Play On and Play Encore Programs at Stratford Festival

Since I've done a post on Shaw Festival, it's only fair that I follow up with one on Stratford. The 2006 season for Stratford Festival closes on November 12th, and there are some great savings available for the 18-34 crowd. Stratford has two special discount programs. Play On offers $20 tickets for people ages 18-29. Play Encore offers tickets up to 50% off for ages 30-34.

To take advantage of this program, you have to register online and pick up your membership card at a participating Bank of Montreal location. Membership is free.

The $20 discount tickets for Play On are available for specific showtimes only, and applicable performances will be shown online approximately two weeks in advance. One of the good things about these discount programs is that each member can buy two tickets, so that means you can bring someone else along of any age and still get the discounted ticket price.

Read more about the Play On and Play Encore discount tickets or buy tickets at the Stratford Festival site.

Categories: Theatre, Cheap, Tickets, Day-Trips, Culture

$30 Under 30 Tickets at Shaw Festival

The 2006 season at Shaw Festival is slowly winding down to a close and the Fall colours are still vibrant, so now is the perfect time to head out on a day trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake. The season runs through to November 19th, so there are still lots of opportunities to see some of the best theatre in the area.

Here are the plays that are still available: The Invisible Man, High Society, Arms and The Man, and Design for Living.

One of my favourite things about Shaw is that they have deals for people under the age of 30. None of this stuff where only students and seniors get a break. Shaw has a $30 under 30 program where you can get tickets to basically any show for $30, and that even includes evening and weekend performances. The only exception is you can't get A+ seating, which seems more than fair to me.

Buy Shaw tickets online here.

To round out your day trip, you may want to visit some of the many wineries in the area. Most are open for tours and tastings year-round, but you can confirm hours and tour times here.

Categories: Day-trips, Theatre, Culture, Cheap, Tickets

Harvest Family Fun Day at Don Valley Brick Works

This Saturday, October 14th has been deemed Harvest Family Fun Day at The Don Valley Brick Works.

There will be all sorts of great family activities including sculpture creation with Evergreen and The Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art, nature programs with the Toronto Wildlife Centre and the Toronto Zoo, and yummy food and drinks from Merchants of Green Coffee and Hearty Catering.

The event runs from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and will feature live music from Brokenjoe. Get there early, because the first 100 visitors will get free pumpkins to carve and fresh apple cider.

The greatest thing is this event is free, free, free. You can even catch a free Hybrid Electric shuttlebus from Broadview Station every half hour between 10:45 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. The Brick Works is located at 550 Bayview Avenue, south of Pottery Road and north of Bloor.

For more information visit the Evergreen event profile.

Categories: Free, Toronto, Outdoors, Events, Daytrips, Parks

Do Something With a Blundstone at Steam Whistle Brewing

Steam Whistle Brewing in Toronto is hosting the 3rd annual 'Do Something with a Blundstone' charity fundraiser this Friday, October 13th.

Here's the basic concept: various Canadian artists and celebrities exhibit their artistic talent on a pair of boots. That's right, boots. Fifty pairs of Blundstone boots will be on display in all their artistic glory. They'll be painted, sculpted, welded, and pretty much anything else you can think of, and then they'll be auctioned off in silent and live auctions. Live entertainment will be provided by DJ Gramera.

This year boots will be created by Sarah Harmer, Hawksley Workman, and Joel Plaskett to name just a few.

So come down to the Steam Whistle Brewery on Friday night to support a good cause, enjoy some great entertainment, eat some Australian food, drink some Australian wine, and perhaps even head home with a unique piece of Canadian art.

The event is being held in the Steam Whistle Brewery Roundhouse at 255 Bremner Boulevard from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., and tickets can be purchased for $15. Children under 12 are free. All proceeds go to support SKETCH, an organization supporting working arts for homeless youth in Canada.

For tickets and more information, check out the Australian Boot Company or Sketch.

Categories: Cheap, Toronto, Art, Tourism, Events

Cheap Toronto Theatre Tickets at T.O. Tix

For a long time I felt that theatre was relatively inaccessible to those of us without a lot of money to lay down for tickets. It seemed you had to be a student to find any affordable theatre tickets in Toronto. Then I came across T.O. Tix, a discount tickets hub that emulates the 50% off booths in Broadway meccas like London and New York.

T.O. Tix started off as a small booth at Yonge-Dundas Square in downtown Toronto, then progressed to a web site that listed available shows and prices, and now you can actually buy the tickets online. T.O. Tix is an excellent source for significantly discounted theatre tickets for all the great shows in Toronto.

Some shows currently listed on T.O. Tix include:
Tiny Dynamite by Abi Morgan, Tarragon Theatre, $10
Here Lies Henry by Daniel MacIvor and Daniel Brooks, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, $15
Baby With The Bathwater by Christopher Durang, Alumnae Theatre, $9
I Am Not A Dinner Mint by Trey Anthony, Diesel Playhouse, $16

Tickets for Yuk Yuk's, Comedy Resort, and Second City are always available, prices range from $7.50-$15.

Various 5-Star Experience packages are available that give you the choice of various plays at different theatres across the city for a low flat rate.

Visit TOtix.ca to get your cheap tickets.

Categories: Toronto, Cheap, Theatre, Tickets, Tourism, Culture

Free Fitness at the Running Room

Maybe you can't afford a gym membership, or maybe you're just plain bored of running on the treadmill. Maybe you're just dying to run free in the great outdoors of Toronto but need some motivation or a fitness buddy. Well, the Running Room and Walking Room clubs may be just what you're looking for to get your free fitness fix.

The Running Room has started up a fitness club where anyone interested is invited to meet up at a Running Room or Walking Room retail location to go out for a practice run/walk. The clubs meet on Wednesday nights at 6:00 or 6:30 p.m. and Sunday morning at 8:30 a.m. You'll be paired up with others that are working out at your fitness level and a pace group leader will help you along the way. The different groups include Fitness Walking, Walk/Run, Beginner, Beginner+, Intermediate, and Advanced.

So register online and come out to meet some new friends and reach your fitness goals. Added benefits of membership include an online training log and weekly newsletter. Check out the Running Room site for locations across Toronto.

Categories: Free, Fitness, Toronto, Outdoors, Clubs

Fall Colours at Forks of the Credit

Summer is officially over. It's a fact we all try to deny as long as we can, stubbornly stepping out in our t-shirts and refusing to pull out the wooly sweaters until we're absolutely forced to. The best way to officially kick a bout of summer-itis is to jump head first into the best that fall has to offer. The leaves are changing colours and the window of opportunity is small, so now is the time to plan a day-trip to check out the fall colours.

One of the best spots for this is the Niagara Escarpment, and my favourite area to take a little drive is Forks of the Credit. This area is part of the Niagara Parks System and the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Reserve. It's under an hour's drive from the city, about 24 km northwest of Brampton. The Forks of the Credit offers amazing views of the escarpment, Cataract Falls, and the Credit River valley. It also affords some of the best hiking in the area along the Bruce Trail and the Elora-Cataract Trailway.

Pack a picnic basket and head into the Forks of the Credit or Belfountain park areas and you'll be set for the day.

Check out Toronto Hiking for a suggested hike route and maps.

The Niagara Escarpment site offers some great driving tour routes.

Categories: Day-trips, Hiking, Outdoors, Parks, Tourism, Free