Zone play area, beer gardens and street dance.

Festival of South Asia  (Aug 15-16, 2015)

On Gerrard Street East experience a taste of South Asia thanks to the food, dance, fashions and real-deal cultural events that showcase the Indian, Afghani, Pakistani, Bengali and Sri Lankan cultures.

Open Streets TO  (Aug 16 & Sept 6, 2015)

This event opens streets to people and prevent cars from driving on roads for a few hours during this festival that takes place over two days. The result is paved parks for pedestrians. The route for this year’s event will be Bloor Street between Christie and Parliament and on Yonge Street from Bloor to Queen. Crossing points will be included at numerous major intersections, where cars will be permitted to pass through as normal.

The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE)  (Aug 21-Sept 7, 2015)

This grand dame of summer festivals is a classic. Once you’ve paid the entrance fee, all entertainment is free. But in order to go on the amusement rides, you must either purchase single ride tickets or a pass. Don’t forget to check The Ex’s line-up of performers, shows and special events.

BIG On Bloor Festival (Aug 22-23, 2015)

BIG ON BLOOR celebrates arts, culture, community and small business with this event featuring numerous activities and exhibitions such as a huge market place of vendors, a mix of music and dance, artist-friendly events and games for big and small.

Toronto Chinatown Festival (Aug 22-23, 2015)

Held on Dundas Street West (between Spadina and Beverley) as well as on Huron Street (between D’Arcy Street and Dundas), this festival showcases a mixture of Chinese cultural events including Lion Dance, Kung Fu Performances, Chinese street food, traditional Chinese arts and crafts.

Wild Blueberry Festival (Aug 23, 2015)

All things blueberry might be a nickname for this festival, hosted by Evergreen Brick Works, in which the blueberry is eaten, exalted and examined up close and personal. From workshops to storytelling to pie baking and guest blueberry vendors, there truly is something for everyone at this family event.

Coconut Festival Canada (Aug 23, 2015)

At David Pecaut Square, the event is for foodies and the culinary adventurous as hundreds of products from coco jams to full meals will be presented by a diverse lineup of vendors. Also look for artisan jewelry, clothing and housewares in addition to music and kiddy games.

Scotiabank Buskerfest (Aug 27-30, 2015)

The festival is a showcase for over 100 of the most remarkable street performers on earth. Look for the unusual at this four-day street show in which buskers perform antics that will inspire, wow and tickle your funny bone. Scotiabank Buskerfest is produced by Epilepsy Toronto as a fundraiser in support of people with epilepsy and their families. Proceeds collected at the festival will go towards Epilepsy Toronto.

Summer in the city means plenty of exciting festivals and events showcasing everything from athletes and jazz music to gelato, movies and dance. Here’s a look at what July has to offer:

Summerlicious

This July-long yum-fest featuring Toronto restaurants allows you to sample diverse and innovative cuisine at a fraction of the regular cost thanks to prix-fixe menus. See here for more info about participating restaurants.

Toronto Fringe Festival

Running until July 12, this event is a potpourri of odd, inspiring and poignant performances that can centre on everything from Shakespeare to Oreo cookies. This year’s line-up boasts over 60 comedy shows, 14 dance and physical theatre shows, 30 dramas, 13 musicals, 20 national and 12 international companies hailing from around the globe. For details, click here .

Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games

Cheer on your fave aspiring Olympian as the best athletes from 41 countries and territories compete. Tickets start at just $20. Get your tickets here.

Beaches International Jazz Festival

From July 10 to 26, groove to a kaleidoscope of cool musicians in this 27^th annual event featuring four stages of international talent. See website for more info.

Toronto Summer Music Festival

Marking its tenth year, this international classical music festival and academy brings world-renowned performing artists to Toronto for an unparalleled combination of concerts, guest lectures and master classes. See website for more information.

Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival

Three weeks of Caribbean music, cuisine, visual and performing arts and revelry are up for grabs this month at this international event, the largest cultural festival of its kind in North America. For more information, click here.

Open Roof Festival

This not for profit, outdoor music and film festival highlights independent filmmakers and artists from Canada and around the world. Profits go to Canada’s independent film production and music communities. For details, click here.

Play the Parks

From June to September the Yonge BIA is offering a free concert series and wellness program. Various downtown parks such as Trinity Park and College Park Courtyard offer an array of musical performers during various times. Click here for more.

Christie Pits Film Festival

Sundays at sunset is the date and time to take in this year’s theme of films about great villains. Enjoy classics such as Nosferatu, The Birds and There Will Be Blood. There’s nothing like an al fresco film to celebrate summer. For more information, see website.

Sunday Serenades

Running every Sunday until August 16, is big band, jazz and swing acts at Mel Lastman Square from 7:30 to 9:30 pm. For details, click here.

