Toronto Jazz Festival
The 29th Beaches International Jazz Festival has been one of Toronto’s most popular summer events. The 4-weekend festival featured various artists on several stages so there were tunes that could be enjoyed by everybody. I was able to attend when multi-Juno award winner Jane Bunnett & Maqueque performed some up-tempo Afro-Cuban sounds at the Main Stage with a large audience appreciating.
Some of these jazz enthusiasts enjoyed a beverage from the Beer Garden near the stage. Two Oceans Wines and a variety of Mill Street brews were offered. I chose to sip on Two Oceans’ Pinot Grigio which had flavours of citrus and lychee and was super refreshing on the hot, sunny afternoon.
Over on Queen Street, Woodbine to Beech was closed off as over 40 performers and talents performed for public crowds. There was an eclectic mix of sounds that brought lots of energy to their audience. I was able to enjoy several performances including Afro-Brazilian beats and vocals from Samba Squad, T.Dot Batu., and Kim & Company also wowed their huge audience going with their incredible, roaring act!
There were also many vendors delivering all kinds of tasty foods and sweets. I saw La Fiesta Catering cooking up a huge pan of seafood paella and grabbed some to go. The cook and servers were super friendly and offered a generous amount (good enough for 2!). The mussels were exceptions and the entire serving was delicious and very filling as you can imagine.
Other food trucks like TOBEN offered smaller servings of foods to sample and share. As evening approached, attendance was packed with Torontonians trying to capture the fun experience of the awesome Jazz Festival. It appeared to be a successful event and I would definitely recommend all to participate next year!
Contributor Henry T of @foodmomento