November 26, 2024 15:55 (IST)
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Toronto, Aug 8 (IBNS): The Krinos Taste of the Danforth, one of Canada’s largest street festival, with more than 1.65 million attendees annually, is one of the best multi-cultural facets of the city of Toronto where one, irrespective of country of origin, gets a chance to pretend to be a Greek for a day, says Debarati Mukherjee.
The 23rd edition, held from Aug 5 -7, got underway with Mayor John Tory, slicing up gyros at Messini Authentic Gyros, which already had a long waiting queue.
The festival is run by a local non-profit board of directors consisting of volunteers from the local community and is based on the model of coalition advertising.
Be a Greek for a day
One of the hallmarks of old Greek dining was that the rich would show off their wealth by breaking plates at the end of their meals. Although banned in Greece, visitors to the festival got a chance to 'breaking plates' inside the 'Rage Room',thanks to Battle Sports.
Mattias Schneller, a 29-year-old, said that he enjoyed playing with the bow and the arrow in the Artemis Archery arena. “Ah! Its wonderful having come here to participate. The fest is free to attend and the selection of activities is really impressive. It connects non Greeks to the Greek culture and history wonderfully,” he said. For fashion blogger Sonata Cruz, “Taking a selfie with the Greek Gods is mind-blowing! It was really hard to distinguish which one is a statue and which is real.”
The festival also opened doors to all who wanted to do a tango like Zorba. Instructors patiently taught everyone -- from amateurs to masters -- the Greek folk dance form.
Food reunification Coming to food, be it a souvlaki or a spanakopita (spinach pie), the Greeks surely know how to appease the taste buds of all. With a number of eateries selling their best dishes, it was a no cooking weekend for most Torontonians.
Interestingly, the festival food festival embraces global cuisine and Indian, Thai and Cuban fare were also available.
Ashley Jones, a foodie said, “The food is fantastic. The taste of Danforth is a slice of heaven as you get the best food in affordable prices and you get to merry along with just eating out.”
Activities for all
There were lot of activities to keep the people busy in between meals.
Kids had great fun getting into the guise of a troll, followed by a photo session in front of the Troll Lego house or a movie backdrop.
From Hollywood movie screenings, marking the famous Greek cultures to jazz, rock and roll and Brazilian Samba dance were a few of the many interesting events and performances held at the three-day festival.
Image: At the festival/Debarati Mukherjee and Krinos Taste of the Danforth website
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