Goose Island Beer Company has collaborated with Bier Markt to build Toronto’s premier Goose Island Brewhouse; a Chicago-based craft brewery in Old Town Toronto. This venue is approximately 19 years old and has been revamped into a cozy brewpub on The Esplanade.

Cocktails

The brewhouse is Goose Island Beer Company’s first endeavor into the Canadian brewery business. Premium beer is prepared at the state-of-the-art on-site brewery and is served from 12 taps. As you walk in, the well-lit space features modern wooden decor, complemented by rustic brickwork all throughout the venue. It also features very long bar, behind which sits seven fermentors.

Mains – Features

In the brewhouse, catch a full view of the brewery operations of head brewer Bernard Priest and his team, right from your seat. This casual, yet refined venue space has a capacity of 100 guests mingling and approximately 75 seated. It’s ideal for any social gathering such as a networking event, farewell party, or beer-paired dinner. The brewhouse also offers smaller dedicated sections for groups of 20-75. After your event, take home a Beer Growler (64oz) or Howler (32oz) of a brewed-in-house favourite! Do you have a bigger event? Book the brewhouse and Bier Markt Esplanade for a maximum of 700 guests mingling.

Sides

Enjoy al fresco dining at the Beer Garden. This outdoor space boasts a wall of homegrown hops climbing the surrounding four storeys of exposed brick. It’s an excellent space for a team building event or summer social. While enjoying craft brews paired with from-scratch cuisine, challenge a friend to Giant Jenga ® and Connect-4 ™.

Desserts – The Icing

The food menu was developed by Bier Markt Executive Chef Kevin Maniaci and Chef de Cuisine Shawn Jackson. The menu is seasonal, as the team uses fresh and local ingredients, with dishes designed to pair with the beers on tap.

Capacities

Brewhouse: 100 mingling, 75 seated

Beer Garden: 60 guests

Front Patio: 60 guests

Bier Markt Esplanade + Goose Island Brewhouse: 700 mingling

Bier Markt Patio: 90 guests

Address

70 The Esplanade, Toronto  ON M5E 1M1

Hours

Brewhouse: Sunday-Wednesday 11am-1am, Thursday-Saturday 11am-2am

Retail Shop: Monday-Thursday 11am-10pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-11pm, Sunday 11am-7pm

Contact

Phone: (416) 862-7575

General info: torontoinfo@gooseisland.com

Reservations: torontoreservation@gooseisland.com

Website

http://www.gooseisland.com/toronto-brewhouse/

Social Media

Facebook: @GooseIslandCanada

Instagram: @goosetoronto

Twitter: @GooseIsland

Snapchat: @goose-island

The deaf-blind community is a unique community of individuals with this dual disability. CFPDP aims to help change the way Canadians think about physical disabilities. For this, the CHKC and awards were launched. CHKC is Canada’s first training facility dedicated solely to deaf-blind persons. Programs include necessary everyday skills such as home organization, grooming, personal finance, computer skills, communication skills like sign-language and braille and many more.

On Friday, April 27, the 14th annual luncheon will be held at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel. This year, CHKC will honour the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). The award will be accepted by Josh Basseches, Director & CEO, ROM and the guest speaker will be Josh Saunders.

For table and sponsorship rates, click here.

For a ticket order form, click here.

Join the conversation:
Twitter: @cffpdp
Facebook: @cffpdp

The Mastro and San Daniele Taste of Little Italy food festival took place last month, June 16 – 18. My eyes were busy, my ears were buzzing and my stomach was full of delicious Italian food.

The sights of the Taste of Little Italy were plentiful. From the vendors up and down the streets to the authentic Italian restaurants, I really was immersed in the Italian culture. I was able to see some of the renowned restaurants serving the community, despite the rain. I enjoyed the sights of many restaurants extending their patios. Trattoria Taverniti embraced their Italian heritage by simply decorating their extended patio with the classic red and white checkered table clothes. This, coupled with the old brick exterior and the beautiful Italian entry door, provided the perfect visual for the festival.

If the sights weren’t enough, there was a combination of musical performers adding to the culture. Italian performers from the community lined the streets on almost every corner, while acclaimed electric violinist, Dr. Draw, played a memorable show right outside the CHIN building. The variety of music and the sound of Torontonians enjoying the festival made the trip in the rain all worthwhile.

And of course, the reason everyone goes to street festivals – the FOOD!

