One of my favourite places to visit – on weekends or a night after work – is the TIFF Bell
Lightbox, an avant-garde cultural centre and home to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Opened in 2010, it houses a cinema complex, galleries, workshops, two restaurants, and a roof-top terrace.
With different events every day of the week, TIFF offers screenings, lectures, festivals, great food, special exhibits and, of course, great cinema. There are 5 public cinemas with insulated sound space and the first in North America to show 16 mm, 35 mm and 70 mm film in addition to digital movies.
I love brunching at LUMA restaurant. With attentive service and great food, this is the perfect spot for a small or large group. LUMA also has a great dinner and cocktail menu. The Canteen restaurant, located on the ground floor, is a great spot for more casual and quick dining.
My favourite films to watch are those offered by the Contemporary World Cinema programme, where you can see some of the best films from around the world, many of which are unlikely to be widely released.
Ever since its opening last year, the space has featured outstanding exhibits, from Tim Burton to Federico Fellini and now the Grace Kelly exhibit.

www.tiff.net
350 King Street West, Toronto, ON M5V 3X5
+1 416 968 3456
Google map: bit.ly/ycH4AC

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The Royal Ontario Museum has millions of items on display in over 30 galleries and one of my favourites is the “Teck Suite of Galleries: Earth’s Treasures.” It is composed of the Gallery of Minerals, the Gallery of Gems and Gold and the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame Gallery.
The mining industry in Canada is extremely important, and it’s only fitting that a large part of the second floor is devoted to such exquisite treasures. The exhibits showcase wonderful specimens of minerals in a variety of colours and shapes, including fluorescent green. There are several cases filled with gold, diamonds, garnets, opals, and jade, as well as exquisite pieces of jewellery. Throughout the exhibits, there are about 40 interactive touch stations that provide in-depth information on several specimens. I can spend hours browsing here, admiring the beauty of so many pieces, all while learning so much about geology.

www.rom.on.ca/
100 Queens Park Toronto, ON M5S 2C6, Canada
+1 (416) 586 8000
Google map: bit.ly/sYw4d0

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Since its opening in 1969, this science museum has been attracting families, teens and adults.
The Centre has several hundred interactive exhibits, featuring everything in science and nature, including geology, astronomy, human anatomy, communication, Toronto’s only planetarium, and KidSpark, a play area designed specifically for kids aged eight and under.
Until November 30, there is a special exhibit of Leonardo da Vinci’s workshop, with 20 scale physical models of his inventions, including a mechanical lion, a robot soldier and the self- propelling cart. Visitors can also interact with his famous paintings by zooming into details on the Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. There are also interactive touch-screens to help you turn the pages of his notebooks, with sketches and 3D models leaping from the page.
The IMAX has some great screenings, too. Catch “Rocky Mountain Express”, where you take a steam train through the Canadian Rockies, learning about train travel while seeing spectacular mountain scenery and gorges along the way. Also on IMAX, “Under the Sea” where spectators visit the beautiful underground world of the Great Barrier Reef.
Finally, there are various food options, from snacks to beverages to full meals, ranging from fast food to healthy options.

www.ontariosciencecentre.ca
770 Don Mills Road, Toronto, Canada
+1 416 696 1000
Google map: bit.ly/tHQkNT

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Looking to see Toronto through the eyes of a local? Sign up for a free visit to one of Toronto’s diverse neighbourhoods, led by a friendly greeter who shows you a different perspective of the city.
Toronto Greeters are not professional tour guides, but volunteers who love their city and want to share with visitors the special places that mean something to them. Visitors can select one of over 50 neighbourhoods that they would like to discover in-depth, or they can select one of 14 themed visits, exploring public art, architecture, music, and the waterfront. If you don’t know what to select, you can opt for “Greeter’s Choice” and be surprised.
Want to know where to go for the best shoe shopping? Where to stand to get the best shot of the CN Tower? Where the best walking trails are? Seeing a neighbourhood through the eyes of a local allows you to learn things you wouldn’t pick up on your own or read in a guide book.
This service is offered year-round to individuals, families, and groups of up to 6 people. Visits are offered in over 30 languages, including Arabic, Farsi, Marathi and Tagalog.
How to sign up: Fill out the online form, located on the City of Toronto website, at least one
week before arriving: https://wx.toronto.ca/inter/city/tap.nsf/VisAppl?OpenForm.
Visitors are matched with greeters, based on language, age, interests, and neighbourhood. E-
mails are exchanged in advance to ensure the volunteer understands what the visitor is hoping to learn from the experience.

