Posted on

Pumpkin People

Thank you Pumpkin People for helping make the 2nd annual Pumpkin Parade particularly pretty and perfectly peculiar. And thanks to Ron Grimes for these pics.

[slideshow]

Hats off to Heather Bean who couldn’t organize it this year because she was busy having a baby.  She did, however, get us started with a very thorough how-to guide.  Then Anita Schretlen and Sarah Kiriliuk took that guide and created a community event that was both kick-ass and magical.

Then, of course, there was the fabulous poster, designed once again by Tak Bui.  Thank you Tak!  And finally, the heroes who showed up after it was all over and hauled all those pumpkins into the pool so the good folks from the City of Toronto could come and pick them up the next morning.  Thanks to Melissa Peretti, Jason Pytel, Leo Gonzalez, Paul Haines, Joel Redmond, Beth Binnington and Sean Webb.

Farmers’ Market

Did you know that NOW Magazine voted the East Lynn Farmers’ Market the best farmers’ market for the Danforth area?  Well, now you do.  Did you also know that Ron Wilford wrote a paper for his course on Local and Global Food Systems about the East Lynn Farmers’ Market? Well he did. I present it here for you reading pleasure.  East Lynn Farmers’ Market

Opening and Closing

This neighbouhood has come a long way in terms of getting a decent cup of coffee.  We have a ways to go in terms of local pubs, especially now that Ten Feet Tall has closed . If you were a fan of Taps and Tales, you will be interested to know that it is being re-invented by a new owner (Hot House Cafe) as ‘Morgan’s.

The House That Went To The OMB

If you live near Coxwell you, no doubt, remember that this BIG house was the subject of an OMB hearing after the developer continued building even when the City refused his permit applications. Well, he’s apparently (I say apparently because I really don’t know) taken down what needed to be taken down and now has it on the market. How much?  Would you believe, almost a cool million?

Earl Beatty and Toronto Star

Word went out this week that ‘hard’ balls such as footballs and soccer balls are now banned from the Earl Beatty school yard. How do I spell kerfuffle anyway?

Posted on

Last Farmers’ Market For 2011

Don’t miss the final East Lynn Farmers’ Market for 2011 on Thursday. This is your last chance for farm fresh eggs, honey, syrup, apples, organic garlic, bread, scones, tomatoes, peppers…

I’m not going to write any more about this because the thought that this is the final market after such an amazing summer of Thursday evenings spent with friends and neighbours in the park is making me sad.

Meet me there for one final hurrah.

And then sign up to volunteer for next year because if we don’t get some fresh volunteers to help, there is a real possibility that we won’t be able to put it on again next year.  If you want to help, send me an e-mail at natasha.granatstein(at)gmail.com.

 

 

 

Posted on

Read All The Way To The End And Cast Your Vote For A Crescent Town Youth Centre!

Coleridge Avenue friends proudly show-off the 84 items collected from neighbours on Thanksgiving Monday for donation to the Woodbine Heights Church food bank.

This Week At The Market

I’m 99% certain that it will NOT rain on Thursday afternoon between 3 and 7 p.m. And even if it does rain..what are you – made of sugar? You won’t melt. Get yourself out there and buy some apples already. And while you’re there, you might want to make a darling little bat hat with Melanie in the Kraft Korner starting at 4:30 p.m.

The Art of Wax

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, why not visit local (she lives on Wolverleigh Blvd) artist, Deanna Hutton, at the Cool East Market where she’ll be showing and selling her encaustic (hot wax) art.

The Art of Wax – Saturday  Oct 15th – 10 a.m.-9 p.m. / Sunday Oct 16th – 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

1390 Danforth between Coxwell and Greenwood on the north side.

Crescent Town Youth Centre

The Children’s Peace Theatre, whose home is in the historic, Massey Goulding Estate at 305 Dawes Road, is working with a number of community organizations to create a new home for an innovative youth centre.

There is already a fantastic youth program including mentoring, leadership, entrepreneurship and community service programs. The problem is all these great programs need a home and a space for the young people in Crescent Town to hang out.

They are trying to win a $150,000 grant from the 2011 Aviva Community Fund. How can you help? All you have to do is go to this website and vote for the youth centre! You can vote 15 times between now and October 19th.

Children's Peace Theatre
Posted on

Harvest Delight

Join DECA this Thursday from 3-7 p.m. at East Lynn Park for our Harvest Delight Festival.  We are pleased to offer pumpkin treats courtesy of Cozy Cafe, music from the Wolfgang Bros, pumpkin decorating and our special guest, Chef Lynn Crawford.

