Get Ready for the Second Annual All-Ages BENTWAY BLOCK PARTY Sunday, July 7, 2019, Noon–10pm
Summer officially kicks-off at the second annual family-friendly BENTWAY BLOCK PARTY, Sunday, July 7, 2019 and everyone is invited!
The Bentway Block Party is free and runs from noon-10pm. The party features live performances from Canadian indie rockers The Elwins, alt-rock band Ellevator, and indie orchestra Common Deer plus the Heavyweights Brass Band and special guests direct from NYC, the Dynamic Diplomats of Double Dutch.
Throughout the day food and beverage from Market 707, Pilot Coffee and SPIN will be available; as well as family games by Beanfield–The Bentway’s provider of free WiFi; face painting by Lisa Joss; a DIY collage party with multidisciplinary artist Paul Butler; an art installation by interdisciplinary artist Sean Martindale; “paint by numbers” activity hunt; Fort York activations; and tunes by DJ Jayemkayem.
The Dynamic Diplomats of Double Dutch will offer two high-flying demonstrations of their internationally acclaimed double dutch skills, as well as teach two workshops to Block Party attendees.
July 7 also marks the return of SUNDAY SOCIAL, featuring the Exclaim! Stage with Toronto’s hottest musical acts on the city’s coolest patio! SUNDAY SOCIAL at The Bentway is a welcoming space for socializing with good friends and making new ones around the oversized lounge chairs and picnic tables.
BLOCK PARTY SCHEDULE: Sunday, July 7, 2019
12:00pm — Block Party begins
12:45pm-1:15pm — TO GATHER/TOGETHER performance #1 by Sean Martindale & company
1:00pm–1:30pm — Heavyweights Brass Band performance
1:30pm–2:00pm — Dynamic Diplomats of Double Dutch demonstration and workshop
2:15pm-2:45pm — Heavyweights Brass Band performance
3:00pm–3:30pm — Dynamic Diplomats of Double Dutch demonstration and workshop
3:30pm–4:15pm — TO GATHER/TOGETHER performance #2 by Sean Martindale & company
4:45pm–5:30pm — TO GATHER/TOGETHER performance #3 by Sean Martindale & company
6:00pm–6:45pm — Common Deer performance on the Exclaim! Stage
7:00pm–7:45pm — Ellevator performance on the Exclaim! Stage
8:00pm–8:45 pm — The Elwins performance on the Exclaim! Stage
10:00pm — Block Party ends
Throughout the summer, Pilot Coffee will be serving coffee drinks and tasty treats, Thursday-Sunday, 11am-7pm; and Market 707 will set-up food vendors, Wednesday-Sunday, 11am-7pm, all at the Strachan Gate – the westernmost section of The Bentway.
Visitors to The Bentway are invited to explore New Monuments for New Cities, a joint art exhibition of the High Line Network—a group of 19 North American infrastructure reuse projects. This ambitious touring public art exhibition is displayed across The Bentway Skate Trail and in front of the Fort York Visitor Centre, and showcases 25 provocative works that present new monuments for today’s new cities. Also on display is Izhininjiiniwag- They Move in a Certain Way, an art installation that interweaves skateboard culture, pow wow regalia and photography.
Through the lens of culture and recreation, The Bentway explores Toronto’s changing landscape and presents opportunities to unite diverse communities through shared one-of-a-kind experiences. Other Bentway programs this summer include free outdoor Yoga and Tai Chi, uniquely-guided Public Art Tours of New Monuments for New Cities with local artists and urbanists, and affordable family-style dinners at the Communal Table. Everyone is invited to The Bentway!
BENTWAY BLOCK PARTY
Sunday, July 7, 2019
Noon–10pm
Thebentway.ca/blockparty2019
For more information, please visit TheBentway.ca
Social Media: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using @TheBentway and YouTube
#TOBentway #BentwayBlockParty
Access to The Bentway is Always Free
Enjoy WiFi Courtesy of Beanfield
The Bentway’s Summer Season is supported by the City of Toronto, Labatt, Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, Hal Jackman Foundation, RBC, Toronto Friends of the Visual Arts, Beanfield, Exclaim!, The Walrus, Pilot Coffee Roasters, Scadding Court Community Centre, and Spin Toronto.
The Bentway would also like to thank its growing family of donors, including: Maxine Granovsky Gluskin & Ira Gluskin, Richard M. Ivey, Frances & Tim Price, Rosamond Ivey, Andy Chisholm & Laurie Thomson (via Goldman Sachs Gives), Donald K. Johnson, O.C. & Anna McCowan-Johnson, Mazyar Mortazavi & Bita Doagoo, Howard Sokolowski & Linda Frum, Diamond Corp., The Ouellette Family Foundation, Langford Family Foundation at the Toronto Foundation, and Northwood Family Office.
About The Bentway
The Bentway is a unique and innovative public space that transforms 1.75km underneath Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway into a new gathering place for our city’s growing population.
The Bentway knits together seven local neighbourhoods with over 70,000 residents, becoming a gateway to the waterfront, while providing access to important attractions and destinations – from Fort York National Historic Site, Ontario Place and Exhibition Place to Harbourfront Centre and the CN Tower. The Bentway offers year-round activities and events, including gardens, a skate trail, recreational amenities, public markets, public art, special exhibitions, festivals, theatre and musical performances, and more. Since opening to the public in January 2018, The Bentway has welcomed over 150,000 visitors to experience free year-round programming including public art installations, performances, festivals, recreational activities, and much more.
The initial phase of The Bentway stretches from Strachan Avenue in the west to just east of Bathurst Street underneath the Gardiner Expressway, this section of The Bentway is located on the lands of Fort York National Historic Site, recognized by the Government of Canada as a site of national significance. The Bentway is maintained, operated, and programmed by The Bentway Conservancy. The Bentway is a proud member of the High Line Network, an international network of projects that transform underutilized infrastructure into new urban landscapes.
About Fort York National Historic Site
Fort York National Historic Site is one of 10 Toronto History Museums operated by the City of Toronto. Since 1793, Fort York has been an important military location and is where Toronto was founded as an urban place. Located in the heart of downtown Toronto, this 43-acre heritage conservation district is home to Canada’s largest collection of original War of 1812 buildings. Fort York offers permanent exhibits and immersive multimedia displays at the Visitor Centre, ongoing programming and events, site tours, military displays, historic cooking demonstrations, and the annual Indigenous Arts Festival.
Fort York National Historic Site is also home to the first phase of The Bentway. For more information, visit http://www.toronto.ca/fortyork.
