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“Ready, set, play!” with the Queen/Saulter Library at Riverside Eats & Beats

Don’t miss out on the fun to be had at the Saulter Street closure with live music and fun activities for all ages. 

Riverside’s Annual Eats & Beats Streetfest is back – this year on Saturday June 2nd alongside the Riverdale Artwalk. Taste the Eats and feel the Beats in Toronto’s Riverside neighbourhood! Riverside’s Annual Streetfest spans 10 vibrant blocks along Queen Street East between the Don Valley Parkway to just past De Grassi Street.

From 1pm to 5pm on June 2nd, the Queen/Saulter Library  will be in the festival’s Saulter Street Closure with a variety of interactive kids’ activities including face painting and their Pop-Up Learning Lab 3D Printer Demo, face painting and more during the 6th Annual Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest! Materials will be provided.

And don’t miss the Don Valley Stompers as they bring down the house with live New Orleans-style Jazz from 1-4pm, just outside the library! This high energy band takes old-time jazz seriously – they even have a Sousaphone – and clearly intend to carry the tradition into the future, while enjoying themselves immensely.

PLUS for the young and the old, test your national knowledge & spin the wheel with Historica Canada’s trivia challenge. Historica Canada is the largest independent organization dedicated to history and citizenship in Canada. Some of Historica Canada’s other nationwide programs include Encounters with Canada and The Canadian Encyclopedia.

Here are some Canadian trivia questions to get you thinking. (Answer Key below)

 

Answers: 1. Bluenose 2.Village 3.Telescope  4. Winnipeg Falcons

FUN FACTS about the Queen/Saulter Library:

An episode of the Kids of Degrassi Street (the original Degrassi series) was filmed in the branch. The branch exterior and the surrounding area was made up to appear to be from the 1930s for the filming of the movie Cinderella Man. Many other films and TV shows have been filmed in or around the branch.

The branch opened in 1979 and was relocated in 1980 to the former Postal Station G, designed in 1913 by architect E. J. Lennox, the architect who also designed Old City Hall, Casa Loma and the King Edward Hotel! The branch’s wooden doors, marble flooring and marble counters date back to 1913.

The branch shares its space with the Ralph Thornton Centre, a multipurpose community facility that serves the greater Riverdale area, and will also be doing fabulous activities in its 2nd floor space during Riverside Eats & Beats – stayed tuned!

In addition to the Library’s greats books and multi-media, the branch has fun and free programs like the Lego Club, Saturday Family time, health and wellness talks, and a whole schedule of great programming. Also, be sure to make use of the library’s great services like after hours’ book drop, express checkout, pedometer lending, computer workstations and free WI-FI.

To check out all the fun details, register for activities and let us know if you’re coming to the #RiversideTO #EatsNBeats Streetfest!

BIG THANK YOU to Riverside Eats & Beats sponsors for helping make this fantastic event possible: the Riverside BIA, BMO Queen & Saulter Branch, and Metroland Media.

You Can’t Miss Nell and Natasha’s FREE Rhythm & Blues BBQ on McGee St

Feed your stomach and nourish your soul at Riverside’s 6th Annual Eats and Beats Streetfest.

Riverside’s Annual Eats & Beats Streetfest is back – this year on Saturday June 2nd alongside the Riverdale Artwalk. Taste the Eats and feel the Beats in Toronto’s Riverside neighbourhood! Riverside’s Annual Streetfest spans 10 vibrant blocks along Queen Street East between the Don Valley Parkway to just past De Grassi Street.

As part of the 6th Annual Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest on June 2nd, come and meet dynamic duo, Nell and Natasha of Real Estate Homeward Brokerage. Enjoy their complimentary community BBQ at the festival’s McGee Street Closure. Feed your stomach with BBQ goodness (1pm-3pm) and enjoy refreshments along with some classics and originals from Jenna & The Groove Tones from 1-5pm!

At 3pm there will be FREE drumming workshops by Kidz “n” Treble

Plus from 1-4pm more kid-friendly activities hosted by the BMO Queen/Saulter Branch at their Kids Fun Tent!

It’s all happening on McGee Street during Riverside Eats & Beats!

More about Nell and Natasha

Nell Bradshaw and Natasha Varjacic of Real Estate Homeward are a mother and daughter real estate ‘dream team’ who live and work in Riverside. They are our community champions, hosting fun neighbourhood events with proceeds going to charitable causes.  Nell and Natasha also support community development a world away. Each month they donate a portion of their commissions to help provide food, school supplies, and access to clean water to the children and families in Maseno, Kenya.

To check out all the fun details, register for activities and let us know if you’re coming to the #RiversideTO #EatsNBeats Streetfest!