www.toronto.ca/tapto

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If you decide at the last minute to attend one of Toronto’s many performances, then check out
T.O.TIX, Toronto’s central ticketing outlet, which offers half-price and discounted tickets on the
day of performance.
Full price and discount advance tickets are available for theatre, dance, opera, music, comedy, sporting events, and more. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday, 12:00 to 6:30pm. Discount tickets go off sale between 5:00 pm and 5:30 pm. Matinees are sold the day
before the performance.
T.O.TIX is owned by TAPA, a not-for-profit organization representing over 180 theatre, dance, comedy and music companies in the city. T.O.TIX primarily raises revenue for TAPA and TAPA member companies by selling same-day discount, week-of discount and full-price advance tickets, for shows in and outside of Toronto.

www.totix.ca
Yonge-Dundas Square, 1 Dundas Street East
Toronto, M5B 2R8
+1 416 536 6468 x 40
(located across the street from the Eaton Centre)
Closest subway station: Dundas
Google map: bit.ly/sXfpU2

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The Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts is a breathtaking glass building that hosts
performances from the Canadian Opera Company and the National Ballet of Canada. Besides the repertoire of great productions, there is also a free concert series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre.
From September to June, concerts take place most Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon, and some Wednesdays at noon or 5:30pm. Because of limited seating, admission is on a first-come, first-served basis. Although the programming is not geared toward young children, everyone is welcome to attend a concert. Genres range from vocal, piano, jazz, chamber music, world music, and a dance series.

www.coc.ca/PerformancesAndTickets/FreeConcertSeries.aspx
145 Queen Street West (near University Avenue)
+ 1 416 363 8231
Google map: bit.ly/q4GthM

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The Gardiner Museum is the only museum in Canada devoted exclusively to ceramic arts. Since its $20 million makeover in 2006, the museum is a great example of modernist architecture. Spread over three floors, the permanent collection of over 3,000 pieces cover several millennia. Items include ceramics
from Ancient American works, Chinese and Japanese porcelain, Dutch Delft pottery, Maiolica from the Italian Renaissance, and Canadian and international contemporary collections. Free guided tours with admission are offered every day at 2pm. You can also catch the exhibits for free every Friday night, from 4pm to 9pm.
Upcoming exhibits include The Tsar’s Cabinet, October 13, 2011 to January 8, 2013, featuring a selection of imperial Russian porcelain and decorative arts, most of which were specifically designed for and used by the tsars and members of the Russian imperial family.
Complementing these exhibits, the museum offers clay classes for adults and children; Family Sundays, from 1pm to 4pm, the Gardiner Café, with a lunch menu.

www.gardinermuseum.on.ca
111 Queen’s Park, Toronto
+ 1 416 586 8080
Google map: bit.ly/o1zHCp

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Here’s an opportunity to enjoy Shakespeare al fresco.
The romantic comedy, The Winter's Tale, is this year's performance at Dream in High Park. This
annual summer event has been adapted for both adults and children.
Located at the High Park Theatre, an amphitheatre with seating carved right into the hillside, the stage is surrounded by lush trees and is the perfect setting to experience Shakespeare.
Performances run from the end of June until the beginning of September, Tuesdays through
Sundays. Gates open at 6pm, with the performance starting at 8pm. The entry fee is pay-what-you-can, with a suggested minimum donation of $20. There is no fee for children under 14.
Food and beverages are allowed on the site: you can bring your own or purchase from a nearby
concession or the Grenadier Café. Public washrooms are also available.
Performances take place weather permitting.
I like to get there early, enjoy a midday picnic, and after taking in the performance, walking
through the park and gazing at the stars.
High Park is Toronto's largest public park, with several hiking trails, tennis courts, a lakefront, a
dog park, a zoo, playgrounds, and gardens.

