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Arts Festivals Galore!

The first ever Monarch Park Arts & Music Festival is happening this Saturday, August 12 (tomorrow), 12 noon – 8:00pm
Free!

Coming soon…

East End Arts presents Main Squared, a free nine-day arts and community festival that will activate and explore the public square at the corner of Main Street and Danforth Avenue from August 26 to September 3, 2017.

Blending contemporary art and community arts projects, the festival will feature art installations, interactive activities, workshops, performances, and more.

The festival location is situated in the unique spaces between the four high-rise towers that are home to thousands of residents and a commercial plaza with unoccupied storefronts. Given its accessible location, diversity, density of residents, and proximity to transit and other amenities, Main Square is full of potential as a vibrant and unique cultural hub. With Main Squared, East End Arts aims to increase engagement with the community to spark a sense of pride within the spaces in the neighbourhood in which they live, work, play, and own every day.

Visit the website for more info. Also note that they are looking for volunteers!

Still over a month to go but you definitely want to make a mental note and block off time now for the Danforth East (Community) Arts Fair #DECAF17, coming on September 16 & 17. One of DECA's signature events, this weekend of arts, beauty, community and fun is a must-do for everyone in this 'hood.


See all the sneak peeks of what will be for sale by following the DECAF on social:

Fb: @DECAartsfair
Insta: @deca_arts

We are always in need of volunteers so give us a shout if you're available for a shift that weekend! Sit at the info table, help with set up or take down, take pics, help us with social media – there are lots of jobs! Email us here.

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East Lynn Farmers Market, Volunteer for #DEAF14 & Pole Walking

East Lynn Park Farmers’ Market

The photos can speak for themselves!  The is truly something special about the people who hang out at East Lynn Park on Thursday afternoons.

This week’s wellness guest is Mary Ganzon of Counterbalance teaching a 3D workout at 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. It is a workout that can be with you for your lifetime. Both sessions will be a half hour long. Come and talk to her about the programs at the studio!

CareerFit Mom is providing entertainment at the Market this week. Workout with your kids (ages 2 & up). Parents get a sweat-session while children engage in developmental exercises. Everyone has fun exercising together using unique moves, toys and games that brings out the kid in everyone! Drop in whenever you can – you’ll see Beth and her crew frolicking around near the north/east side of the park!

The East Lynn Farmers’ Market runs every Thursday from 3-7:00 p.m. between June 5 – October 9 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.

 

Volunteers Needed for Arts Fair

By now you’ve likely made sure your weekend plans involve stopping by the Danforth East Arts Fair. But if you have two hours to spare, the organizers are looking for volunteers for a variety of different roles – everything from sitting in a chair and talking to shoppers to helping the artists with set up and take-down of tents and supplies.  Please click to find out more about volunteer openings.

DEAF

Nordic Pole Walking Demo

Ever wonder about those people you see walking around with ski poles in the summer? Well you can get all your questions answered this Saturday in Monarch Park.  Learn about the benefits of this low-impact for of physical activity with a nordic pole walking demo and clinic put on by Cool East Market  (1390 Danforth Ave).  See their flyer below for all the details.

nordixx pole demo

 

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Suds & Skates: DECA Board Meeting & Skating at Local Parks

DECA Board Meeting Next Tuesday

On Tuesday, January 14th the DECA Board will be meeting a a local establishment to talk ideas and initiatives for the neighbourhood.  If you would like to attend, please contact us.

Local Skating – Monarch & East Lynn Parks Open 

Time to sharpen those blades!  Looks like a fun day has planned by the Friends of Monarch Park group for a day of skating this Sunday from 2:30 to 4:30p.m.  Also, the East Lynn Park skating rink is also open for business! Thank you to all the volunteer for bringing so much winter fun to our neighbourhood.

Skating

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Events and volunteer opportunities!

We are doing our best to keep up with the neighbourhood, but with jobs, kids, vacations and a relentless summer cold, we’ve been a bit behind! Here are a couple of events and volunteer opportunities to note!  

First off, our dear friend, Board member, pop-up queen and all-around volunteer extraordinaire Catherine Porter is leaving us for a year abroad.  Here is her own column about her latest adventure to Senegal – we’ll miss you Cath!

Events:

Wheels on the Danforth – Saturday, August 10

It might not be on our section of Danforth, but there is a pretty fun-sounding event going on east of us that you should know about: Wheels on the Danforth.  Car show, kids zone, entertainment, craft fair, beer garden – all to raise money for the community!  Check out their website for more info: http://www.wheelsonthedanforth.ca

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Movie Under the Stars @ East Lynn – August 22

We’ll remind you again, but mark you calendars with this year’s date for Movie Under the Stars at East Lynn Park. On August 22, come for the market and stay for the Princess Bride.  Bring your blankets, snacks and six-fingered friends for this family classic.

Volunteer Opportunities:

Monarch Park Adopt-a-Tree

In addition to DECA’s own adopt-a-tree program, (click here for our blog post about that) the Friends of Monarch Park have a program in Monarch Park and are looking for more volunteers.  Please visit http://friendsofmonarchpark.com/adopt-a-tree/ for more information.

adopt-a-tree

Canada Day at Stan Wadlow

Did you attend this year’s festivities?  Were you waiting around for hours for the rides to get going? Did you think the rides were a bit rough around the edges?  DId the roller coaster operator keep your kids waiting while he walked around under the ride tightening all of the hitches with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth?  There were lots of great things about the event, but there’s definitely room for improvement – I mean, Canada’s birthday deserves nothing but the best!

A casual chat about it in passing with Janet Davis revealed that the organizing committee needs people on it.  If you are able to volunteer to add your 2 cents to the decisions that are made about East York Canada Day 2014, please email Councillor Davis by clicking here.  CIty money goes into this event, so it’s in all of our interest to make sure that it’s spent on top quality fun for our whole community!!

DECA

Since I’m writing about volunteer opportunities, I would be remiss if I didn’t put in a plug for DECA.  While people may think that we’re a well-oiled machine of neighbourhood do-gooding, (ha!) we are actually just regular neighbourhood volunteers, and we’re always looking for more help.  Do you have a great idea for our ‘hood? Let us know!  Email us here with your thoughts and we’ll figure out the next steps.

Follow us on Twitter @DECAdiaries – why not?
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Monarch Park tree walk – June 13

Thanks to Friends of Monarch Park for the following message:

As many of you know Monarch Park lost some very mature trees during the big wind storm last fall. Friends of Monarch Park has been working closely with the cities Parks department and LEAF to try and have these trees replaced as well as having new trees planted to replenish the parks tree canopy.

This fall there will be new trees planted and Friends of Monarch Park would like all interested members of the community to come out to see the proposed plan and give their feedback. Uyen Dias, Natural Resource Specialist, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, Urban Forestry Services for the City of Toronto has tried to include a diversity of species, as well as groves and native species where possible as well as flowering trees for interest.

Please come out on Thursday, June 13th at 7:00 p.m. to the North-East corner of Monarch Park to review the proposed plan and give your feedback.

Hope to see you there!

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September Saturday Happenings

What to do on this beautiful September weekend…

  • The Salvation Army (107 Cedarvale Avenue) is having a yard sale on Saturday starting at 8:00 a.m.
  • Kimbourne United Church (200 Wolverleigh Boulevard) is having a yard sale on Saturday starting at 10:00 a.m.
  • Friends of Monarch Park are having a community picnic in the park on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. Bring your own snacks & refreshments.  All are welcome.