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Books & Bikes at the Market this week

BOOKS!

Two amazing local children’s book authors will be at the East Lynn Farmer’s Market this week (Thursday, July 5) showcasing their work.

The first is Tak Bui (also a DECA Board Member!). We’ve discussed Tak’s book, Spot the Difference, here before. It’s an amazing collection of bright search-and-find illustrations that challenge readers to compare pictures and find the difference. Each illustration is a rich mixture of compare-it images, wordplay (there’s a school of fish, complete with blackboard) and hilarious scenes that invite storytelling – an unlikely group of animals form a wild street corner jazz band – to keep young readers intrigued. With great expectations of all kinds, this book will keep children amused for hours on end. In his spare time, Tak’s been donating his talents around the neighbourhood, including creating murals and community gardens around Main and Stephenson, painting whales in the wading pool in Stephenson Park, and designing posters for DECA activities.

The second book is Robin Green‘s The Day After Yesterday.

When three sixth graders discover strange marbles in a weedy yard near their school, they get more than they bargained for. The marbles grant them visions of a lost century and a farmhouse where a teenage girl has just died. When one of the friends goes missing, the others decide the marbles are for more than visions. They have a friend to rescue, and not one but many lives depend on them.

At about 4:30 p.m. a representative from the Toronto Public Library will be on hand for story time in the park.

BIKES!

If you have yet to dust off your spokes for the summer or perhaps have rode so much that you’re in need of a tune-up, bring your bike to the market this week. The friendly riders from 32 Spokes will be there providing bike tune-ups.

Reminder: Don’t forget your picnic blanket and bathing suits! It should be a hot one on Thursday and the wading pool is open for business.

The East Lynn Farmer’s Market runs every Thursday from 3-7 p.m. between June-October at East Lynn Park, located on the south side of Danforth Ave, just west of Woodbine Ave.

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East Lynn Wading Pool Opens Early

East Lynn park wading pool will be open from 3-7pm tomorrow, just in time for the heat wave!

The wading pool isn’t normally open before Canada Day, but Counsellor Mary-Margaret McMahon and Parks and Rec got together and made it happen.

Also, if you were planning on doing kids yoga, it’s postponed until later in the summer.

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Celebrate Local Strawberries… Irish Style!

Ever witnessed a live ceili? This Thursday is your chance!  The Strawberry Festival is on at East Lynn Mark Farmers’ Market with live ceili caller, Maureen O’Leary, and musicians livening up the park starting at 4:00 p.m.  If you’re unsure what a ceili is, my Irish friend tells me it’s a social gathering of music and dance.  There will be delicious strawberry treats and other activities including:

  • 3:00 p.m. Booty Camp Activity
  • 4:30 p.m. Crafts with Mrs. Darling at the Kid’s Kourner are upcycled plastic pop bottle flower hair barrettes and pop bottle badges of honour.
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Neighbourhood News

Hirut Hoot – Canada Day Weekend Edition

The Ethiopian restaurant near Danforth and Woodbine is becoming a venerable comedy venue.  To kick off the Canada Day weekend, Hirut Hoot will feature MTV star Gilson Lubin Friday June 29. Lubin went to school in East York and used to call the neighbourhood home.

“We’re lucky to get Gilson here,” says East York’s Kevin MacDonald, comedian and producer of Hirut Hoot. “I mean, this guy opened for Dave Chapelle. The
Dave Chapelle, not Dave Chapelle from accounting down the hall.” MacDonald is impressed with the Hoot’s appreciative audiences.

“It’s a great deal. You can see professional comics practically in your own backyard for five bucks. Actually, for twenty bucks we’ll bring the show to your
backyard. This stretch of Danforth is happening — I think the rest of the city is catching on.”

MacDonald, along with fellow comedians Ron Sparks, Carolyn Bennett and host Scott McCrickard, have all been nominated for Canadian Comedy Awards. They will also be screening nominated comedy videos. So what makes MacDonald proud to be Canadian? “Doing a comedy show for a happy audience at an Ethiopian restaurant. That says Canada to me.”