Lynn was the executive chef of the Four Seasons Hotel in NYC, celebrity chef from the Food Network’s Restaurant Makeover and Pitchin’ In and most recently, owner of the Leslieville restaurant, Ruby Watch Co. Lynn will be serving food and wine and suggesting wine pairings.

Posted on

To Market To Market To Buy A Fat Fig

The weather may be cooler, but the bounty is hearty at the East Lynn Farmers’ Market these days. Join us this week to fill your freezer with fresh, local produce.  Join us next week to fill your belly with the creations of Celebrity Chef and local restauranteur, Lynn Crawford (Restaurant Makeover, Pitchin’ In and Ruby Watch Co.) Did I mention there will be wine from Inniskillin?

This week’s craft  – jersey knit bracelets

Our own creative crafter, Melissa, told everyone at the shopping bag and scarf craft earlier this season that she would figure out what to do with the remnants of the tee shirt craft. Well, true to her word, she’s come up with a fabulous little number -friendship jersey knit bracelets! We are up-cycling with old tee shirts again this week.  Once you learn how to make these, you can make an arm full in no time. Trade them with your friends and make different thicknesses to wear together. Bring your tee shirt remnants, or a new old tee to make into these fab bracelets.

It all gets started at 4:30. Hope to see you there!

DECA’s East Lynn Harvest Festival – October 6th

Celebrity Chef, Lynn Crawford, from the Food Network and Ruby Watch Co. will be at the East Lynn Farmers’ Market on Thursday, October 6th to prepare some delicious food and suggest wine pairings from her line with Inniskillin. As if that weren’t enough, we are delighted to offer pumpkin treats from Cozy Cafe, music by Wolfgang Bros., pumpkin decorating and giveaways!

Honestly, isn’t this event alone worth the measly $10 that we ask for your yearly DECA membership? To say nothing of the:

  • (ahem) fantastic DECA Diaries
  • the Business Revitalization Team that is improving the Danforth one store at a time
  • the parks committee working to improve our public spaces
  • the community cocktail party (more on that coming soon)
  • the pumpkin parade (Nov. 1st)
  • the incredible Danforth East Arts Fair
  • DECA Learns,
  • and so much more.
Posted on

Applemania

Applemania: [ap-uhl mey-nee-uh]

Enthusiasm, often of an extreme and transient nature for the usually round, red or yellow, edible fruit of a small tree.

Thursday is Applemania day at the East Lynn Farmers Market.  What does that mean for you?It means the lovely and talented, Melanie, of Melanie’s Bistro, will be serving up apple treats.  And it means Rob of Alistair Ant will be performing at 4:30 p.m.  Rob will perform for about a half an hour along with his puppet, Sluggo. 
This week’s Market Craft

What better way to celebrate back to school than by cutting apart books?! This week’s crafts are Bookish Star Ornaments. The ornaments can be displayed either as a star or as a

closed book -simply open to reveal the star shape. All the materials will be pre cut, but there is some gluing, and drying patience, involved. Crafts at the market will now start at 4:30 for the remainder of the season. So now you don’t have to cut school to play.

Also, face painting starts at 4:30 p.m.

DECA Elects

DECA is an apolitical organization. In past, we have organized candidates debates for both municipal and provincial election campaigns. This time around, we’ve invited local candidates to visit the East Lynn Farmers’ Market on Thursday, September 22nd. This is an opportunity for you to meet your local candidates and put them on the hot seat with your questions or simply get to know them a little bit. Watch this space to see who will be there and when.

Park People

DECA will be co-hosting a free public event with Park People: Toronto Alliance For Better Parks on Thursday, September 29th at 6 p.m. in East Lynn Park. This will be an opportunity for anyone who has an interest in parks to learn about what DECA is doing about parks in our neighbourhood and what we can learn from other communities.

Park People is a relatively new organization dedicated to improving Toronto’s parks. It advocates for better parks for all communities by facilitating neighbourhood engagement in their parks, building a network of local community park groups, acting as a watchdog on issues affecting parks and highlighting the importance of good parks to the social, health, environmental and economic well being of all residents of Toronto.

Stay tuned for more on this event in the coming weeks.

Last but not least, check out the cool neighbourhood and street parties that people have written about on the blog comment section!  If you have a street party to tell us about, post it on the blog or send it to me and I’ll share.