The night started off at Hogtown Pub and Oysters with prosecco – a delicious Italian white wine, paired with oysters. The two complemented each other well and made for a nice light treat to converse over. The owner shared with us his commitment to not only the Taste of Little Italy, but the community as well. He would be spending the night at his restaurant all weekend shucking oysters to ensure everything was ready each day to serve their guests – if that’s not commitment, I don’t know what is!

Once the rain let up we enjoyed some traditional Italian food, cosy enough for the wet evening. There was arancini, ravaioli, spiducci, and we can’t forget about gelato; the sweet, delectable gelato from Sicilian Café.

Café Diplomatico did not disappoint with their savoury snacks and rich history. As the first licensed patio in Toronto, Café Diplomatico continues to satisfy their customers. All of the dishes complimented each other well. The sauce on the arancini and raviolis was to die for. Nonna’s tomato sauce recipe drizzled over the freshly made arancini and raviolis made it feel like I was really in Italy.  For years guests have flocked to Café Dip for their infamous barbecued spiducci skewers during the festival. Since the very beginning of this traditional event, the Dip has sold nearly 250,000 spiducci and are looking to reach that record milestone this year.

The stories shared by the owners of Café Diplomatico added to the evening and brought some old-time Italian culture to light. When Café Diplomatico first opened, there was no kitchen and only hot plates. The owners at the time would make the food at home and bring it down to Café Dip to serve. In the end, Café Dip has held true to their Italian roots and continues to serve the community – which includes some high profile names like Sophia Loren and Nelly Furtado!

We finished off on a high note with a massive gelato dessert from Sicilian Café. It consisted of four flavours of gelato, strawberries and freshly made waffles. Sicilian Café, the oldest gelato shop in Toronto, was the first to develop tartufo and has many gelato flavours to choose from, which made it so difficult to decide which dessert to have. I will definitely be going back to try some more! As Maria Galipo says – “a lot can happen over a bowl of ice cream.”

There really was a little bit of everything from the sights, to the sounds, to the tastes. This was a festival to remember!

For some of our photos visit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cityeventstoronto/albums/72157682259269674

The brewery will feature a 10 hectolitre brewhouse with eight 20 hectolitre fermentors, a 400-seat restaurant with patio, retail store and private dining space. Northern Maverick Brewing says they plan to have nine house beers and cask beer on rotation when open, with their beer also available at the LCBO.

The restaurant will have a fiercely local menu, and they will offer an elevated gastropub experience as will feature a oyster bar, house-made charcuterie and curated food that pairings.  This brewpub also expects to have nine beers on tap brewed onsite.

Northern Maverick will also house a beer school where they will offer courses in the fine art of homebrewing, food pairing sessions, beer tasting courses, and recipe development all which could be integrated into your next event.

Instagram: @northernmaverickbrewing

Twitter: @NorthernMavBeer

Facebook:@NorthernMaverickBrewing

If curiosity truly gets the best of you, you’ll notice a faint outline of a door that leads to the best section of Figures.

(Photo courtesy of Figures Toronto)

Through the secret passageway you’ll find yourself in a beautiful restaurant that takes pride in the joys of comic book imagery; custom art, comic themes and some of your favourite superheroes and villains fill the walls, filling you with feelings of nostalgia and excitement.

But what really gets people to come back is the mix of tapas, shareable plates and delicious food that is offered on the menu (which you only get to take a look at once you visit the restaurant in person!) For the curious minds however, you have choices of Yellow Beet & Yukon Gold Gnocchi ($22) or even a Warm Crab Cake over Lightly Truffled Crab Salad ($26) and more.

In terms of events, the venue is a fantastic space for networking and entertaining as the atmosphere provides an intimate space with plenty of character that will be sure to be an icebreaker for guests

Space: 2,000 Sq. Feet

Capacity: 80 seated | 150 cocktail

This space also has a DJ booth and an area for socializing, Figures’ guests can enjoy a delicious dinner into a vibrant nightlife.

Whether it’s through the use of stormtrooper appearances in your latte’s and cocktails or the Pac-Man that seems to leave behind neon trails on the ceiling, you’ll be fascinated with what Figures has to offer.

