Cheap and Cheerful Toronto

Our BoD fans love to find free and cheap things to do in Toronto while staying at our favorite International hostel, Backpackers On Dundas. Always right in the thick of things, you never know what you’ll find in and around the downtown core…but it’s always something interesting and occasionally, downright outrageously fun.

Farmers Market at Nathan Phillips Square – Wednesdays, 10am-2pm
For our first deal, we don’t have to look any further than one of our favorite squares at Queen and Bay, just minutes South from BoD, to find our first great deal. This summer, every Wednesday (until August 26, 2009) is a farmer fresh day at Nathan Phillips Square. Farmers from all over Ontario gather to bring us fresh fruits and vegetables, flowers, and baked goods to enjoy. It’s free to browse, and cheap and tasty to buy. Best yet, you get to listen to live music while you meander and nibble, or you can simply drop by and enjoy the great ambiance that is always synonymous with Nathan Phillips square.

Free Reptile Show – Wed, July 27th, 2009 10am, 11:30am, 1pm, & 2:30 pm
Like Reptiles? If so, then this deal is for you! The Bridlewood Library is hosting a Reptile Show. Where else will you get to play kissy face with a python, an alligator, a snake, and maybe a lizard or two. The Bridlewood Library is located at 2900 Warden Ave/Finch Ave. North end of Toronto.

Free, unlimited Wi-Fi zones – any day of the week!

Are you wondering where, besides Starbucks, that you can find wi-fi access? Well, here’s just a few of the spots mentioned by Toronto.com:

• Dufferin Grove Park - 875 Dufferin St
  Check your e-mail and, apparently, bake some bread in the communal brick oven located in the park’s. Yes, really.
• Toronto Reference Library - 789 Yonge St.
• The Paddock Tavern - 178 Bathurst St.
  Try one (each?) of the nine beers on tap...
• Yonge-Dundas Square - 1 Dundas St. E.
  Where else but our favorite spot in TO!
• York Quay Centre - 235 Queens Quay W.
  Harbourfront’s delightful anytime. Especially with free stuff!
• St. Lawrence Market - 91 Front St. E.
  Look for the benches in the lower-level. Apparently, the signal’s good and staff don’t bug you while you sit and surf.

Elvis...alive and well and spotted in - Collingwood?

*pictured above is David Muggeridge - winner of the 2008 Collingwood Elvis Festival...

Hey BoD fans! Put on your blue suede shoes and get out your lucky cape and camera, because this weekend in Collingwood, it’s the 15th annual Elvis Festival.

If you’re ready to have a lot of hip shakin' fun, this festival is for you! For those of us lucky enough to be here in Toronto and staying at our favorite downtown Toronto Hostel, this year’s Elvis Festival at Blue Mountain in Collingwood - just a 90 minute drive - we can walk across the street to the bus station and hop a bus to get us there for the day. Yeah, I know it’s a rainy start to the weekend, but Saturday won’t be too bad and Sunday is going to be a perfect day! Besides, where else to you get to have such silly fun (unless its down to the CNE to enjoy the Caribana parade on Sunday) while enjoying a day trip to the beautiful Collingwood and Blue Mountain ski area - No, you can’t ski, but there are great walking and mountain bike trails - And not only will you spot Elvis on every street corner, but Saturday is also the Classic Car Parade.

Event: Collingwood Elvis Festival
Where: Blue Mountain in Collingwood

When: on ‘til Sunday, July 27 1am

Price: Free for most events, prices vary for ticketed events – Tickets available on Festival website or at ticketbreak.comBus station
What: Many outdoor events including a midway and vendor alley, free outdoor concerts, elvis competitions – Check out the official website for a complete events list

Saturday, July 25th, events include:

• TRIBUTE ARTIST CLASSIC CAR PARADE
• AWESOME STREET PARTY & TRIBUTE ARTIST SHOWCASE
• Qualifying round of competition
• Tribute artist official family venue tour
• Remembering Elvis trivia concert
• ELVIS rocks the waterfront
• Clambake pit! Seafood feast prepared by the famous “Rodney’s Oyster House
• Memory lane street dance

Sunday, July 26th, events include:

• Sunrise worship service
• Semi-final round of competition
• The Martels rock the Terrace
• Inspirational Elvis gospel competition
• Sirius Canada Grand Finals
• The Last Hurrah wrap up party

This weekend in Toronto: Frugal Fashion Week – What?!

