toronto: what to do? what to do?
Filed Under Events | August 26, 2010
Summer may be winding down, but the city is still buzzing with family fun activities this weekend. Always entertaining, the Scotiabank Toronto Buskerfest will delight the kids, as will a day at the ball park watching the Toronto Blue Jays. Science nuts will love the Abacus Extravaganza Science Show and Potions and Elixirs 101. The whole family will enjoy learning and experiencing all things green at the Live Green Toronto Festival.
Scotiabank Toronto Buskerfest
Thursday, August 26th – Sunday, August 29th, all day event, St. Lawrence Market, 92 Front Street East at Jarvis Street, Toronto
Enjoy these gutsy street performers as they perform everything from balancing a unicycle (while juggling) on a rope, to flying on a skateboard through a blazing star of fire. In support of Epilepsy Toronto: www.torontobuskerfest.com
Fifi and the Flowertots
Monday, August 23rd – Sunday, August 29th, call for showtimes, Ontario Place, 955 Lake Shore Boulevard West, Toronto
Enjoy Fifi Forget-Me-Not and her best friend FuzzBuzz. Help Fifi remember her words and sing along with the loveable Flowertots. Kids will have a chance to meet them after the show: www.ontarioplace.com
Live Green Toronto Festival
Saturday, August 28th, 11 am – Sunday, August 29th, 8 pm, Yonge-Dundas Square, Yonge & Dundas Streets, Toronto
Education and entertainment for the whole family, as Yonge Street becomes a ‘green street’ with more than 100 exhibitors of green products. You’ll find everything from bees, worms and bikes, to green fashions, renewable energy, and local foods: www.toronto.ca/greentorontofestival
Toronto Chinatown Festival 2010
Saturday, August 28th, 12 pm – 8 pm – Sunday, August 29th, 12 pm – 6 pm, Chinatown, Spadina & Dundas Streets, Toronto
This not-for-profit festival is a fun-filled family event, offering colourful displays of multicultural entertainment, delicious food, a street market, and community celebrations to Torontonians: www.chinatownbia.com/torontoChinatownFestival
Abacus Extravaganza Science Show
Saturday, August 28th& Sunday, August 29th, 11:30 am / 1 pm / 2:30 pm, Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen’s Park, Toronto
ROM Curator, author, and all-round nutty professor Chris McGowan makes science fun! Chris explains how many of the world’s greatest inventions work using simple household items and kids will learn how to do some of these fun experiments at home: www.rom.on.ca
KidSpark Hands-On Workshops: Story Time
Friday, August 27th, 4:30 pm, Level 4, Ontario Science Centre, 770 Don Mills Road, Toronto
Enter a world of imagination and wonder as the storytellers bring tales from around the world to life. For kids 2 – 7 years of age: www.ontariosciencecentre.ca
KidSpark Hands-On Workshops: Garden Workshop
Saturday, August 28th & Sunday, August 29th, 2 pm, Level 4, Ontario Science Centre, 770 Don Mills Road, Toronto
Did you know KidSpark has an outdoor garden? After visiting the garden, join the workshop and discover how seeds grow into beautiful plants. Kids can plant their own seed and learn how to take care of it: www.ontariosciencecentre.ca
Potions and Elixirs 101
Saturday, August 22nd – Monday, September 6th, 10 am – 7 pm, Ontario Science Centre, 770 Don Mills Road, Toronto
Part of the Spellbinding Science series, this demonstration stirs up curious concoctions that bubble, burn, appear and disappear. Demonstrations are held twice daily in the Special Exhibition Hall: www.ontariosciencecentre.ca
Toronto Blue Jays Baseball
Friday, August 27th, 7:07pm, Saturday, August 28th, 1:07 pm, Sunday, August 29th, 1:07 pm, Rogers Centre, 1 Blue Jays Way, Blue Jays Way and Front Street, Toronto
Take me out to the ball game! Bring the kids for a day of fun and cheer on the Toronto Blue Jays as they take on the Detroit Tigers: www.torontobluejays.com
Dandie Dinmont Terrier Club of Canada Specialty Show
Saturday, August 28th, 12 pm –5 pm, PawsWay Pet Discovery Centre, 245 Queens Quay, Toronto
Meet the charming Dandie Dinmont Terrier, an ancient Scottish breed. Kids will love visting the cuddling parlour to get their hands on a cute and cuddly Dandie: www.pawsway.ca
Book Bash! Children’s Literature Festival
Saturday, August 28th, 11 am – 4 pm, North York Central Library & Mel Lastman Square, 5120 Yonge Street, Toronto
