Thanks to Gay Stephenson for this guest post
Get ready for a Laneway Crawl
Are you familiar with a pub crawl? Not sure about a ‘Laneway Crawl’? Well, you’re in for a treat! This summer DECA, East End Arts and The Laneway Project are joining forces to bring you the first ever east end laneway crawl.
Laneway Crawl = Pop-up Festival
What the heck is it? A laneway crawl is a pop-up festival that redefines how we think of, experience and use our city’s laneways. Plans are underway to activate our laneway with all kinds of fun activities including things like art workshops, music jams, pickup sports, games, garage/wall mural painting, pop-up greening and more. We’re also looking for organizations who’d like to be part of the festival. Read on for more info!
Mark your calendars for the afternoon of Sunday, August 28th from 1:00 – 5:00pm and join us in the laneway between Strathmore and Danforth, from Woodbine to Woodmount.
Naming our laneway
Inviting people out would be so much easier if our laneway had its own name. So, on August 28th, we’ll ask you for name suggestions – then work together with Councillor Janet Davis to officially name our lane. Bring us your ideas! All participants’ names will be entered in a draw and one lucky person will win a prize!
Want to join in?!
Share your ideas
What activities would like to see? We’d love to hear your ideas! Send us a tweet, post on FB or email us at renew@DECA.to.
Host an Activity
Are you part of a sports club, dance studio or other business / organization that may want to host an activity as part of the crawl festivities? Please send us an email.
Join our organizing team or volunteer at the event
Are you a community keener who loves the sound of this and wants to join our organizing team or volunteer during the event? We want to hear from you! Or just come join us on Wednesday, July 6th from 7:30-9:30pm for our first organizing meeting, at Time Capsule Board Game Cafe, 2183 Danforth Avenue.
Lend us your garage or driveway for the day!
Do you back onto this laneway, either because you live on the south side of Strathmore or you live or work on the north side of Danforth between Woodmount and Woodbine? We’d love to chat with you about using your driveway or garage during the laneway crawl or to hear your ideas about how to participate. Please email us at renew@DECA.to.
Request a new mural
Are you experiencing “tagging” or graffiti on your fences, garage doors or building walls? If you live or work on this laneway, we may be able to paint you a new mural. Just send us a note so we can chat about the possibilities. Murals are one of the best ways to prevent future graffiti and help to beautify our lanes.
Events like this one will help us transform our laneways into vital, vibrant parts of our neighbourhood’s public realm. You can read more about the amazing 2016 Laneway Crawl Series or check out this article in the Globe & Mail. We are very grateful for the advocacy work being done by the Laneway Project and for all their support to make this crawl happen!
If you have any questions or ideas or if you would like to volunteer for the event, please email Gay Stephenson at renew@deca.to.
Murals can transform graffiti from this………………………………… to this.
