Kensington Market Festival of Lights

Photo by sjgardiner
Photo by Cornelius Crab
To the 20th annual celebration in Kensington Market to mark the Winter Solstice. "The Festival of Lights was created by Ida Carnevali in 1987 when a handful of costumed troubadours with trumpets and tambourines defied the mid-winter blues; this now legendary multi-cultural celebration welcomes thousands of participants annually. "
We were amazed by the fabulous stilted dancers, massive puppets, street performances and sheer number of revellers. Marchers carrying hand made tissuepaper lanterns inspired us to pledge to participate next year. See Red Pepper Spectacle Arts for more.
We duck into the King's Cafe to warm-up, talk business and have a vegan Chinese dinner.
The "Fried Bean-Curd and Veggies" was not what we expected when it arrived - this tasty dish was comprised of strips of crisp tofu layered on seaweed and garnished with steamed bok choy. The curried vermicelli noodles were a big hit. "Lightly fried rice noodles done Singapore style with bell peppers and an assortment of vegetables in a spicy curry sauce."
192 Augusta Avenue, Toronto, ON M5T 2L6416 591-1340