Screenshot: Junction Arts Festival 2008: The Historic City: Happy 100th to the Junction, Sept. 6 & 7Credit: junctionARTSfest.com
Media Information – For Immediate Release
Please retain for events listings
The Historic City: A New Zone Celebrating the Junction's Centennial at the 2008 Junction Arts Festival
Happy 100th to the Junction!
Toronto, ON, August 27, 2008 - The Junction Arts Festival (September 3 to 7, 2008 in Toronto), produced by the Junction Forum for Art & Culture, presents a cultural extravaganza like no other and the Historic City is a new area at the 16th annual festival (taking place during the weekend street closure on Saturday, September 6 and Sunday, September 7), which will honour the 100th anniversary of the Junction officially becoming the City of West Toronto by the Province of Ontario in 1908.
Now attracting 150,000 visitors annually, the 2008 Junction Arts Festival, which practices reducing, reusing and recycling throughout the entire festival location, is set to throw the largest party of the Junction's centennial year as the area remembers its significant history and looks forward to the future.
The Historic City, located at High Park Avenue and Dundas Street West (Saturday, 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., and Sunday, 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.), will feature fun events for the entire family and will present live stage performances including Boom Times Cabaret - Heart of the Junction Talk Show (with local actor/historian Neil Ross as Junction journalist A. B. Rice) and guitar and banjo duo Doin' Time, plus West Toronto Junction Historical Society walking tours, archival photo exhibits, turn-of-the-century children's games, photo opportunities in period costume, vintage fire and police vehicles and the Toronto Aerial Dance Company will present "Century"; a performance art piece.
Councillor Bill Saundercook (Ward 13, City of Toronto) and JFAC Chair states, "The Junction has an incredible past, which has had an undeniable influence on the area's vibrant present. It has been the Junction Forum for Art & Culture's (JFAC) honour to have presented the year long centennial celebrations in the Junction, on behalf of the Junction BIA and all of its residents."
West Toronto Junction Historical Society centennial committee chair Neil Ross states, "The Historic City is a true merging of story and place. The new zone is situated beside the old Avenue Hotel and behind is the track of the old Carlton Race Course (location of the first Queen's Plate). It is an interactive, informative musical comic dialogue, which may give us a rollicking insight into the Junction's future."
On the Historic City stage (September 6 and 7 at 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.), the Boom Times Cabaret - Heart of the Junction Talk Show will take to the stage for six performances with host Neil Ross as Junction journalist A. B. Rice, Samantha Martin as Dr. Minerva Reid (the first lady of medicine) and the Boom Times Band. Their guests are a cavalcade of historical, contemporary and musical originals.
The Cabaret audience will be up close and personal with the 'Legends of the Junction'; the conmen, lawmen, musicians, politicians and scribes who built "Junction City" will come alive. Discover the Junction's railway roots; sample its breathtaking diversity of culture and character in a monologue, interviews, sketch and song.
Doin' Time (also on the Historic City stage on Saturday, September 6 only, at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.), featuring "Five Fingers Pete" and "Ramblin' Reg" now crisscross the country on their musical road to redemption atoning for passed indiscretions by singin' and playin' rather than coning and cheating.
The West Toronto Junction Historical Society (WTJHS) will invite visitors to experience "Junction City" through the eyes of the men and women who built it. The Society will present the 'Legends of the Junction Walking Tours', which will leave from the WTJHS booth at the Historic City (Saturday, September 6 at 11:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, September 7 at 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.) and proceed back in time to rendezvous with historical characters enroute, who will give participants a first hand account of their lives and times in the thriving railway town.
The Toronto Aerial Dance Company is extremely proud to be presenting "Century"; a performance art piece retelling the story of the Junction Triangle in Toronto (Sunday, September 7 only, at 1:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.) at the Historic City area.
Inspiring aerial choreography is woven with innovative modern dance, to a back drop of projected images and original visual arts depicting the region. "Century" will retrace the steps of three transformative eras: The ongoing consolidation of an integrated community, the expansion of urbanization and finally, the first sparks of industry.
A live visual artist will paint onstage, creating improvisational pieces in response to each era, representing the ongoing history, growth and diversity of the area. Recorded music will be accompanied by live instrumentation.
For more Historic City information go to,
www.junctionartsfest.com/2008/sites/historiccity/.
Also, join current and former Junction residents at the 'Junction Homecoming'; a celebratory picnic marking the Junction centennial (Saturday, September 6 in Vine Avenue Park, 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.)