Hirut Hoot, Friday June 29
9pm $5
2050 Danforth Avenue (at Woodbine)
Featuring: Ron Sparks, Kevin MacDonald, Brian Hatt, Amanda Day, Carolyn Bennett, Gilson Lubin, Scott McCrickard,

Gledhill Breakfast Club

Join the Gledhill Breakfast Club on June 26th from 8 – 9 a.m. as they try to raise funds to build a full kitchen. The team needs to raise $80,000 to complete construction, wiring, plumbing and cabinetry. On Tuesday, there will be smoothies, quesadillas, scrambled eggs and fruit. It’s pay what you can. Community members run the breakfast club five days a week and provides good food in a welcoming environment for young children. The event will happen at the back of the school near the kindergarten entrance. For more information contact Karen at kingham.gledhill@gmail.com or 416-432-0735.

East Lynn Farmers’ Market Celebrates Five Years

Check out this story from the East York Mirror about our little market growing up. The years go by so fast don’t they? Sniff.

Earl Haig Drop-In Centre

The drop-in centre at Earl Haig is going to close because the school needs the space come September.  The space has been open for six years and had been operating on a one-time donation from Canadian Tire along with a few other donations. It looks like the Applegrove space has found another location inside Monarch Park high school but they can’t open unless they come up with $9,000.  For many new moms, the centre is the introduction to the neighbourhood and can be their saving grace on a rough day. To support the centre, visit http://www.applegrovecc.ca.

Thai Room

It’s all the talk at Danforth and Woodbine. A new restaurant called the Thai Room is going in and they’re doing some work on the building and putting up a nice sign.  Hope springs eternal…


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Farmers’ Market This Week

Did you visit the Farmers’ Market last week? 

East Lynn Park was hoping last week with 5th Anniversary celebrations. A new giant Scrabble board was unveiled for market goers literary leisure. A broccoli suit was added to the crop of crazy costumes.  Our local city councillors, Mary Margret McMahon and Janet Davis were on hand to welcome the crowd and to help with the official ribbon cutting.  The weather was amazing with many picnic blankets sprawled across the park.  For those not inclined to show up with their picnic basket pre-packed with dinner, Lazy Daisy’s Cafe will be a regular at the market this year offering many prepared options, such as, quinoa salad, grilled panini sandwiches, pastries and coffee.

Many people have been asking where Lincoln Line Orchards, more commonly known as the apple guy or Peter Bosman, is this year. Unfortunately, the wacky weather early in the year had a devastating effect on his orchards causing over 1,000,000 pounds of lost apples.  This is not only a huge loss for our market but also for his family business.  Peter tells us that he’s already looking forward to coming back to East Lynn next year as it’s one of his favourite farmers’ markets.

Coming up this week:  CareerFitMom will be at the park at 4:30 to host a PlayFit class for the little ones to enjoy.  And don’t forget pioneers behind the BabySteal/Kid Steals deal websites will be having a meet up in the park at 2:00-3:30 p.m. For more details about the meet up check out the event page on Facebook.

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Farmers’ Market 5th Anniversary Party Tonight

So much to see, do and EAT at the farmers’ market tonight.
Come anytime between 3 and 7 p.m. to partake in the anniversary excitement.  Starting at 3 p.m. bring the kids for some drumming with Linda Chamberlain.  At 4 p.m. there will be an official cake cutting with a delicious cake from Melanie’s Bistro along with the unveiling of a new, more adult focused, board game.
Activities continue with a 4:30 p.m. performance from a stilt walking, juggling clown and crafts with Melissa from Ms. Darling’s.  Then at 5:30pm there will be another special activity courtesey of Silly Goose Kids.  And of course, there will also be the regular face painting tent.
Look for the giant DECA veggies walking about – the carrot, the pea, the tomato and a brand new addition to the crop.