As our regular CityNews.ca series continues, we look at events happening in Toronto for a variety of ages and interests.
March 12-16, 2012
1. Take a guided walk, sample sap and hop on a horse-drawn wagon at the Sugarbush Maple Syrup Festival north of the city. Kortright Centre, 9550 Pine Valley Dr., Woodbridge, or Bruce’s Mill Conservation Area, 3291 Stouffville Rd., Stouffville. March 10-18, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. $9 adults; $6.50 students/seniors; kids under 5 free. maplesyrupfest.com
2. Kids can make plantable paper, add to a community mural or watch everything from Happy Feet to Microcosmos at an eco-themed film festival at Evergreen Brick Works. 550 Bayview Ave. March 12-16, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. (crafts); 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m. (film festival). $5 suggested donation. ebw.evergreen.ca
3. The ROM’s March Break program has something for everyone. Workshops teach children how to build a Mayan pyramid and make First Nations-inspired beaded jewelry, and a live animal show captivates with wildcats, bald eagles and lemurs. Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen’s Park. March 10-18. $20 adults; $13 children; $16 students/seniors. rom.on.ca
4. Free ballet in the light-filled atrium of the city’s opera house — this event is sure to be packed. Ballet Jörgen presents Ballet Express!, part of the Canadian Opera Company’s free concert series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre. Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. March 14, 12 p.m.-1 p.m. coc.ca
5. The story of one of the most heartbreaking casualties of the Holocaust lives on in The Diary of Anne Frank, a production by the Shakespeare in Action theatre company. Al Green Theatre, Miles Nadal JCC, 750 Spadina Ave. March 15-18. $25 adults; $18 students/seniors. shakespeareinaction.org
6. Celebrate Charles Dickens’ bicentenary by taking a guided walk to places where the literary giant ate and slept while visiting Toronto in 1842. St. Lawrence Market, 93 Front St. E. March 10, 3 p.m.-5:30 p.m. $25 adults; $18 students/seniors; $15 children savouringthoughts.blogspot.com
7. Learn about bats, talk to zookeepers and meet a ridiculously cute polar bear cub at the Toronto Zoo. 361A Old Finch Ave. March 10-18. torontozoo.com
8. There will be floats; there will be leprechauns; and, yes, there will be green at the city’s 25th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Bloor and St. George streets. March 11, 12 p.m. Free. topatrick.com
9. For those who couldn’t head south for March Break, there’s Carifest — an evening of Caribbean food, comedy, dance and music, including calypso artist The Mighty Sparrow, with proceeds going to charity. March 16, 6:30 p.m. $40-$50 (including buffet dinner); kids under 6 free. torontocarifest.com
10. The Ex is still months away, but for kids who love rides, live entertainment or reptiles, the Spring Fling — the country’s largest indoor carnival — runs all week at the Rogers Centre. 1 Blue Jays Way. March 10-16, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. All-day pass $20. rogerscentre.com
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