Itching to visit Toronto this month? Here are just a few good reasons to head to the GTA via plane, train or automobile.
Hobnob with the stars
Nicole Kidman promoting the film The Railway Man at TIFF 2013. Flickr/Creative Commons photo by Peter Kudlacz.
One of these days, I’ll make it to the Toronto International Film Festival (September 10 to 20). Aside from possibly snapping a distant, out-of-focus shot of a Hollywood star (celebs coming this year include Kate Winslet, Matt Damon, Idris Elba and Helen Mirren), I could immerse myself in brand-new movies to my heart’s content. As well as the main action-packed festival, you can catch a few free events offered to mark TIFF’s 40th anniversary: a screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo at Roy Thomson Hall with a live performance of the score by members of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (September 20); an outdoor showing of The Sapphires at Fort York on September 25; and an exhibition about the culture of celebrity, In Love With the Stars, running at the TIFF Lightbox until April 3, 2016.
Laugh your head off
JFL42 (otherwise known as the Toronto version of Just for Laughs) is bringing some 50 comedy acts to T.O. this fall (September 24 to October 3). Headliners include Craig Ferguson, Trevor Noah, Patton Oswalt and Miranda Sings, while other featured artists include Gilbert Gottfried, Dawn Whitwell, Al Madrigal and John Hodgman.
Eat, drink and be merry
Photo copyright Laura Byrne Paquet.
Gourmets, start salivating: the Toronto Food & Wine Festival (September 18 to 20) features a Grand Tasting Pavilion where you can taste samples from local restaurants. You can also take in talks and presentations by celebrity chefs such as Daniel Boulud, cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, a farmer’s market and more.
Jump on the bandwagon
As I type this, the Toronto Blue Jays are still at the top of baseball’s American League East. They’re playing nine home games between September 18 and 27, including games against the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. If you want to catch the wave, get your tickets quickly; Toronto sports fans are snapping them up.
Take in a show
The big Broadway-style musicals lighting up Toronto’s Theatre District this month include Kinky Boots at the Royal Alexandra Theatre and Motown the Musical at the Princess of Wales Theatre.
Support a great cause
Speaking of musical theatre…Unsung Heroes: Sing for Tomorrow (September 19 and 20) is a musical revue fundraiser created by Neal Dlin to honour the memory of his mom, Barbara Pinchuk. Every year, the production gives a host of talented amateurs their moment of glory on the stage and raises money for a cause that was important to Pinchuk (so far, in just two years, they’ve raised some $70,000). This year, the charity is Imagine a Cure for Leukemia. It all happens at the Vaughan City Playhouse in Thornhill.
Get your groove on
The Tim Hortons Southside Shuffle Blues and Jazz Festival (September 11 to 13) is bringing a packed roster of music to the Mississauga neighbourhood of Port Credit. Shows include performances by the Legendary Downchild Blues Band, Canned Heat, Susie Vinnick and Dexter Allen, as well as tributes to BB King and Elvis.
Time travel to Pompeii
The Royal Ontario Museum’s big show this fall is Pompeii: In the Shadow of the Volcano (running until January 3, 2016). About 200 artifacts on display tell the story of this ancient city, which was a bustling metropolis right up until the moment in 79AD when Mount Vesuvius erupted and destroyed it.
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