This weekend our buddy Aaron was in town, for one night only, so we made the most of a sunny Saturday by checking out the Dundas West Fest street festival.
Dundas West Fest.
Aaron arrived early Saturday morning, so we headed to our favourite breakfast spot before an early walk around the University of Toronto campus. We then we headed back to the apartment to freshen up before setting out for Dundas West Fest.
We arrived at the festival a bit after midday. The sun was out, and so were the crowds, as we started to make our way from one end of the festival to the other. A huge stretch of Dundas West had been closed for the event, allowing the local cafes, bars, shops and restaurants to spill out into the street. Along the way we passed by antique shop yard sales, coffee shops, and lots of tasty food. Obviously we stopped for some treats at a Portuguese bakery, and some delicious pulled pork sandwiches.
We arrived at the festival a bit after midday. The sun was out, and so were the crowds, as we started to make our way from one end of the festival to the other. A huge stretch of Dundas West had been closed for the event, allowing the local cafes, bars, shops and restaurants to spill out into the street. Along the way we passed by antique shop yard sales, coffee shops, and lots of tasty food. Obviously we stopped for some treats at a Portuguese bakery, and some delicious pulled pork sandwiches.
Aaron couldn't wait the 2 seconds it took to take a pic.
As we continued down the street we came across some cool live music, and a death-defying street entertainer who had trusted his life to four volunteers. We definitely worked up a bit of a thirst as we made our way through the crowds in the midday sun, so we stopped in at the Get Well bar for a beer (or two) on their street-side patio, where enjoyed an hour (or two) of people watching and conversation.
At our people-watching perch at the Get Well.
After the festival we continued to make the most of our first glimpse of summer, spending some time out on our balcony before heading out for dinner at Rose and Sons on Queen West. Again, we opted for the outdoor patio, and enjoyed a couple of cocktails and some hearty food.
Our last stop for the evening was Spin, a ping pong bar on King Street West, in the heart of the entertainment district. The place is kind of a mixture of a club and regular old tablet tennis / pool hall, and was a lot of fun. We'd booked a table, and met up with another friend, Anthony, for a couple of hours of failing miserably to get a decent rally going. The beers probably didn't help.
And so, our jam-packed Saturday came to a close. Lots of walking, plenty of sunburn, and a few drinks, meant that we were all ready for a long sleep and a lazy, rainy Sunday. We had a great time though, and are looking forward to Aaron's next visit.
Our last stop for the evening was Spin, a ping pong bar on King Street West, in the heart of the entertainment district. The place is kind of a mixture of a club and regular old tablet tennis / pool hall, and was a lot of fun. We'd booked a table, and met up with another friend, Anthony, for a couple of hours of failing miserably to get a decent rally going. The beers probably didn't help.
And so, our jam-packed Saturday came to a close. Lots of walking, plenty of sunburn, and a few drinks, meant that we were all ready for a long sleep and a lazy, rainy Sunday. We had a great time though, and are looking forward to Aaron's next visit.
(SLIDESHOW)
This time last year, we were checking out another street festival, Riverside Eats and Beats. In 2015 we were on an Eco Boat Tour, in 2014 we checked out some Superdogs, and in 2013 we checked out Commissariat House in St. John's.
