Celebrate Mother’s Day with cherry blossoms in Toronto this weekend

By Robin Clark and Patricia D'Cunha

Mother’s Day is on Sunday and as luck would have it, this is perfect weekend to check out the cherry blossoms in the city since they will be in peak bloom. Let’s just hope the weather cooperates. According to the forecast, it will be mainly cloudy on Saturday with a chance of showers, but Sunday will have a mix of sun and cloud.

So if you don’t have anything planned to take your mother to yet, take her to see the cherry blossoms. If you have already seen the flowers, below are other events to peruse.


Events

Don’t miss the cherry blossoms
Last weekend the cherry blossoms just started to flower at High Park and other areas of the city. But as of Wednesday they are in peak bloom, according to High Park officials. Once bloomed, the flowers last seven days, depending on the weather conditions. The Sakura trees in High Park date back to 1959, when the Japanese ambassador to Canada gave 2,000 trees to Toronto as a gift. Additional trees were donated by Yoriki and Midori Iwasaki in 1984, and as part of the Sakura Project in 2001 and 2006. Click here for a map of where to see the cherry blossoms at High Park and a list of other places in Toronto to see them.

Have a picnic among the cherry blossoms
If you are in the mood for a picnic, there is no better place to have one than at High Park among the lovely Sakura trees. A group of international travellers has organized a meetup at the park. You are encouraged to bring food and drinks that represents your ancestry, but that is not mandatory. You are also invited to bring your family and friends, as well as any ideas for outdoor games. The group is meeting up in front of Grenadier Restaurant at noon.

An afternoon of high tea and painting
You can treat mom to some tea and painting this weekend. Paint Cabin is holding a mother’s day event, where high tea will be served and a painting workshop will be put on. Tickets are $49.95 per person, with sessions being held on both Saturday and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Finger sandwiches, assorted pastries, desserts, a fruit platter, and a wide selection of tea is included. Every participant will also go home with a finished canvas in a size of their choice. Paint Cabin is located in Riverdale, near Logan Avenue and Gerrard Street East.

Mom time at the ROM
Why not celebrate Mother’s Day this year at the ROM? You can explore art, culture, and nature, with special activities running Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Create Corner will have you getting up close and personal with friendly wildlife, followed by a special presentation on animals and their babies. In Bloom will feature unique and rare flowers and lead you on a scavenger hunt throughout the museum to track them down. Learn to Camp will provide all the tips and tricks you need to know to make it in the Canadian wilderness. The special Mother’s Day activities are included with the price of admission.

Moms and babies in the animal kingdom
This one is for the animal-loving mother in your life. You can bring mom to the Toronto Zoo on Sunday to meet some wild mom’s including Aurora the polar bear, and Ngozi the western lowland gorilla. The Zoo says people can also visit the greater one-horned rhino baby and his mom. The Toronto Zoo is open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Just colour me happy
It will be raining colours at Downsview Park this Saturday for the Colour Me Rad five-kilometre run. Those taking part in the run start off with a clean palate but are doused with colourful powders at each section and as they cross the finish line. At the end of it, everyone emerges as a work of art. The event starts with a Zumba warmup at 8:30 a.m. with the race running 9:30 a.m. to noon. After crossing the finish line, runners will be treated to a dance party.

Raise money to help Camp Ooch
The Toronto Sporting Life 10K for Ooch is back for another year on Sunday. Thousands of runners will be making their way down Yonge Street starting at 7:30 a.m. The route goes from Yonge and Roselawn Avenue, south to Richmond Street, through the Entertainment District, continues South on Peter Street/Blue Jays Way to Front Street, west along Front, south on Bathurst Street, and west on Fort York Boulevard to the finish line. The run raises money for Camp Ooch (Oochigeas) and helps children with and affected by childhood cancer. General registration for the run is now closed, but organizers say you can still enter by purchasing a Camp Ooch charity bib.

Road closures

University of Toronto Science Rendezvous: St. George Street between College and Harbord streets will be closed from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday.

Meagan’s Walk: Elizabeth Street from Elm to Gerrard streets, and Elm Street from the parking garage entrance at the Hospital for Sick Children to Elizabeth Street, will be closed from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Sporting Life 10k: Yonge Street from Lawrence to Eglinton avenues will be closed from 4:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Sunday. The following roads will also be closed between 7:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.:

  • Yonge Street from Eglinton Avenue to Richmond Street
  • Richmond Street from Yonge Street to Peter Street/Blue Jays Way
  • Peter Street/Blue Jays Way between Richmond and Front streets
  • Front Street between Blue Jays Way and Bathurst Street
  • Bathurst Street between Front Street and Fort York Boulevard
  • Fort York Boulevard between Bathurst Street and Fleet streets

 

Drivers can also expect delays on Lake Shore Boulevard at Fort York Boulevard as runners enter Coronation Park.

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