For us lucky souls here in Toronto and staying at Toronto’s best international hostel located right downtown in the thick of everything, here’s what is happening this weekend in and around Toronto. Our BoD fans are primed and ready for Tuesday night’s movie at our favorite Yonge/Dundas square, just a short walk east from Backpackers On Dundas (BoD). Get your moon walk ready for cutie Tom Hanks in Apollo 13! Houston we do have a problem, however, with the planned Live Green show that was to have happened this weekend at the square…damn and double damn the stupid garbage strike!! Oh well, there is always something happening in TO so lets take a look at what, yes?!

Event: Free Movie Nights – Tuesdays all summer long
When: Tuesday evenings @ dusk
Where: Yonge/Dundas Square
$$: free
TTC: Dundas subway station, Yonge line
What:

• Apollo 13 (1995) Tuesday, July 21, 2009 (8:40 PM)


• Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) Tuesday, July 28, 2009 (9:00 PM)

Event: Beaches International Jazz Festival – Street Fest
When: Friday July 24th – Sunday July 26th
Where: Toronto Beaches – Queen Street East between Woodbine and Lee
$$: Free
TTC: Queen Streetcar - Eastbound 501 NEVILLE PARK
What: Queen Street is closed to all but foot traffic for the annual and awesome Street Fest event of the Jazz Festival. Come wander, shop the vender’s stalls, listen to the bands playing on the streets along the strip, taste the delicious offerings from the food venders along the way too! So fun!

Event: Frugal Fashion Week
When: Thursday July 23rd - Sunday July 26th
Where: Dundas Station
$$: Free – unless you go crazy buying stuff to send home!
TTC:
What: A festival after my own frugal heart (those who know me are laughing their butts off at that statement) – but really, frugal and fashion in the same sentence, I smell deals -no wait...that might be the garbage strike...but it’s going to be so great! A launch party, fashions shows, silent auction, shop crawl and so much more all right near BoD, here in the West Queen West neighborhood.

Event: Harbourfront Summer Festivals: Canadian Voices
When: Friday July 24th - Saturday July 25th
Where: Toronto Harbourfront
$$: Free
TTC: Harbourfront Streetcars from Union Station

What: Come to Harbourfront to hear some great emerging Canadian musicians. You’ll be wowed by the great sounds including classical, folk and rock.

See? Lots to do without even having to venture far from BoD...And I've got just a couple of others that sound fun:

• NBA 3on3 Challenge Saturday July 25th – Sunday July 26thRegister by July 21st to join in on the outdoor basketball fun or head to the Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place as a spectator.


• Harbourfront Summer Festivals: Island Soul
  Friday July 31st – Monday August 3rd"Enjoy the sounds of calypso, soca, salsa and reggae."
  

BoD Likes These Toronto Bars Best!

We have some very cool Toronto tourists staying at our international hostel. One of the questions we get the most from our guests is "Can you recommend a good bar of pub?" The answer is "OF COURSE WE CAN!!!" So here are some of BoD's favourite Toronto hangouts.

Madison - Basically, Madison is 6 houses, complete with killer patios, that have been connected together and converted into a very cool collection of pubs. A great place in good weather and in bad.

The Football Factory - The Football Factory is totally dedicated to the sport of football. And when we say football, we mean football - soccer, not football - American football.

Imperial Pub - This place has been around for so long that it used to have separate rooms for men and women. Just like the separating wall was torn down, the pub was also destined for the chopping block in an effort to develop Yonge / Dundas Square. Luckily, Torontonions flipped out a little, created a petition and succeeded in saving the Imperial Pub.

barchef - okay, when you step in this place you will immediately notice that this is not your typical bar. We suggest you discover the place on youe own but we want to make mention of two things. The first is that there is a 50 lb block of ice that is chipped away at as drinks are ordered. The second is that there is that the bartender will happily custom mix a drink to suit your personal taste.

Brunswick House - The Brunswick House is one of Toronto's oldest establishments. Thursday nights cater to the university crowd but every other night of the week, you will find all ages in this comfy cool place.

Molly Bloom - Named after a fictional character in a James Joyce novel, there are actually eight Molly Blooms located throughout southern Ontario. The one that we are talking about is on College street. They have different deals for every day of the week but the best deals are on "Recession Friday".

Hard Rock Cafe - And then there is the Hard Rock. What can we say that has not already been said to make you want to go there? You're here. You're in Toronto. Why not?

Toronto’s 42nd Annual Caribana - are you ready!

For those of us lucky enough to be here in Toronto for this year’s Caribana...get ready because its here, its now, and our BoD fans will be partying it up at this year’s multitude of festive and tasty events!

