We Will Rock You Discount Tickets

We will Rock You, the musical which is now starring Camilla Scott of Mamma Mia and Crazy For You, is now offer heavily discounted tickets for its weekday and weekend showings at the Panasonic Theatre.

For a very limited time (until December 7th) they are offering 8PM Wednesday and Thursday performance tickets for just $25 each. Friday (8PM) , Saturday (2PM or 8PM) and Sunday (2PM) performances are discounted to $40.

To receive dicounted tickets, use the code ROCKTHREE when ordering. You can call 416-872-1212 to order tickets locally in Toronto, or for people visiting Toronto and would like to order your tickets in advance, dial 1-800-461-3333.

WeWillRockYou.ca

http://www.mirvish.com/

Toronto Events This Week: Fireworks, Free Live Music, Artsy Holiday Shopping!

So you’re backpacking in Toronto and you want to know what’s happening this week? Here’s a list of options to get you out of the hostel and enjoying some of the best of Toronto’s cultural events (including some free ones!):

- The Cavalcade of Lights is a special event this Saturday, November 29, featuring a spectacle for the senses! Fireworks, live music, and a lighting show will dazzle the city’s Nathan Philips Square. Don’t miss this FREE event including live music performances by the Canadian Tenors, Serena Ryder, Alex Cuba, and Toya Alexis. DJ Tony Sutherland will spin tunes for skaters on the ice rink. The fun starts at 7pm with the official tree lighting at Nathan Philips Square. Admission: FREE.

- The One of a Kind Show opens this Thursday Nov. 27 at the Direct Energy Centre at the Toronto CNE. This is a unique experience to shop for local crafts and gifts- you’ll find visual art, toys, jewelry, ceramics, glass, food products and lots more. This is a great opportunity for you to get a flavour of Toronto artisans and pick up some neat holiday gifts!
(The One of a Kind Show, Thursday Nov. 27 through to November 29, adult admission is $12, Students 13 to 17 pay $6.50. visit www.oneofakindshow.com)

- The 15th Annual Canadian Aboriginal Festival starts Friday November 28 and showcases Aboriginal culture through art, dance, sport and pow wow. Come by and experience this cross-cultural event that is the largest of its kind and Canada. Watch the pageantry and drama of nearly 1,000 native dancers and drum singing groups from across North America. This spectacle is not to be missed!
(The Canadian Aboriginal Festival runs November 28 to November 30 at the Rogers Centre. Adult admission is $10 per day. For more details visit www.canab.com.)

The most amazing holiday crystals display!

You probably have never seen anything this sparkly before! The amazing Swarovski Crystal Wish Tree is back at the Toronto Eaton Centre for the holiday season. This incredible installation is a one of a kind illuminated rotating Christmas tree jeweled with 10,000 Swarovski crystals. Come see it for free at the centre court of the Eaton Centre. You can also purchase a limited edition Swarovski Children's Wish crystal ornament to benefit the Children's Wish Foundation of Canada. What a perfect gift supporting a great cause!

You will hardly believe your eyes seeing this spectacular installation- it is absolutely mesmerizing! I saw the Tree last year and I’m looking forward to seeing it again this holiday season. The Swarovski Crystal Wish Tree will be unveiled this Thursday November 20 from 6pm to 7pm during a special event featuring Canadian songstress Chantal Kreviazuk who will perform for the crowd. Other special guests include none other than.. Santa Claus!

If you’re feeling like doing more crystal-inspired activities, why not leave the hostel for an afternoon at the Royal Ontario Museum? The Museum is currently exhibiting “The Nature of Diamonds” where you can learn about diamonds and view exquisite creations encrusted with this brilliant gem.

While you're at the ROM you can also visit the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal space to view impressive archeological finds from the “Dinosaurs” exhibit. The exhibit showcases some unique skeletons of a wide variety of dinosaurs and you will be captivated by the sheer size of these installations. And of course, you’ll be inside the new Michael Lee-Chin Crystal gallery which offers a unique angular backdrop for this incredible exhibition.

Admission to the Royal Ontario Museum is half price on Fridays from 4:30pm to 9:30pm; Regular adult admission is $22 per person, $19 for students aged 15 to 17 with identification.

Watch it! Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival

The Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival kicked off this week and offers you a wide variety of Asian movies and special events. Catch the presentation of West 32nd, a movie about a 14-year-old accused of murder that takes you into the underworld of New York’s Koreatown. West 32nd plays at Innis Town Hall Saturday, November 15, at 8:15pm. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students. Innis Town Hall is located within the University of Toronto campus at 2 Sussex Avenue and just a short walk from your hostel, Backpackers on Dundas.

You might also want to attend the Closing Night Gala dance party on Sunday which includes free food and well-priced drinks. The party starts at 10pm with DJ Jun (Parkdale DRINK) spins at Nirvana (434 College Street) and tickets are $15.

To view the complete schedule for the Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival and to see the updated photo gallery of the event visit www.reelasisan.com.

AGO Transformed: Free Admission to the Public November 14 to 16!

Walk just a few blocks west of Backpackers on Dundas and you'll see the Art Gallery of Ontario completely transformed by world-renown architect Frank Gehry. The AGO is one of the largest art museums in North America and currently has more than 68,000 works in its collection, spanning from 100 AD to the present. A native of Toronto, Frank Gehry is famous for sculptural architecture projects such as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, the Dancing House in Prague, and the Experience Music Project in Seattle, US, to name a few.

The newly transformed AGO includes dramatic sculptural staircases, soaring Douglas fir beams in the Galleria Italia, and contemporary halls illuminated with natural light and lined with titanium panels. Gehry’s vision of the AGO translates into a space that draws from Canadian nature and landscapes.

Come and enjoy the architecture and the collections for FREE November 14 to 16 as the AGO celebrates its grand opening! Special events are organized for all three days and are free to the public. Visit the AGO’s website for more details at ago.net.

Skating Rink at Harbourfront

The Natrel Skating Rink (Toronto's largest) is open Nov. 15, 2008! It's Toronto's biggest outdoor rink and is located on Queen's Quay West on the shore of Lake Ontario.

FREE ADMISSION!
Open 7 days a week with indoor lockers & change room, public parking, TTC access (509 Union and 510 Union/Spadina streetcars and food and drink stands.

Rink Hours (Weather Permitting)
Monday – Thursday 10am – 10pm
Friday – Sunday 10am – 11pm
Skate Rentals
Adults $7
Children/Seniors $6
Group Rate (10+) $5 (available Mon – Fri, 10am - 6pm)
A driver’s license, credit card, passport, birth certificate or citizenship card is required to rent skates. Please note: Student Cards, TTC Passes and Health Cards are not accepted for rentals.

See http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com/skating/index.cfm for more details

Hot Ticket: Dirty Dancing 50% off Best Seats in November!

Hey Baby, want to have the time of your life? Remember all those great songs and fancy dance moves from the 1987 movie Dirty Dancing, starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey? The Dirty Dancing musical is playing in Toronto and audiences are lining up to see this energetic love story performed at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. The musical has received great reviews and the prices just got better this month with a great promotion to save you money on the best seats in the house.

Way back in August, your favourite Toronto hostel (that is us, btw) posted that the musical Dirty Dancing was offering discount theatre tickets for the long weekend performances. Well guess what? For a limited time, they are reintroducing that offer.

Book your tickets before November 15 for Dirty Dancing performances in Toronto through to November 30, 2008, and you will save 50% off the price for the best three seating categories. Use the code “BIRTHDAY” when ordering from dirtydancingtoronto.com. Surely to be a treat for your “Hungry Eyes”; enjoy!