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We Just Upped The Ante On Our ‘Hood Hunt!

Have you completed our fun neighbourhood-wide scavenger hunt yet? No? There’s almost a week left to play and how about THIS for some incentive: we’ll be drawing one winning form at our Sat., Sept. 23 DECAde party (birthday party details at the bottom of this post). And what an amazing prize pack it is! Pick up a form at the Danforth East Arts Fair’s DECA booth this weekend, Sept. 16-17, or print off your own copy.

A huge thank you to our fabulous local businesses who have donated to the DECAde prize packs so far:

Be sure to turn in your form by next Thursday, Sept. 21, either by dropping it off at the DECA booth at the East Lynn Farmers’ Market, or by taking a picture of your completed form and send it to volunteer@deca.to.

You may just learn some interesting new things about 10 unique places in our community (such as why the valu-mart at Danforth & Woodbine has such a wacky layout. Psst…that may just be the answer to one of the clues.)

PS. Don’t forget to mark your calendars for our two DECAde birthday parties as well!

THURSDAY, SEPT. 21, 4-6 pm
East Lynn Farmers’ Market (1949 Danforth Ave., 1 block west of Woodbine Ave.)
Family friendly fun at the market! Cake and remarks at 5 pm.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 23, 7-9 pm
The Shore Leave (1775 Danforth Ave., 3 blocks west of Woodbine Ave.)
This will be so. much. fun. So don’t miss it! Enjoy some delicious bites on us, and hand in your completed DECAde Scavenger Hunt form to be entered into the draw to win the DECAde prize pack!

Despite the beautiful sunny days, the mornings are crisp and daylight hours are slowly shortening which means that the most plentiful harvest time is here and the farmer’s bounty is at its best!

Today at the East Lynn Park Farmer’s Market the first Ontario apples are in season! Did you know that over 20 different varieties of apples are grown in Ontario? The apple growing region stretches along Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Huron, and Georgian Bay because the large bodies of water help moderate the temperature and make Ontario ideal for apple growing. Gala arrive in early September, followed closely by Honeycrisp, Jonagold, and McIntosh. Come October apples of all types will be ready to eat. Biting into a fresh, crunchy apple truly one of our favorite parts of fall, not to mention the apple pie, apple crisp, apple turnovers, and apple cider!

So come and out and stock up on apples, enjoy the sunny weather, and prepare for the Danforth East Arts Fair this weekend and our #DECAde Celebration at the market next week!

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The East Lynn Farmers’ Market runs every Thursday from 3-7:00 p.m. between June 1 – October 19 at East Lynn Park, located on the south side of Danforth Ave, just west of Woodbine Ave. Stay up to date by visiting the East Lynn Market Facebook page or by following us on Twitter.

East Danforth + arts and culture = the massive talent about to descend on #decaf17, THIS WEEKEND, September 16-17, 10-5 pm! Before you head out on Saturday or Sunday to take in the dozens of local artisans, food and entertainment, we want you to meet some of the people who make our arts fair possible. Our sponsors know very well what happens when art meets community:

Trust Realty Group 

Instead of using “canned artwork” when staging homes, Trust Realty Group’s Danforth East Specialist, Juliette Fergus, has chosen to partner with local artists to showcase “fresh, vibrant work that is also available for sale.” In the words of Juliette, “It’s a match made in heaven, really. Listings have empty walls just aching to become gallery space. Our ‘travelling gallery’ has allowed families and those who might not venture out to a formal gallery an opportunity to be exposed to exciting works.” Be like Juliette; adorn your home with local art!

Fresh paint Studio + Café

Fresh Paint Studio + Café understands the importance of nurturing the creative minds of even our youngest of neighbours. Fresh Paint adds a little creative spark to our community, offering workshops and drop-in sessions for all ages and artistic abilities, year-round at its Danforth location. “It is so rewarding,” says owner and artist Roxanne Tracey, “to be a spark or a catalyst to help someone else to open up and share their creative voice.” Be sure to sign up for one of her live demos at the fair!

Toronto Honda

Toronto Honda is a long-time fixture in our thriving Danforth East community, having been in its current location for as long I have been alive (so really not very long at all )—since 1979! Toronto Honda knows the value of supporting community events such as the Danforth East Community Arts Fair, having generously sponsored our fair for the past four years. Let’s drop by the Toronto Honda booth and give them a big #decaf17 thank you on Saturday and Sunday.

Cultural Hotspot

From May through October, 2017, The City of Toronto’s Cultural Hotspot initiative shines a spotlight on arts, culture and community in East York/East End. DECAF17 is proud to be among the grassroots, community projects supported in the Cultural Hotspot’s fourth year. This initiative has generously sponsored all of this year’s local musical talent (check out the fantastic line up)! Visit toronto.ca/culturalhotspot for details and to find out about other amazing events, activities, restaurants and more.

DeSerres

Art-lovers: DeSerres has found a way to support the Danforth East Arts Fair in one way or another since the fair’s very beginning. This year it is making kids’ activities possible (check out the events to plan your trip!), so bring all your littles and enjoy some fun in the park .

Danforth East Community Association

Did you know DECAF is entirely driven by volunteers? It was born from its parent community association, DECA, and founded by Mary Cowan in 2008. For the past five years, Melanie Ramsey has donated her time directing the fair (and even longer in other capacities), with the co-ordination help from DECA liaison, Melissa Peretti. To become a member or become a volunteer for DECA on the arts fair or another DECA committee, visit https://www.deca.to/membership. A big #decaf17 shout-out to all the volunteers helping to make this year’s fair so special.

For detailed information about the fair visit www.deca-arts.ca 

See you at the fair, rain or (fingers crossed) shine!

All the fruits and veggies

Summer vacation may have ended and the wading pool has closed but the thing is, market goers, now is the time for Ontario produce. What beats the September blues more than fresh, colourful, delicious corn, beans, tomatoes, beets, potatoes, apples, pears and on and on? Buy now to freeze, can, juice, bake with or grill – start the fall with a belly full of goodness!

Our market runs rain or shine, so if it’s a rainy day, swing by with your umbrella and pick up a few things on the run – you will make a farmer happy!

Community Booth – come meet MumNet!

MumNet is a local non-profit that has been Toronto’s leading mom’s group for more than 25 years. It offers new and experienced moms a chance to exercise and connect with other moms in local neighbourhoods. They offer two programs across 15 groups in 10 Toronto neighbourhoods, including three groups in the east end:

MumNet I: for moms with babes and tots

Bond over one another’s triumphs and challenges, and learn from one another during a time when days feel long, but the years are so short.

MumNet II: for moms with school-aged kids (formerly known as MumVet)

Connect over issues that are important to you and to your kids, and make life-long friends in the process.

Visit the Community Booth to learn more about their programs – their fall terms start next week

The East Lynn Farmers’ Market runs every Thursday from 3-7:00 p.m. between June 1 – October 19 at East Lynn Park, located on the south side of Danforth Ave, just west of Woodbine Ave. Stay up to date by visiting the East Lynn Market Facebook page or by following us on Twitter.