Pancakes are most definitely wonderful things.  Whenever I have a bit of extra time in the morning I love making them just because getting the chance to sit down and devour them is so amazing.

Whether you take your pancakes plain or with syrup and butter however, you can start the day off right with a Free Pancake Breakfast courtesy of the City of Toronto!

Starting at 8:30 in the morning on May 26th, the City of Toronto will be holding the 19th Annual Pancake Breakfast.  It started off as an event to promote the use of environmentally friendly means to get to work, but it has since become much more than that.  They maintain the event on a Monday however in order to allow people to start their work week off in a fun way, but tourists are invited as well!

Breakfast will be served at Nathan Phillips Square which is right in front of City Hall.  It will go until one in the morning, so even if you don’t have time to stop in for breakfast, you can stop in for a delicious late night snack on your way back home.

Not only will pancakes be served, but there will also be fair-trade coffee created organically, croissants, fruit and the condiments to go along with each food or drink item.  All of the plates and utensils will be fully biodegradable, allowing you to eat to your heart’s content without having to worry about how to dispose of the items afterward.

At the same time as the breakfast is going on, there will be an Open Air Fair for people to take in, where you can meet a number of the more environmentally minded people in the local community.  Overall, it promises to be a fun event.  And hey, getting free stuff is always nice!

Photo Credit: Flickr

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

Who says Toronto isn’t a city where you can kick back and just have some extremely silly fun?  I admit that when I first heard about this event from a friend of mine I was a bit skeptical, but as I started doing some checking around I discovered that it’s no joking matter.  There actually is going to be a gigantic pillow fight in downtown Toronto at the end of this month and anyone that wants to participate is invited to do so!

Event Details

Event: Pillow Fight Toronto 2008

Location: To be decided.  Make sure that you E-Mail the Organizer in order to be notified when the exact location has been determined.

Time: The event is on May 31, 2008 and starts at 7 PM, going until the sun sets.

More Information: You can either e-mail love@newmindspace.com or check out the Facebook profile for the event.

Event Rules

I don’t think anyone can claim to be an expert on gigantic urban pillow fights (I certainly am not), but it seems like there are a number of problems that could crop up during such things.  Well, the organizers of the event seem to be thinking along those lines as well, which is why the following rules have been put forward:

- only soft pillows are allowed

- make sure that you are very light on the swinging, because many people will be doing it at once

- only people with pillows and without cameras can be targeted for swinging

- make sure that you remove your glasses before participating in the pillow fight

- a signal to start will be given, before which no swinging is to occur

- make sure that you take your pillow home with you

- by participating in the event, you are agreeing to clean up twice the mess that you made

Those appear to be all of the rules that they currently have in place, although if you e-mail the organizer and get yourself on the list for updates, you’ll be well informed about anything else that comes across the wire.  It certainly sounds like a fun event though, so definitely think about going if it sounds appealing to you.

Photo Credit: Flickr

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

One of the coolest aspects about Halloween in Toronto is probably the fact that so many people decide to have private parties in order to celebrate the occassion.  These might be private parties with friends, or they might be private parties where everyone and anyone is invited (hence the idea of the private party being not so private).

I’ve been to a number of places around the world, and in very few of those places have I seen the same celebration of a semi-major event like Halloween in such zeal in the private community of a place, but in Toronto it is most certainly a very big deal.

Some of these events will also see a big group of kids gathered together to go out on the Trick or Treat hike, but the vast majority of them stay in house to watch scary movies, swap stories or something of that sort.  If you happen to be in the city on Halloween and want to check out some of these private parties, then by all means go for it.  In my opinion, for a person that is not familiar with the city there are better things to do (some of which I’ve already talked about), but checking out one of the not so private parties might also be something that some tourists would find fun.

Post from: The Toronto Traveler

Vintage paper can sometimes be a dull topic, but part of the reason I write this blog is to bring you details about esoteric and often overlooked events that people traveling to Hogtown might enjoy visiting.  If you approach it with the right attitude, a vintage paper exhibit can actually be a window to the past.  Different cultures had different methods of making things to write on and through understanding how those methods worked, we can sometimes unlock clues important to the histories of those cultures.

The Toronto Vintage Paper Show and Sale is a one-day celebration of the unique diversity of papermaking that has occurred over the course of history and for a small fee of no more than $9, you can gain access to this unique exhibition and the almost 90 tables of vintage paper exhibits that it is expected to have.

The show takes place today in The Barbara Frum Atrium, which is located within the CBC Building at 250 Front Street West.  More information, including directions to the event, can be found either by calling 1-800-667-0619 or by visiting http://www.craftshowscanada.com/

Post from: The Toronto Traveler