Come join some of Canada’s best known and loved authors of great kids books. Meet talents like Eric Walters, Kenneth Oppel, Barbara Reid, Robin Muller and Sarah Ellis! A fun day featuring readings, storytelling, puppet shows, face painting, crafts, and more: www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/bookbash
Pedestrian Sundays in Kensington Market
Sunday, August 29th, 12 pm – 7 pm, Kensington Market, Toronto
Get outdoors for Pedestrian Sunday, where the streets of Kensington Market will be swarmed with smiles, buzzing with activity, and bursting with activities for the whole family: www.pskensington.ca
Teletoon Most Awesome Summer Tour
Thursday, August 26th, 12 pm – Sunday, August 29th, 9 pm, Scotiabank Buskerfest, St. Lawrence Market, 92 Front Street East at Jarvis Street, Toronto
Kids can star in their very own music video with the Total Drama World Tour Karaoke Contest, tackle a life-size puzzle challenge with the Johnny Test Lab-O-Mania or try their luck with the TELETOON Spin-To-Win Wheel: www.teletoon.com
Farther Afield:
School of Rock
Saturday, August 28th, 10 am – 3 pm, Erin Mills Town Centre, 5100 Erin Mills Parkway, Mississauga
Families can pick rock star inspired costume pieces from a tickle truck, have their hair spruced by Melonhead, create cool glasses compliments of Pearle Visions and have their photo taken by Black’s: www.erinmills.ca
School of Rock – Chocolate Rocks!
Sunday, August 29th, 12 pm – 4 pm (drop-in), Erin Mills Town Centre, 5100 Erin Mills Parkway, Mississauga
Join chocolate artists from Purdy’s and learn how to make a tasty Chocolate Pizza. The infamous Purdy’s hedgehog will make a special appearance! Cost is a $4 donation with net proceeds donated to Visual Arts Mississauga: www.erinmills.ca
School of Rock – Rock 101
Saturday, August 28th, 10 am / 11 am / 12 pm / 1 pm / 2 pm, Erin Mills Town Centre, 5100 Erin Mills Parkway, Mississauga
Kids will create cool rock star “must haves”, including personalized guitars, crazy band names, posters and buttons. They will also learn how to rock back-to-school fall fashions with lucky participants chosen to take part in the School of Rock fashion show: www.erinmills.ca
Bonsai Exhibition
Saturday, August 28th, 9:30 am – 6 pm & Sunday, August 29th, 11 am – 6 pm, Sherway Square, Sherway Gardens, 25 The West Mall, Etobicoke
For some family Zen, visit Sherway Gardens to see The Misseto Bonsai Club’s display of Bonsai trees: www.sherwaygardens.ca
Flower City Renaissance Festival
Sunday, August 29th, 11 am – 5 pm, 1 Theatre Lane, Brampton
Mingle with Renaissance characters, watch the human chess exhibitions and sword fights, and sing along with strolling minstrels. Buskers including jugglers and magicians will entertain, and don’t miss the 3 pm performance of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing: www.rosetheatre.ca
Megafun4kids Customer Day
Saturday, August 28th, 11 am – 3 pm, Megafun4kids Indoor Playground, 91 Rylander Boulevard, Scarborough
The whole family will enjoy a day of play, food, and fun at this huge indoor playground. Please remember to wear socks to the playground: www.megafun4kids.com
Stick It! Gymnastics Club Grand Opening
Saturday, August 28th – Sunday, August 29th, 11 am – 6 pm, Stick It! Gymnastics Club, 676 Westburne Drive, Vaughan
Searching for a fun and energy-burning activity this weekend? Drop by Stick It! for sample gymnastics classes (ages 18 months to adult), demonstrations, face painting, arts and crafts, and a barbeque. Athletic clothing required for classes: www.stickitgym.com
Family Camp-In
Saturday, August 28th, 1 pm – Sunday, August 29th, 11 am, Markham Museum, 9350 Markham Road, Markham
Enjoy camping on the Museum grounds! Put up your tent and participate in a wide variety of activities, including arts and crafts and mini-golf, and roast marshmallows around the campfire while sharing ghost stories: www.markhammuseum.ca
Want to help us make this weekend guide even more bursting with fun? Just email us your family-friendly happenings, festivals, fairs and workshops in the Greater Toronto area.
And we wanted to remind you to always call or visit the website for event info before you head out just in case any changes have been made since we posted it. And of course, have fun!
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