Celebrate the grand opening of Toronto's revitalized waterfront

Paint the Town RED at Party on the Promenade  

TORONTO – May 13, 2015:  Summer’s almost here and so is Toronto’s ultimate outdoor weekend-long celebration—the 2015 Redpath Waterfront Festival. 

Party on the Promenade, presented by The Waterfront Business Improvement Area (WBIA) gets the party started on Friday June 19 at 6:00 p.m. with Waterfront Toronto’s Official Opening of the revitalized Queens Quay featuring a ribbon cutting ceremony like no other at the Simcoe WaveDeck.

General admission to the festival is free and a detailed list of scheduling and program information is available on the Festival website www.towaterfrontfest.com.

 

Samba Elégua Percussion Band

The Waterfront Community People’s Parade follows, kicking off from Sherbourne Common with Shadowland Theatre and the explosive, high energy Samba Elégua Percussion Band.

The parade finishes at HTO Park East, where the Grand Opening Show and Celebration begins at 9:00 p.m. Trevor Tordjman and some of The Next Step crew, along with celebrity choreographers Jean Marc Généreux and Blake McGrath will delight dance fans of all ages; international performance athlete Alakazam will also take the stage and take your breath away.  

From Friday night right through to Sunday, The Waterfront BIA is proud to present Party on the Promenade featuring a wide array of exciting things to see, do, taste and experience along the 

two kilometre length of Queens Quay.

“It’s time for our new waterfront’s big reveal, and what better way to show it off than a weekend long celebration with something for everyone?  The 2015 Redpath Waterfront Festival is sure to delight residents and visitors of all ages with its focus on diversity, fun and flavour. Come and see for yourself!” says Nancy Gavin, President of Water’s Edge Festivals & Events.

Make it to the Market!

Browse or buy at the Waterfront Artisan Market at HTO Park East, where finely crafted jewellery, one-of-a-kind gifts and works of art, scrumptious baked goods and fragrant body products are on offer all weekend long. There will be an eclectic collection of unique vendors including Cris Cacioppo Pottery, stained glass artist Anna Ruttan, Yo Sox, Ella’s Botanicals, mixed media artist Josee Duranleau,  jewellery by Marmalade, Sprucewood Handmade Cookie Co. and much more.

Whether it’s bopping to the beat of Hip Hop, sizzling to Samba, swaying to Swing or lively Latin rhythms, DANCE Pan American Style gets it going with a weekend full of top notch musical entertainment from the Samba Elégua Percussion Band, the Swing Shift Big Band and Café Cubano.  Dancers of all ages and abilities can master some new moves from Trevor, Blake or Jean Marc by attending their dance classes each day; The Next Step fans can catch Trevor and other cast members perform and participate in a Q&A session.  For more dance details, visit http://towaterfrontfest.com/lets-dance/

Four Legged Fun for everyone!

DockDogs® Championships, presented by PortsToronto at Sherbourne Common, is a dock jumping and diving sport for dogs with three main events: Big Air, Extreme Vertical and Speed Retrieve.  Any dog at least 6 months of age and any owner over 7 years old can try DockDogs®. Register your own “pup star” to participate at http://dockdogs.com/eventscal/redpath-waterfront-festival-wild-card-event

Sherbourne Common is also the place to catch the very popular and interactive Ultimutts Stunt Dog Show—featured on The Rick Mercer Report, Animal Planet and other major television networks. This show is jam packed with non-stop incredible performances by rescue animals like Sophia the Black Lab and Bella the Boston Terrier. From walking a tightrope to playing the piano to driving a car, these dogs will keep everyone on the edge of their seats.

Then, head over to the Purina PawsWay Pet Parade, which gets underway Saturday afternoon on the

Martin Goodman Trail.  All dogs are invited!  For more four-legged fun, check out http://towaterfrontfest.com/dockdogs

Get involved all weekend long on Simcoe, Spadina and Rees WaveDecks!     

The Toronto School of Art invites people of all ages and abilities to ignite their inner artist at Art on the Water, featuring free pop-up life drawing sessions (all materials supplied) plus interactive art and dance demos. Or if physical activity is more your thing, why not give Stand Up Paddle Boarding a try?

The diet starts Monday!

Having fun works up an appetite! Moustache Burger, Heirloom, Blazin Cajun and The Ultimate Food Truck--some of Toronto’s finest food on wheels--will be on site offering mouth-watering treats such as specialty meat and veggie burgers, smoked artisan sausage, liquid nitrogen ice cream bars, Jambalaya, pulled pork po’ boys, beignet donuts, poutine—and lots more to tempt and tantalize even the most discerning taste buds.

Sun, Sand, Spirits and Summer Solstice: SWEET!

Redpath Waterfront Festival is proud to partner again with the Toronto Wine & Spirit Festival and host the Pride Toronto affiliated Sweetness Pride Beach Party at Sugar Beach, featuring WE PLAY and international DJs on Sunday, June 21^st--the longest day of the year.

2015 Redpath Waterfront Festival partners include Redpath Sugar, The Waterfront BIA, PortsToronto, RBC, Purina PawsWay, Waterfront Toronto, CTV and the Toronto Star, among others. The Festival is proud to recognize Harbourfront Community Centre as its charity partner.

The Redpath Waterfront Festival, in partnership with The Waterfront BIA is an annual summer event providing on-land and on-water programming for people of all ages and interests, with the goal of promoting Toronto locally and internationally as a premiere waterfront destination. With music, food,

nautical programs and entertainment, the Festival offers something for everyone to enjoy. Every three years, the event welcomes a fleet of majestic TALL SHIPS® to Toronto. www.towaterfrontfest.com

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