Toronto Tastes of Thailand brightens summer

It’s been five months since I’ve tasted Thailand and so it is with great relief I find out that the Toronto Tastes of Thailand Festival is a go for July.

 Sabai dee mahk mahk!

This wonderful annual event (images  from 2006 edition) had to be cancelled last summer because of a civic workers strike.  Since there were no city workers to look after the grounds and facilities of Nathan Phillips Square, the Thai Society of Ontario  was forced  to cancel at the last minute after spending all that time and money to put together an important cultural festival.

The two-day event is filled with fresh meals and food, crafts, dance and musical entertainment, fashion shows, Muay Thai demonstrations and other Thai cultural activities. And the biggest highlight of all are the smiles. Ask me how much do I miss that!

Looking at the schedule of events, this year’s edition looks as good as any in the past. The festival events begin each day at 11 a.m.

Looking at the layout map, there appear to be at least 10 food stands (my mission is to find Isaan laab this time out), 10 crafts and food specialty stands (I hope Thai fruit stand is there this year!) and many other displays and stands, including Thai traditional massage. You’ll know where to find me on both days!

Here is a schedule of events for the two-day Tastes of Thailand Festival:

Saturday, July 17, 2910:

• 11:00 AM  Warrior Drum and Opening Ceremony
• 11:05 AM  Fon Ngiew by Thai-Canadian Youths
• 11:15 AM  Northeastern dance
• 11:30 AM  Live Thai Band (Prik Nahm Bphlaa)
• 12:15 PM  Amazing Thailand (Thai 4 region dances)
• 1:00 PM  Thai games for kids 
(in front of the stage)
• 2:00 PM  Live Thai Band (Prik Nahm Bphlaa)
• 2:35 PM  Muay Thai
• 3:00 PM  Amazing Thailand (Thai 4 region dances)
• 3:40 PM  Fashion Show #1
(Thai Traditional Life Style)
• 4:15 PM  Parade: Songkran Festival
• 5:00 PM  Live Thai Band (Prik Nahm Bphlaa)

Sunday, July 18, 2010:

• 11:00 AM  Warrior Drum
• 11:05 AM  Fon Ngiew by Thai-Canadian Youths
• 11:15 AM  Northeastern Dance
• 11:30 AM  Live Thai Band (Phrik Nahm Bphlaa)
• 12:15 PM  Amazing Thailand (Thai 4 region dances)
• 1:00 PM  Thai games for kids
(in front of the stage)
• 2:00 PM  Live Thai Band (Phrik Nahm Bphlaa)
• 2:35 PM  Amazing Thailand (Thai 4 region dances)
• 3:10 P  Muay Thai
• 3:30 PM  Fashion Show #1
(Thai Traditional Life Style)
• Fashion Show #2
(The Elegance of Thai Silk)
• 4:00 PM  Thai games for kids
(in front of the stage)
• 4:30 PM  Thai Wedding Ceremony
• 6:00 PM  Live Thai Band (Phrik Nahm Bphlaa)

As a warmup, there will be the massive Taste of Asia Festival  around the giant Pacific Mall in Markham, just beyond Toronto’s northeast end, running June 26-27. It’s otherwise known as Little China, or if you like, Little Hong Kong. The event boasts some Chinese and HK musical superstars in the evenings. There’s something like half a million people of Chinese extraction in the GTA so it dwarfs the Thai community. But size does not determine fun! I’m going -- and it gets me as far away as possible from the suffocating  G8 meetings in the Toronto downtown  the same weekend.

LINKS:

• The Tastes of Thailand 2010, July 17-18, at Toronto City Hall
• The Thai Society of Ontario website looks much better than I remember it. It has a lot of information and very active forum
• Thai web board for the Thai Society of Ontario mostly in Thai language
• The two-day Taste of Asia Festival at Pacific Mall June 26-27