While bunking out at your favorite Toronto hostel, you’re especially fortunate, as you’re right in the thick of all the fun - and always just a short jaunt away from getting your fix of the music, food, and arts of the Caribbean!

The Toronto worker strike is affecting some of the planned activities, including those usually held on the Toronto (Olympic) Island, so I’ve tried to confirm where they’re being held. To be extra sure, keep an eye out on the Caribana website, and check out all the great events while you’re there.

The official launch was held July 14th at, of course, our favorite Yonge/Dundas square, mere minutes east of Backpackers on Dundas (BoD). Only this weekends events are listed below, for a full events and festival listing, click on the Caribana website link.

Event: Caribana
When: Various sites in Toronto, from July 14th to Aug 2nd
Price: Free for most events, ticket prices vary for
Where:

Sat., July 18, 10:00 am 04:00 pm – Junior Carnival
Location: Black Creek Pioneer Village and Yorkgate Mall
Cost: free
On Saturday, July 18th, the junior Carnival parade starts the days adventure beginning at 10pm sharp. The parade route goes from Black Creek Pioneer Village down Jane Street to the Yorkgate Mall. There are over 1,600 kids expected to join this year’s parade with 13 mas bands participating. After the parade, Yorkgate is hosting its “Yorkgate Idol” singing competition starting at 12 Noon.

Sat, July 18th 7pm- 12am - "Kaiso 365" Calypso Monarch Finals
Location: Queen Elizabeth Theatre, CNE
Cost: $42 in advance. $45 at the door.
Crowning of the Calypso Monarch and lots of body moving rhythms!

Thurs., July 23-Aug03 - Art Exhibition - "Beyond the Rhythm"
Location: Royal Ontario Museum
Cost: $18 per adult when bought online (enter promo code SBCF2009)
Produced by the Association of African Canadian Artists, this exhibit features 50 works on canvas.

Attention Movie buffs: Movie Nights Under The Stars

Summer is here and that means that we can look for fun things to do under the stars on these warm and wonderful evenings. Once you’ve arrived in Toronto and booked a bed in, perhaps, the Kensington room (so named after one of our favorite Toronto neighbourhoods) at our BoD fans most favorite downtown Toronto Hostel, you’re ready to enjoy our lovely evenings too!

Check out some of the fun movie nights that are being offered free or nearly free, at multiple indoors or outdoor venues in and around Toronto, the first of which is, of course, our BoD favorite place, the Yonge/Dundas square.

Where: Yonge/Dundas Square
When: Summer Schedule, til Sept 1 - Every Tuesday at sunset:

• July 14 is “Raiders of the Lost Ark”

$$: free
TTC: Queen subway station and walk up to the street
You can go early and be entertained by whatever is going on around Yonge and Dundas, because something is always happening! And, of course, its just a couple of blocks east of our favorite BackpackersOnDundas.

Where: Harborfront Centre - Sirius Stage
When: Summer Schedule every Wednesday night beginning at 9pm

• July 15 - Breakin’
• July 22 - Desperately Seeking Susan
• July 29 - Stop Making Sense
• Aug 05 - Say Anything
• Aug 12 - Labyrinth

$$: free
TTC: Any Harborfront Streetcar from Union Station
This year, they’re going with a Retro Reel 80s theme for their screenings. So fun!

Where: Downsview Park
When: July and Aug Schedule:

• July 10 - Hotel for Dogs
• July 17 - Star Wars: The Clone Wars
• July 24 - Kung Fu Panda
• July 31 - City of Ember
• Aug 07 - Space Chimps
• Aug 14 - Horton Hears a Who
• Aug 21 - Paul Blart: Mall Cop
• Aug 28 - Meet Dave

$$: FREE
TTC: From the Downsview subway station take the 101 Parc Downsview Park
Bring a chair or blanket and a snack, go early and stay the day…with 572 acres in the heart of Toronto and lots of activities, you’ll find a lot to keep you occupied until movie time!

Where: Fox Theatre – 3D Film Fest
When: July 17-23:

• Andy Warhol’s Creature from the black lagoon 3D
• Revenge of the Shogun Women 3D
• Starchaser: The legend of Orin 3D
• It came from Outer Space 3D
• Dial M for Murder 3D
• Friday the 13th 3D
• House of Wax 3D
• Jaws 3D

$$: any 6 movies for only $38
TTC: From the Main Station, take the 64 bus to Queen Street, walk east 3 blocks
You can even go early and be entertained by live musical performances…or you can be the performer!

This weekend in Toronto: The Toronto Indy Cars are here!