BIG THANK YOU to Riverside Eats & Beats sponsors for helping make this fantastic event possible: the Riverside BIA, BMO Queen & Saulter Branch, and Metroland Media

Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest is back on Sat, Jun 2nd!

Riverside’s Annual Eats & Beats Streetfest is back – this year on Saturday June 2nd alongside the Riverdale Artwalk. Taste the Eats and feel the Beats in Toronto’s Riverside neighbourhood! Riverside’s Annual Streetfest spans 10 vibrant blocks along Queen Street East between the Don Valley Parkway to just past De Grassi Street.

This year’s festival will feature:

Live performances and activities at street closures including:

  • Eats & Beats Main Stage and Toronto Food Tours Culinary Tent @ Broadview Ave and Queen St. East
  • Activate! Block Party on Munro @ Munro St. North of Queen St. East
  • Live music and Ready, Set, Play! @ Saulter St. South of Queen St. East
  • Free BBQ & Blues @ McGee St. South of Queen St. East
  • Great eats and buys at sidewalk sale prices from a variety of Riverside eateries and shops!

*There will be a variety of outdoor food tasters, promos & live music hosted by Riverside businesses all along Queen St. East.

CHECK OUT THE EVENT GUIDE (PDF)

Check out all the fun details, REGISTER for activities and let us know you’re coming to the #RiversideTO #EatsNBeats Streetfest!

BIG THANK YOU to Riverside Eats & Beats sponsors for helping make this fantastic event possible: the Riverside BIA, BMO Queen & Saulter Branch, and Metroland Media.

The Dirt on All Things Gardening in Riverside

Gardening season is coming upon us like a vigorous clematis and Toronto’s Riverside neighbourhood along Queen Street East is full of green-spiration!

Whether you’re looking for perennials, shrubs, veggies, medicinal herbs, stylish and whimsical decor to spruce up your outdoor living space, or gardening gloves, be sure to check out our roundup of where to shop in Riverside for all your growing needs, and outdoor living dreams.

Queen Garden Centre 

771 Queen St E

Queen Garden Centre

Queen Garden Centre located at Queen and Saulter is hard to miss with artist Nick Sweetman’s stunning pollinator mural as the backdrop. You’ll find over 500 different varieties of trees, shrubs, and perennials perfect for the sun or shade and with a focus on native varieties. If you live on Queen St E and need a lot of greenery, this garden centre is super convenient and staff will even help you carry your plants home with a wagon!

Quince Flowers 

660 Queen St E

Quince Flowers

Many Torontonians know a giant backyard is not synonymous with an outdoor oasis. Not only is container gardening versatile, mobile, and weed free, it’s also totally doable wherever there is light. Quince Flowers, at the corner of Queen St E and Munro, offers beautiful pots and containers to help you transform your deck, patio, or balcony into a full-on fruit and vegetable or flower baring gardening.

 

Arts Market Riverside

790 Queen St E

Turn your outdoor living space into a work of art with help from the Arts Market on Queen St E, just west of Boulton Ave. With one of a kind handmade decor, perfect for hanging on a wooden fence, and interesting clay pots, this boutique carrying products from over 50 local artisans is definitely worth checking out when it’s time to put together and personalize your outdoor sanctuary.

 

Riverdale Trading Company 

760 Queen St E

Riverdale Trading Co

Aside from vintage vinyl, this expansive Queen St E shop carries an array of wall art that can be hung outdoors and not get damaged. Swing by to check out their eclectic metal face masks and giant lizards made of beads that can be hung on your fence. If creating a zen outdoor space is what you have in mind, Riverdale Trading Company just west of Boulton is big on Buddha statues and sage.

 

Dollarama 

772 Queen St E

If you’re a frugal gardener or only recently acquired a green thumb, Riverside’s Dollarama location has all the practical items you need for everyday gardening including gardening gloves, small hand tools, plant labels, spray bottles, as well as packs of seeds for all kinds of flowers, fruits, and vegetables. The best part is everything here is $4 or less.

 

Community Gardening in Riverside

In addition to shopping along Queen Street East for outdoor living inspiration, Riverside is also home to community gardens which are great for individuals who want to garden but have no space at home to do so, or simply if you like gardening as a social experience!

The Riverside Green Initiative, a grassroots community group formed in 2012, maintains the Riverside Community Garden in Joel Weeks Park. The garden works on a ‘communal mode’ where gardeners decide on what they’d like to grow and divy up tasks (no individual plots). It’s a great way to learn from others and enjoy a gardening experience! Members who live or work in Riverside are welcome to join – find out more and become a member by getting in touch.

 

Our outdoor space is an extension of where we live, so jazz it, give it some care, add some colour, and spend as much time outdoors as possible. Summer has yet to officially begin but it’s time to start enjoying the sunshine!

DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE GARDENING PRODUCT, SERVICE, OR CLASS IN RIVERSIDE YOU WOULD LIKE TO TELL US ABOUT? WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Karen Lloyd is a writer, photographer and website designer in Toronto’s Riverside neighbourhood. This blog is part of the series giving you the inside scoop on Riverside, Toronto. Read other blogs in the series: Riverside Patios, Places to Stay in Riverside, Brunch Spots, Health & Wellness in Riverside,  Kid-Friendly Riverside, Event & Catering Spots, Riverside Chefs, Self-Care in Riverside, and It’s Easy Being Green in Riverside.

 

It’s Easy Being Green in Toronto’s Riverside

Earth Day is coming up and it’s a great time to check out the many ways you can be green everyday in Toronto’s Riverside. When you purchase your high quality pre-loved dresses and jeans at Common Sort on Queen Street East or your Ontario-raised and antibiotic-free meat and poultry from Butchers of Distinction, you are doing more than you know for the environment.

Bit by bit, everyday actions do add up. With Earth Day approaching on Sunday, April 22, we wanted to share with you some of our favourite eco-friendly businesses right here in Riverside and how they help us all become better citizens of the planet.

Common Sort

Common Sort - shoes

When you shop at a consignment store like Common Sort you’ll never want new again. Okay, maybe that’s a tiny bit of an exaggeration but this super stylish Riverside clothing boutique has all the best brand name hand-me-downs neatly organized and colour coordinated for your browsing pleasure. Did you know 35.4 billion pounds of clothing and textiles are expected to be thrown away by 2019? Not only are preloved threads super stylish but they don’t end up in the landfill.

Arts Market

Arts Market

It doesn’t get greener than supporting local artists and buying handmade products. At the Arts Market in Riverside, you’ll find soaps, candles, jewelry, and other items that are not only unique and made with love, but they are also environmentally sustainable. Handcrafted products use less energy than a mass production assembly line and usually don’t need to be shipped a very long distance to reach the consumer.

Butchers of Distinction

Butchers of Distinction

There are all kinds of things wrong with factory farming not the least of which is its impact on the environment. Think water pollution, deforestation, and more. As one of Toronto’s first specialty meat shops, Butchers of Distinction in Riverside has a wide selection of Ontario grown, raised or made produce. In fact, everything in the shop is Ontario sourced. What you won’t find are meats full of hormones, antibiotics, or pesticides.

Riverdale Trading Company

Riverdale Trading Co

While vinyl may not have a great track record on the planet since its production uses up a lot of energy and they aren’t easy to recycle, rare vinyl is easy to trade. Riverdale Trading Company in Riverside is all about vintage vinyl. In fact, every album at Riverdale Trading Company on Queen Street East, from Johnny Cash Unchained to Nirvana Unplugged, is preloved music. So rather than toss you tunes why not turn them into cash?

Merchants of Green Coffee

Merchants of Green

The impact of coffee production on the planet can be devastating but Merchants of Green Coffee, just north of Queen St E, in Riverside is changing that. Not only is this cozy coffee house the first licensed importer of fairtrade coffee in North America but they also pour Cafe Solar, an environmentally progressive solar-powered tree-saving coffee. Try it with local, organic milk, fairtrade cane sugar or local honey, and maybe even a vegan gluten free brownie.

Barefoot Beauty

If you’re going to leave a footprint on the planet, at least get an environmentally friendly pedicure first! At Riverside’s new mani-pedi salon on Queen Street East, and one of a few waterless salons in Toronto, you can relax and feel good knowing your pedicure didn’t require up to 18 gallons of water. At Barefoot Beauty, you’ll also find a fab selection of natural and organic polishes and other beauty products for sale.

Elbers Antiques & Refinishing 

A lot of new furniture made today isn’t built to last, unlike the solid antiques you’ll find at Elbers Antiques in Riverside. This vintage furniture store offers a wide selection of dining room tables, chairs, dressers, night tables and more – the best part is Elbers will refinish and give new life to your old treasured pieces.

HOW DO YOU GET YOUR GREEN ON? DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE PRODUCT, SERVICE, OR CLASS IN RIVERSIDE YOU WOULD LIKE TO TELL US ABOUT? WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Karen Lloyd is a writer, photographer and website designer in Toronto’s Riverside neighbourhood. This blog is part of the series giving you the inside scoop on Riverside, Toronto. Read other blogs in the series: Riverside Patios, Places to Stay in Riverside, Brunch Spots, Health & Wellness in Riverside,  Kid-Friendly Riverside, Event & Catering Spots, Riverside Chefs and Self-Care in Riverside.