BrazilFest

To experience the rhythms, sights, sounds and delicious aromas of Brazil be sure to check out this 12^th annual event on July 19 at Earlscourt Park. Go to website for more.

Pan American Food Festival

if you enjoy the culture and flavours of the Americas – North, South, Central and the Caribbean – this one’s for you. The free event takes place from July 30 to August 3 at Daniels Spectrum in Regent Park. See Pan American Food Festival for info.

When you look at the list of community events, festivals, parades and general merriment descending upon Toronto this June, it’s understandable that you might feel a bit tired already. With so much to do and so little time, we’d better get started:

Luminato:

When?: June 19 to 28

This annual 10-day celebration of the arts features talks, dance, art, music, song, film, food and theatre. Look for talks by Nelly Furtado, cabaret acts and so much more. Click here for details.

Ontario Craft Beer Week

When?: June 12 to 21

Marks this province-wide craft beer celebration. OCB Week is designed to expose consumers to the craft beer experience through tasting events, brewery tours, meet the brew master events, cooking demonstrations and more. For more information, click here.

Pride Parade

When?: June 19 to 28

This is when the Toronto Pride Festival takes place. Capping off the nine-day celebration is the world’s largest pride parade on Sunday June 28. Click here for more details.

Toronto Ribfest

When?: June 27 to July 1

Rotary Etobicoke invites you to kick off your summer at its 16th annual Toronto Ribfest. With two stages of entertainment, a free KidzZone and Toronto’s largest mobile midway it’s no wonder the festival makes the Top 100 list for Ontario festivals and events. Click here for details.

Live in Bellwoods: Great Heart Festival

When?: June 18 to 21

Trinity Bellwoods is hosting its annual Great Heart Festival for the sixth year. Featuring a lengthy list of unplugged performances, be there or be square. Click here for more details.

Toronto Jazz Festival

When?: June 18 to 29 

Here are a few performances that don’t require tickets. June 19 features three separate performances open to the public: George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Dumpstaphunk, and Morris Day & The Time. Check out the full calendar here.

Symphony in the Gardens at Casa Loma

When?: Every Tuesday evening beginning June 9 to August 25.

Starring the Toronto Concert Orchestra, this weekly event features the works of Edith Piaf, Mozart, movie scores and so much more. For more info click here.

Summer Music in the Park

When?: Fridays, 11:30 am to 2:30 pm, Saturdays and statutory holidays, 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm, from June 5 to September 12 (weather permitting) at the Village of Yorkville Park – Check out the line-up here.

Scotiabank CHIN Picnic

When?: June 19 to 21

Join the more than 250,000 picnickers who head down to College Street for this, the largest free multicultural festival going. Click here for more details.

Junction Summer Festival

When?: June 20

Put on by the Junction’s BIA, this summer solstice festival marries commerce with art installations, pageantry with live music and street food with buskers. For more information, click here.

Indigenous Arts Festival

When?: June 18 to 20

At historic Fort York celebrate traditional and contemporary music, dance, theatre, storytelling, spoken word, visual arts, crafts, and food created by indigenous artists. Click here for details.

Taste of Little Italy 

When?: June 19 to 21

Check out College Street between Bathurst and Shaw for this 16^th annual event that features Italian music, food and so much more. Visit here for more details.

Battle of Black Creek

When?: June 20 & 21

Over one hundred soldiers set up camp for this colourful Revolutionary War re-enactment with a full scale battle. Kids will love the rubber band shooting gallery and the excitement of the encampments and demonstrations.  Click here for more details.

Traditional Outdoor Pow Wow

When?: June 21

Na-Ma-Res (Native Men’s Residence) holds its annual Pow-Wow to recognize National Aboriginal Day, June 21st, the Summer Solstice. The event is free, open to the public and features traditional dancing, drumming, feasts, giveaways, and children’s activities. For more information, click here.

Eco-Art-Fest

When?: June 18

This festival runs for three months over the summer and features multiple installations that express the creativity of the artist while drawing attention to important issues affecting the environment. This show will also feature a number of performance art pieces that narrate the history of Todmorden Mills and the surrounding area. Click here for more details.

It’s real dance performed by residents in open spaces to audiences that number as many as 400. In its fourth year, Porch View Dances returns to Seaton Village this summer offering spectators a rare and delightful celebration of the neighbourhood and engaging “real people in real time in real spaces.”

Freeman Real Estate is proud to be a gold sponsor of Porch View Dances, the brainchild of Karen and Allen Kaeja, owners and operators of Kaeja d’Dance, a 25-year-old contemporary dance company that performs, tours and teaches.

“Events like Porch View Dances are unique and uplifting,” says Elden Freeman, president of Freeman Real Estate. “Not only does it serve to edify the residents of our neighbourhood but it inspires and promotes community engagement.”