Getting there: Take the subway to High Park station, walk east to High Park Avenue and Bloor
Street. Enter the park from Bloor Street, follow the road to the Grenadier Café, where you will
find signage to the amphitheatre.

www.canadianstage.com/dream
1873 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M6R 2Z3, Canada
+1 416 368 3110
Google map: bit.ly/qDEvYq
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This artisan’s market showcases the works of local artists, with items ranging from crafts,
handmade jewelry, paintings, photography, one-of-a-kind clothing and even baked goods.
Over 20 exhibitors are set up in this collective space, which is a great venue for emerging artists
to sell their work and for others to purchase unique items.
Toronto’s only year-round artisan market is located in Leslieville, one of the city’s hippest places to eat, drink, and shop.
It is located on Queen Street East and Caroline Avenue, just a 10-minute ride from the Queen Street subway station. Take the streetcar east to Caroline Avenue.

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www.artsmarket.ca
1114 Queen Street East, M4M 1K7
+1 647 997 7616
Google map: bit.ly/qlZyuS

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The Harbourfront Centre is a non-profit cultural organization that hosts over 4,000 events each
year relating to literature, music, film, craft fairs, theatre and dance performances for adults and
children. The 10-acre site houses galleries, performance spaces, craft studios, gardens, and a long stretch of boardwalk along the water’s edge where you can watch busker performances
or shop at their International Market place. Free outdoor concerts are held every weekend
throughout the summer and in winter there is a free open-air ice rink. Harbourfront Centre is
located in the heart of Toronto's downtown waterfront. All events and programs are offered at reasonable prices and most are completely free of charge.
A series of large, cultural festivals are held every weekend in the summer; some of them are
the Fortune Cooking Food Festival, August 12 – 14, the Hot & Spicy Food Festival, September
2 – 5, the Vegetarian Food Fair, September 10 – 11, and the Caribbean Tales Film Festival,
September 1 – 17.
Seasonal events include the Ice Canoe Race in late January, Celebrating Black History Month
in February, a jazz festival in June, Canada Day celebrations in July, the Authors' Festival and
Harvest Festival in October, and Mexican Day of the Dead in November.
The Toronto Music Garden, designed in association with Yo-Yo Ma, offers free concerts most
Thursdays at 7pm and Sundays at 4pm. The Garden design was inspired by the first suite of
Johan Sebastian Bach's Suites for Unaccompanied Cello, and each movement corresponds to
a different section of the Garden.
New this year, Harbourfront hosts an all-ages dance party with live bands, social dance clubs,
DJs and instructors, where every Thursday night you can learn about dance trends from around
the world.

www.harbourfrontcentre.com
235 Queens Quay West, Toronto, ON
+1 416 973 4000
Google map: bit.ly/rc0QJT

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The leading public gallery in Toronto has a manageably-sized collection. Intricately carved medieval prayer beads, a selection of some lesser works of 20th Century greats, some interesting Canadian pieces and a world-renowned collection of Henry Moore.

317 Dundas Street West
Toronto, Ontario
Canada
M5T 1G4
www.ago.net

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Old Jewish market with no multinationals or chainstores. It's now very diverse and full of cheap quality foods and second hand clothes stalls. Go in summer for reggae in the streets and a chickpea patty. It's also home to some obscure and brilliant nightspots.

Just west of Spadina Ave, a few blocks north of Queen

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A special type of haven from city life on the waterfront, inspired by Bach's music for cello and involving the great player Yo-Yo Ma in its design. It can be appreciated for its musical invention, or simply in terms of ingenious garden design, and it's free. Summer open-air concerts are a special treat.

At Queen's Quay West, not far from the main harbour front area;
www.toronto.ca/parks/music_index.htm

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