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Summer Fun While Thinking Big in Toronto

July 9th, 2012     by deb singh     Comments

Summer in the city is a great idea. It can yield heat waves, festivals, and lots of social moments. It can also be smelly with garbage and overrun raccoons, boring if you don’t have money, and full of drama.

I love summer in the city. As a city kid, I have tons of ideas to keep the sweat off your brow and have a great time (with cash or none at all) and still figure out how to stay engaged with what’s going on with your city!

25 things to do this summer in Toronto! (And a few to do anywhere)

  1. Go to a MAD Pride event - MAD Pride week is happening from July 10th-15th with all free events.

  2. Check out Taylor Creek, Seaton Park or the Don Valley - this is a huge park that goes across Broadview & Danforth over to Main St. There’s the river and creek and you could even fish if you want to. Connect with nature!

  3. Try acupuncture - my recommended spot is Six Degrees Community Acupuncture, sliding scale starts at $25.

  4. Go to all the shops in your local community and buy stuff if you have money - I find that when there’s an H&M around the corner, I ignore my local clothing shops, so check out food and other items in your local neighbourhood. You will be surprised and you’ll be supporting your own community!

  5. Go to the Harbourfront - there’s a pile of festivals every week and it’s free to get in and free to window shop.

  6. Check out the 401 Richmond Building (at Spadina) - This artists’ building is full of galleries and studios, openings and contemporary art and free!

  7. Visit the Native Canadian Centre and their awesome gift shop - Most of the gifts in the gift shops are affordable and most of the monies go to Indigenous people who make the art and their communities.

  8. Volunteer for Take Back the Night’s Planning Committee - Meetings start July 18th at 6pm, 17 Phoebe St.

  9. Choreograph a dance routine - my select songs are: “Part of Me” by Katy Perry, “Red Girl” by a Tribe Called Red, “Wasteland” by LAL and “Starships” by Nicki Minaj.

  10. Call a crisis line - even when we are feeling great, we can always use the support. TRCC/MWAR’s crisis line 416-597-8808.

  11. Eat ice cream and/or freezies - need I say more to feed the soul?

  12. Learn about Pride this year - including Queers for Social Justice (they created a night march, and die-in demonstrations) and the Trans march.

  13. Learn a new recipe and practice.

  14. Try swimming or running - Very cheap ways of exercise and varies in high and low impacts to the body.

  15. Wear a tiara - if you don’t have one, you can always get them from the dollar store!

  16. Download music - my faves right now are “Alors On Dance” by Stromae feat Kanye West, Whitney Houston dance remixes, and covers by Lucas Silveira

  17. Check out Caribana on Aug. 4th long weekend!

  18. Watch cool movies - A Dolphin Tale (a film about a dolphin and kids with dis/different abilities), Pariah (a film about a young Black lesbian coming into her youth).

  19. Talk to your parents about something you wouldn’t normally talk to them about - Freak them out and surprise them at the same time!

  20. Make a gift for your best friend with stuff you find around the house - old jewelery, paper, markers, whatever.

  21. Make dinner for your family with all cold food!

  22. Have a nail polish party - include all genders!

  23. Read some graphic novels - I’m into Life with Archie by Michael Uslan and Paul Kupperberg, American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, and Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

  24. Take lots of pictures of yourself and other beautiful things and write captions under them like: “I love myself.”

  25. Tell the folks who you spend the summer with that you love them.

Tags: diy, miscellaneous

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