Kaeja d’Dance has always been interested in community engagement and promoting people’s interest in the world of dance and it capability to tell a story. The concept for Porch View came about during a meeting in which the dance studio director wondered what it would be like if the neighbour she could see out her window in Seaton Village danced down the street to tell a story.

“The first Porch View Dance simply blew up,” says Shana Hillman, general manager at Kaeja d’Dance. “We thought there might be 30 or 40 people and we got 400 people each night. We also got a lot of press and it’s become so big and crazy.”

The event pairs professional choreographers with families and they create a dance and the audience is led through the neighbourhood with a guide, who shares anecdotes and tales about the area. Performances always conclude in Vermont Square Park, where the audience is led in an inclusive Flock Landing finale that looks like tai chi set to music.

The event has garnered so much attention that organizers now need to apply for a parade permit since spectators are coming from all over the city to see it, says Hillman.

Porch View Dances this year will involve three families. Performances run from August 19 to 23.

“The feedback we’re hearing from our families is that with everyone being so busy it’s a pleasure to have dedicated time with other family members to create something,” says Hillman. “A family last year was having a difficult time with their 13-year-old daughter and after being involved in Porch View Dances she’s taken on more of a leadership role and has a newfound sense of confidence.”

Porch View Dances has won a number of awards and recently received a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, allowing the dance company to spend the next three years taking Porch View Dances to three other communities around the province. Organizers are heading to Ottawa’s Westboro neighbourhood this month to mount a Porch View Dances as part of the Canada Dance Festival June 11-13.

“This has been a game-changer for us,” says Hillman. “Exposing the public to ‘dance by accident’, inspired us to increase our footprints in communities where the creation is shared with the participants and the audience is essential to the experience.”

Kaeja d’Dance hopes to help blur the line between art and the public by going beyond exposing new audiences to dance by involving all ages and abilities as performers to make for a more dynamic and vibrant city, while building people’s curiosity and trust in an experiential and meaningful way, to be engaged with the arts.

Click here to see some homes for sale in this area!

Get your party hats on this Saturday as Dundas West rolls out the red carpet for a celebration of arts, community and all that is local.

Whether young or old, into sports or fashion, fitness or music, the Dundas West Fest is a fun family friendly event that takes place on June 6 and spans about 12 city blocks from Landsdowne to Ossington. Sponsored by the Dundas West BIA and the Little Portugal BIA, expect to find good eats and treats, lively music, and a whole host of vendors selling arts and crafts and loads more.

The festival will include more than 40 patios, six areas for buskers, three main stages and shopping to your heart’s content with over 200 different vendors. Foodies will delight as the festival features options for every taste and budget.

To make organization a little simpler, the festival is divvied up into zones, from 1 to 4. Naturally, with an event such as this entertainment of all kinds abounds.

Look for a free African drumming workshop in Zone 1 starting at 10 am at the West Stage. There is plenty of kiddy fun here with full-fledged all-kid bands to acapella groups, singer-songwriters and even some theatre and dance. But by late afternoon the West Stage bursts into adulthood with performances by the legendary local rocker and MP Andrew Cash, traditional Angolan dancers, the Cohen Hammond Trio and the Helder Pereira Band.

Hear readings by Portuguese-Canadian writers featuring the likes of Aida Jordao, Irene Marques, Antonio Marques, Emanuel Melo and Humberto da Silva.

Watch great local art and photography at the Through the Looking Glass exhibit at Rose Will Studio and Gallery.

In Zone 2, from Brock to Dufferin, join in the afternoon laugh party featuring great neighbourhood comedians Helder Brum, Rhiannon Archer, Mike Rita, Brian Ward and host Nick Flanagan.

Feel like getting a workout in? Zone 3 has just the thing. A free outdoor yoga class at 10 am at Studio Blue, 1457 Dundas St West.

Between Dufferin and Dovercourt is where you’ll find some of Toronto’s most popular busker acts. Check out the event’s Busker Zones at Coolmine, Lisgar and at Federal Streets, including Madame Bella Muerte, Lucy Loop, Mighty Mike and more.

In Zone 4, which runs between Dovercourt and Ossington, hear live music all day at the Lakeview Avenue Stage in the Beer Store parking lot. Beginning at 12:30 p.m. with the Tavares Quintet, followed by Good Enough Live Karaoke, synth rock from LIPS,  rockabilly maestros the Royal Crowns, Neon Wave,  then Good Enough Live Karaoke again, Mexican Slang,  Blonde Elvis and finishing with DIY favourites Choir! Choir! Choir! at 8:30 p.m.

If the past is your thing, you’re sure to enjoy the Portuguese Canadian History Project exhibit, The Portuguese in Canada: 1953 – 2013. IC Savings also features community favourites Clay & Paper Theatre and renowned local artist Viktor Mitic.

Between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. the West House will feature a seniors’ dance group, a life-sized scrabble game, musical performances by the West House Music School and more.