If anyone has ever lived or worked in the Junction they will be able to re-connect, meet celebrities, political figures, historians and make new friends, and visitors of the Homecoming can bring their Junction stories and be eligible to win great prizes, generously donated by local businesses, or can send their stories ahead of time to junctionhomecoming@yahoo.com or call 416 767-9068.
For more 'Junction Homecoming' information go to,
www.junctionartsfest.com/2008/sites/homecoming/.
The 2008 Junction Arts Festival will take place along Dundas St. West between Keele St. and Quebec Ave., and will feature free fun and creativity in eight distinct categories; the Visual Art Exhibitions (starting Wednesday, Sept. 3), the Movieola Movie Night (Thursday, Sept. 4), the outdoor Live Music Stages (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) and the Dance/Street Performance Artists, the Poetry Peepshow, the KIDZONE, the Green Village, and the Historic City (during the weekend on Saturday, Sept. 6 and Sunday, Sept. 7).
PLEASE NOTE: For more details and updated schedules of all events please visit regularly at www.junctionartsfest.com.
The 2008 Junction Arts Festival will be supported by title sponsor the Junction Business Improvement Area, and Department of Canadian Heritage Anniversary program, Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, Toronto Arts Council, NOW Magazine and The Villager.
The Junction Forum for Art and Culture (JFAC) is an arts presenting organization whose main project is the annual Junction Arts Festival. JFAC was incorporated as a non-profit group in February 2004. The people who make up the Board of Directors of the Junction Forum for Art and Culture are dedicated cultural producers, artists, residents, business owners and politicians all of whom are connected in some way to the Junction.
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For media information and interviews please contact:
Laurie Lockhart,
Publicist
2008 Junction Arts Festival
Tel: 416-988-2530
Email: gtmessage@sympatico.ca
Web: www.junctionartsfest.com
For general information please contact:
Junction Forum for Art & Culture,
2008 Junction Arts Festival
Tel: 416-767-5036
Email: junctionartsfest@bellnet.ca
Web: www.junctionartsfest.com
Councillor Bill Saundercook (Ward 13, City of Toronto), JFAC Chair
links:
Press Release: David Usher Headlines the 2008 Junction Arts Festival
Press-Release: Visual Art Ignites the 2008 Junction Arts Festival
Press-Release: Live Stages Rock for Three Days at 2008 Junction Arts Festival
Press-Release: The 2008 Green Village is Home Green Home at Junction Arts Festival
Press Release: The Historic City: A New Zone Celebrating the Junction's Centennial at the 2008 Junction Arts Festival
Junction Homecoming: Invitation to Centennial Bash
martinflowers.com: Boom Time Cabaret: "The Boom Times Cabaret merges arts and heritage, making legends of the Junction's past come to life. The Cabaret will be performed on the "Historical Stage" during the 16th Annual Junction Arts Festival on September 6 and 7, 2008. Come and see historical characters like D.W. Clendenan, A.B. Rice and Minerva Reid as they share stories and songs based on the Junction's colourful past.
There will be two Martin ladies and one Martin gentleman taking part in one performance. The young ladies will be dressed in floral gowns. Stacey will wear an interpretation of an 1890's dress, and Chloe will model a 2008 creation. Julian will be taking part in the Cabaret, playing the role of his great-grandfather, Alfred Martin."
virginradio999.com: Events: 2008 Junction Arts
torontolife.com: Arts & Entertainment Guide: Junction Arts Festival
"To help celebrate the Junction’s 100th anniversary, organizers have invited 10 groups from across Canada and the United States to form the dance component of this annual performance and visual arts festival. With last year’s demise of the Fringe Festival of Independent Dance Artists, the Junction’s party is now the only wildly diverse showcase for dance in Toronto."—Paula Citron
When: Sep. 3/08 - Sep. 7/08
Free Event
Location: The Junction: from Keele St. to Quebec Ave
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1 comment:
Interesting link:
Urban Planner: August 30, 2008
THEATRE: Members of the West Junction Historical Society will be giving riders of the TTC's Junction 40 bus route a slightly less boring trip this weekend. From 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., historical actors who work for the Legend of the Junction Walking Tours will be dressed in period costumes to recount tales of the Junction's history. The event is a precursor to next weekend's Junction Arts Festival. Junction 40 Bus Route, 12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m., FREE (with TTC fare).
Credit:torontoist.com: by Robin Hatch in Events
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