Luminato festival

One of the twenty items on my Summer fun list is to attend at least one music festival at home. Toronto is flush with festivals in the summer. Many of them are free to the public.

So not to miss one minute of summer fun, this week I attended the Luminato festival which is an international, multi-arts event at venues across the city, from June 14 to June 25. It worked out perfectly in that one of the venues, David Pecaut Square, is within walking distance from my place. I got some exercise by walking to the square, fresh air from sitting outdoors at a picnic table for lunch, and wonderful one-hour musical treats for my ears.

I saw the Famous Spiegeltent set up for the evening shows. I googled to learn a bit about the history of the tent and its construction. I didn’t know that only a handful of these unique “tents of mirrors” are left in the world today, and that the Famous Spiegeltent has travelled from Melbourne to Montreal, Brighton, and now Toronto.

The Famous Spiegeltent

I was able to attend two free outdoor programs: Guaracha Y Son, an all-Cuban quartet on Monday, and Nick Sherman, a singer-songwriter from Sioux Lookout in Northern Ontario on Thursday. Both performances were wonderful. There were spicy food trucks on Monday, and a weekly farmers’ market on Thursday in the same public square so more to explore and enjoy.

Guaracha Y Son quartet, Luminato 2017

Nick Sherman at Luminato 2017

This weekend I plan to:

• Exercise in the gym on Friday morning
• Meet two friends for lunch
• Swim 50-55 laps on Saturday
• Attend the Franco-Fete de Toronto (French music festival)
• Check out the Visual Arts Exhibitions Summer 2017
• Grocery shopping
• Run or walk 5K on Sunday
• Start packing for our trip to Costa Rica

Make it a great weekend, wherever you are!