Ceiling view (Photo courtesy of Figures Toronto)

For more information visit: http://figuresto.com/

Or email: info@figuresto.ca

Twitter: @figurestoronto

137 Avenue Road

Toronto, ON, M5R 1R2

416-900-1022

Our Deb Lewis from CityEvents was lucky enough to see the ballroom a few times over the last decade at Doors Open Toronto. The first time over a decade ago, when the room was full of cobwebs and was only used by a local fly fishing club. After that the ballroom was deemed unsafe so it was years later after the renovation started she was able to see the ballroom starting to take shape.  “It is such an exciting time to see the King Eddy ballroom rebirth for another century of key events.”

Named after their adorned crystal chandeliers, the Crystal Ballroom also kept its old-world charm meets modern luxury with ornate moldings, 8-metre high coffered ceilings and floor to ceiling windows with panoramic views of the city. These features are what makes the Crystal Ballroom the most popular venue for hosting grand society affairs, royal galas, debutante balls, weddings and conventions.

In fact, since opening in 1922, the venue, located on the hotel’s 17th floor has hosted some of Toronto’s most prestigious and extravagant events from the 1920s to the 1970s including:

• August 8, 1927 - The Prince of Wales (later, the uncrowned King Edward VIII, the Duke of Windsor) and British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin were entertained with a lavish state dinner.

• 1939 – Senator Frank O’Connor founder of Laura Secord Candy in Canada, received a remarkable testimonial dinner, which had a crowd overflow the hall and the head table was filled with the chief representatives of the king, the government and the city including Mayor Ralph C. Day

• April 12, 1955 - Polio Vaccine proved effective and safe for 80% to 90% of children across Canada and the US. Nearly 700 doctors, technicians and nurses crowded the Crystal Ballroom to watch the news report on two dozen TV Sets, installed specifically for the occasion.

And it seems that the hotel has some very strong intentions to keep doing so, especially with the new restoration that has brought new life and shine to the ballroom.

For more info about the Crystal Ballroom re-opening, click here: Omni King Edward Hotel 

Exterior View Courtesy of Crowsnest Theatre

After over seven years and $11 million, Streetcar Crowsnest is the newest east end home for events. Located right at the corner of Carlaw Ave. and Dundas St. E., Crowsnest is going to be booking for their upcoming season very fast, keep reading to find out why.

The Crowsnest has three different areas to that can be booked individually or all together for meetings, performances, community events, classes, workshops, rehearsals, kids programming, and social and corporate functions.  It has State-of-the-Art technical inventory (sounds and lighting included in rental prices!) and completely wheelchair accessible.

The largest of the spaces, The Guloien Theatre is 2,600 square feet and can fit 200 seated or 350 standing. The impressive $1 million catwalk that sits high above the theatre ground makes for easy rigging of decor and lighting or other installations.

Next is the 1,250 sq. ft., 52’ x 22’ Scotiabank Community Theatre. This space can accommodate up to 90 when in lecture/theatre mode, plus more once the modular seating is taken away. The full glazed window directly facing Carlaw makes for beautiful ambient lighting day or night. Included in the Scotiabank Community Theatre is a full lighting and sound grid system.  There is also a larger bridal suite and a few dressing room areas downstairs all with lighting and facilities.

The smallest of the spaces, Lobby Bar, can be used for receptions in conjunction with the other spaces, or solo for gatherings and exhibits. Floor-to-ceiling windows cover the north and west walls and there is a fully functioning, fully licensed wet bar.

The whole space was designed as a “floating box” so no sounds will escape and disturb neighbouring residents or other spaces within, party on! An attached yet-to-be-named restaurant (same owners as Table 17 Catering) will be open which holds 65 seats inside and up to 50 seats on the corner patio. Outside catering is allowed, with a 20 per cent landmark fee, as there is a warming kitchen for use.

For availability and tours contact:

Fiona Christie, Event and Sales Manager

647.341.7390 x 1004

Fiona@CrownTheatre.com

345 Carlaw Ave. Toronto, ON M4M 2T1

Written by: Paula McDines

On November 8th, 2016,  CEO and Co- Founder, Alan Smithson, introduced the world to Toronto-based Virtual and Augmented Reality Innovation Agency, MetaVRse.

Here are some new and exciting things that will make your next event a little different. Our favourite was the  360° Photo Booth.

MetaVRse Emulator ELITE is the world’s most advanced DJ performance system, a.k.a. It’s the future of DJ’ing. With the world’s largest capacitive touchscreen, the Emulator ELITE is the updated and more tactile version of the original Emulator. If you want to really wow the crowd, have the DJ perform on this machine, guaranteed “rave” reviews for your event.