Still looking for even more fun and delicious events? We’ve listed a few events here - all of them fun...and one real loud event – because the Toronto Indy is back for one more year!

If you’ve arrived and clocked into your space at Toronto’s best international Hostel then I’m sure you’re all ready to enjoy some of the many great multicultural events that are always happening in and around Toronto. I’ve listed just a few close by BoD events for you. Check out the website links for more info about each event.

Event: Honda Indy Toronto

When: Friday July 10th - Sunday July 12th

Where: CNE grounds on the Lakeshore
$$: from $20 to $225 +
TTC: from Union Station, Harborfront 911 Streetcar - along Queens Quay West to CNE
Grand Marshal: Gene Simmons, KISS!
Indy racing comes to the CNE grounds. This great and loud event is an annual festivity! And with Gene Simmons (that’s right, Gene Simmons. Apparently he’s a Indy car lover too!) as the Grand Marshal…who knows what will happen!

Event: Harbourfront Summer Festivals: Smirnoff Beats, Breaks & Culture

When: Friday July 10th - Sunday July 12th

Where: Toronto Harbourfront

$$: Free
10 festivals and 1000 artists all celebrating electronic music. No really. From funk to weirdo, to Holy F*ck…with free canoe rides, a graffiti contest, and even karaoke thrown into the mix…how can you not want to attend at least a couple of them!

Event: Afrofest

When: Saturday July 11th - Sunday July 12th

Where: Queens Park/University Ave

$$: Free

TTC: Bus or walk up University Ave North, or take the University line Subway to Queens Park Station
A free festival at Queen's Park with three outdoor stages presenting music and dance plus food, a marketplace and family activities.

Event: Salsa on St. Clair

When: Saturday, July 11th - Noon to 11pm; Sunday, July 12th - Noon to 8pm

Where: St. Clair Avenue West between Christie and Winona

$$: Free
TTC: from BoD, hop on the Bloor subway line at St. George station and go west to Christie Station
As the final stop for this year's Ontario Summer Salsa Tour, you’ll thoroughly enjoy this free family (and 5th annual) street party celebrating Toronto’s lively Latin cultures.

This weekend in Toronto: The Escape at The Strawberry Festival

Looking for a fun and delicious event? Come to the Strawberry festival!
I’m sure by now you’ve arrived and settled into your space at Toronto’s favorite international Hostel and are raring to get out and about, right?! Well, what with the garbage strike messing up our favorite haunts here in downtown Toronto, I’ve heard of a great festival going on less than an hour away, so we don't really care that the ferry to the island is not running and the public swimming pools are not open.

Event: The Escape at The Strawberry Festival

"Great daytime event - Family fun"

Host: The Escape

Start Time: July 4 at 1:00pm

End Time: July 4 at 6:00pm

Where: The Beer Gardens by the Earl of Whitchurch, Stouffville

Take the Dairy Express from Union Station (that's right - Dairy!) – just a few short blocks away from BackpackersOnDundas.

We are excited that BoD fan Jennifer Newman along with her band, The Escape, will be performing at this year’s Strawberry Festival. With food, crafts, sports events and family rated entertainment, you’ll be sure to have a great time in beautiful, clean, garbage strike-free Stouffville. Enjoy the Strawberry pageant, have a walk about on their main street – closed to all traffic, and enjoy a cold frosty one while enjoying Jennifer’s excellent voice. Their pool is even open for free swimming to help you stay cool! Check out all of the many events happening at the Strawberry Festival website.

See you there!

Free Summer Outdoor Movies

It's Summer! And when it's finally warm enough to get outdoors, why not watch some classic films for free at the Harbourfront and Yonge and Dundas Square?

It's all about the 80's this year at the Retro Reels Sirius Stage at Harbourfront:

Wed. July 8 - Pretty in Pink, 9pm
Wed. July 15 - Breakin', 9pm
Wed. July 22 - Desperately Seeking Susan, 9pm
Wed. July 29 - Stop Making Sense, 9pm
Wed. August 5 - Say Anything, 9pm
Wed. August 12 - Labrynth, 9pm

And Action Flicks over at Yonge and Dundas Sqaure:

Tues July 7 - Le Mans, 8pm
Tues July 14 - Raiders of the Lost Ark, 8pm
Tues July 21 - Apollo 13, 8pm
Tues July 28 - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 8pm
Tues Aug 4 - Cast Away, 8pm
Tues Aug 11 - Gladiator, 8pm
Tues Aug 18 - Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, 8pm
Tues Aug 25 - The Great Escape, 8pm
Tues Sep 1 - Lawrence of Arabia, 8pm