Plan an adventure right here in the GTA! There are tons of great experiences waiting for you this weekend. Find your fun today!

Fire & Ice Festival
Fire & Ice Festival Returns to Alton Mill Arts Centre!
With over 40 activities and events, the 12th Fire & Ice Festival promises to be better than ever!
Alton Village, Caledon, Ontario— Monday, January 16, 2023 — Today the Alton Mill Arts Centre released the full roster of activities planned for the first Fire & Ice Festival since 2020. Planned and hosted on Alton Mill’s private property, this two-day community event will take place January 28th and 29th and feature a roster of outdoor and indoor activities that support local vendors, businesses, and artists during the coldest time of the year.
Key outdoor activities planned for 2023 include outdoor pond hockey, ice skating, children’s activities, ice carving demonstrations, and a spectacular fire sculpture crafted by nationally acclaimed artist Paul Morin which will be lit at dusk on Saturday night. Meanwhile, there will be lots to do indoors at the Mill! All the Mill’s artists will have their studios open, most demonstrating their artistic techniques and happy to chat with those who wish to drop in. There will also be tarot card readings, candle making workshops, special venders and more during the day.
A special Saturday night Hot Stove Lounge event will feature seven GTA comedians including local resident Kristian Warburton and former Shelburne resident Oliver Kouprie. After the comedy showcase, Orangeville Bluegrass band Stoney Lonesome will perform two 45-minute sets. Tickets are $30. Cash bar and food will be available for purchase at this special evening show.
“Fire & Ice has proven to be one the Alton Mill’s most popular events,” said Jeremy Grant, co-founder of the Alton Mill Arts Centre. “This year with over 40 activities planned for this two-day event, we’re expecting a great turn out including special guests like Minister Sylvia Jones and Orangeville Mayor Lisa Post.”

Toronto Tea Festival 2022
We are pleased to announce the return of the Toronto Tea Festival after the last two year’s closures due to Covid19. Whether you are new to the world of tea or a long-time aficionado, the return of the Toronto Tea Festival offers an opportunity to rediscover the world of tea from the traditional to the most current developments. Sample a wide variety of teas and learn from experts in the industry at one of the complimentary presentations. Taste teas uniquely prepared by exhibitors. Note differing flavours of teas from different places of origin, different processing techniques and different preparation styles. A wide variety of teawares, teas, and related products will be on display and available for purchase. Perfect for enhancing your home preparations or making thoughtful gifts. (Only a couple of weeks before Valentine’s Day if that’s appealing to you!) Play tourist and take a selfie in front of the entrance display wall and enter the raffle.
Stay tuned for up-to-date programming notes as the dates grow closer! We look forward to having you join us on January 28th and 29th, 2023 at the Toronto Reference Library.
Not sure what to expect? As the community returns to more normal activity, you can expect some of the excitement of years past with all of the beauty and savory delights. Look back at images from years past and recall the energy that was generated in the early years of the Toronto Tea Festival!

Warren Park’s WINTERsafetyFEST
WINTER(safety)FEST is bringing a new twist to winter events in Toronto’s west end.
This is a family-friendly community winter event that engages the broader Urban Planning academic and student community, along with local government and city staff, through an Urban Planning Design Challenge which invites university, high school, and elementary students across the city to engage in designing a solution for a roadway where students are vulnerable to vehicles sliding from the road onto the sidewalk.
WINTER(safety)FEST will kick off at Florence Gell Park with family-friendly winter activities led by outdoor educators from 12:00-2:00pm. This is also the starting point of the Urban Planning Design Challenge Site Walk, which will leave the park at 12:30pm to walk St. Mark’s Hill, the site of the design challenge. The walk will end at The Lambton House at 2:00 pm, which will be transformed into an Urban Planning Hub where students and community will gather, attend mini-sessions from 2:00-4:00 pm and mix and mingle over food and drink.
The mini-sessions will be led by professional in their field and include a history of Warren Park’s urban development, current and future city of Toronto trends, as well as engaging session on outdoor winter skills.

Port Union Winterfest
Port Union Winterfest is a winter community festival for all ages! Come on out and enjoy Live Entertainment, Displays, Games,Inflatables, BBQ and much more!
NEW this year is a clothing swap sponsored by Kijiji. Do you have a quality clothing item that no longer fits? Bring it with you and trade it in for an item that you would love to wear. Please, no undergarments.
Come for an affordable lunch and try the hamburgers, hotdogs, samosas and more. Meet Toronto Zoo Mascot Teo the tiger and learn about animals in the wild that live near us year round. Greet our local politicians and enjoy hot chocolate and hot apple cider. If music is your thing, there will be a variety of live entertainment acts indoors. Scheduled to perform are: The Memory Lane Band, Shayne Ireland, Neil Bennett, Tyler Forkes, the Sheryl Joiner School of Highland Dancers, and Port United. Children can enjoy creating beautiful pictures in the colouring room alongside published children’s author Shriyanie Fernando. Enter your dog in the Muddy Paws dog contest. Prizes will be given out to contest winners of best dressed dog, most “looks like owner” and best tricks.

Date & Time: Saturday, January 28 2023 | 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Port Union Winterfest Winter Market 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Venue & Address : Port Union Community Centre – 5450 Lawrence Ave East, Toronto, ON M1C 3B2 Canada

 

DesignTO
DesignTO, formerly the Toronto Design Offsite Festival, brings you 10 days filled with immersive installations, fantastic exhibitions, engaging talks, and more design and art than ever before. With this much to do, you’ll want to make sure it all makes it into your calendar. The Festival transforms Toronto into a hub for creativity, taking design and art out of the studio and into the urban sphere, bringing people together to celebrate contemporary culture. DesignTO provides opportunities for emerging talent and engages the community with exceptional and accessible public programming. All window installations are viewable from the outdoors at venues across the city.