For a fully immersive guest experience, MetaVRse 360° Photo Booth will take up to 10 people to a world specifically branded to your event. With a fully customizable photo background and booth exterior, the specifically designed “green room” takes a picture or video using a futuristic 360° camera to capture the scene. Afterward, your guests can view their experience on touch screens or VR Headset and have it sent to them so the experience can be shared with their friends via social media.

Testing out a virtual world with MetaVRse’s VR Headset and handheld remotes at the November 8th 2016 Toronto unveiling.

VR Headsets is how much of MetaVERses fantasies become augmented reality, and its application is only limited to your wildest activations. The headset act like goggles, letting the wearer see a scene or video in full 360° view. Explore the entire scenario by simply moving your head, more immersive techniques allow you to walk around, and with handheld remotes the 3D world becomes interactive.

Contact website for even more exciting tools to integrate into your next event http://metavrse.com/

Written by: Paula McDines

Do you ever find it hard to keep your guests interested, awake and engaged at your events? Social media walls could be used by anyone from wedding planners to corporate event planners to community leaders onsite at their events and meetings. Social media walls provide their attendees with a great way to interact.

A Social Media Wall shows content, not only from Twitter (Twitter Wall), but also from other social networks like Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, or YouTube.

Top Tips On Social Media Walls:

• Hashtags: Create an easy to remember, short relevant Hashtag. Ensure the hashtag  you create is on your Instagram posts and in your tweets. Ask guests to use the same hashtag when discussing the event on social media.This hashtag allows you to search who else is talking about your event. Tag all of your posts with it, and encourage attendees to do the same.

• Tweet a lot and listen: Share those pre-planned Tweets, ask questions, pictures and videos as much as you can. Don’t forget that communication is a two-way conversation, so don’t just Tweet and Post and leave it there. Listen to the conversation and contribute when you can. RT or Favorite Tweets, Like and Share posts, answer questions and respond to comments. You’ll be surprised how it can encourage more interaction and build a connection with your followers.

• Display branded content: If you are sharing a lot of official updates during the event, social media walls are a great way to maximize the lifetime and reach of all your branded social media content via TV displays around the venue. Connect your Facebook page, Twitter feed, Instagram etc. and your attendees will never miss an update while walking around the event. Share announcements, prize winners, next speaker in line etc.

• Onsite Contests: Consider organizing a contest and asking followers to submit their own photos/videos — the winner could win a prize! Social Media Walls will make it more visual and will help you track the hashtag of your event and contest. You can display photos of prizes, tags and hashtags your attendees can use.

Watch our video below for more complete information and tips on how to market your event and create the buzz on social media.

Thank you for watching, and don’t forget to like this video, share it and subscribe to CityEvents to gain valuable knowledge about planning your future events.

If you liked this video you may also like our video on How to market your event on Periscope and Google +.

Everyone uses Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to advertise and market events, but why not try something new? Instagram. This social media platform is often under-used but most effective when it comes to promoting your event, building your brand identity and gaining a stronger following for your company. It is building in momentum and is a must have.

As Instagram is all visual, photos are always a great way to provide a visual to your event. An Instagram photo diary is a wonderful way to promote your events to your target market and audience. Instagram live is also popular.

Top Tips On Instagram:

• Get Posting: Just like other social media platforms, the key to be successful on Instagram is being active. This means taking lots of pictures or videos and posting them for your followers to see. Consider setting a posting schedule and stay on top of that, whether it’s five times a day or five times a week. Study your past posts to see when they got the most audience engagement.

• Create a Story: Let your followers and audience in on the details of the event.  You want to make them feel involved in the event right from the beginning. For timing it is important to create excitement before tickets are on sale. You can do this by making your posts tell a story, updating them regularly and let them in on the planning and preparation right through to after the event. Having regular updates will make people look forward to the next update and keep them wanting more!

• Hashtags: Create an easy to remember, short relevant Hashtag. Ensure the hashtag  you create is on tickets, website, signs, email reminders, facebook event/posts and in your tweets. This hashtag allows you to search who else is talking about your event. Tag all of your posts with it, and encourage attendees to do the same.

Watch our video below for more complete information and tips on how to market your event and create the buzz on social media.

Thank you for watching, and don’t forget to like this video, share it and subscribe to CityEvents to gain valuable knowledge about planning your future events.

If you liked this video you may also like our video on How to market your event on Social Media Walls and Facebook.