The Auto Show Is Not Dying...At Least Not In Toronto

I went to the Canadian International Auto Show (CIAS) this year for the first time since before the pandemic, back in 2019. Before I talk about my experience at the show, I have been hearing a common opinion about the concept of the auto show currently, and that is either the auto show is dying, or the auto show is dead. This could be true from a car media perspective, where car companies prefer to reveal their new cars online to global audiences instead of traditionally revealing their cars at big auto shows such as Detroit or Geneva. This is like video game developers revealing their games directly to consumers through online showcases such as Nintendo Direct or PlayStation's State of Play, effectively killing off the big E3 video game trade show in Los Angeles.

Christmas At Casa Loma...After Christmas

I had the chance to check out what Christmas was like at Casa Loma at their “Christmas at the Castle” event, even though I went to this event the weekend after Christmas. I have not been to Casa Loma since I went to their “Legends of Horror” event back in 2019, and I have not properly explored the castle since around 2011. It was evident to me to many things have changed since I last went inside the castle, but I told myself that I mainly went to Casa Loma to see the Christmas stuff, and I was not too interested in any of the other things in the castle.

I Went To The Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Concert

When I wrote my review of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, I mentioned in that review that the Rebirth soundtrack might be my favourite Final Fantasy soundtrack out of all the Final Fantasy games. I apparently loved it so much that when I found out that the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Orchestra World Tour was coming to Toronto for two shows at Roy Thomson Hall, I managed to snap up a ticket for the second show. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra was going to perform renditions and medleys of many of the hits from the game. I could not wait.

The Royal Canadian International Circus Was Surprisingly Decent

Earlier this summer, I went to go check out a travelling circus show at my local mall, called the Royal Canadian International Circus. Yes, this is going to be another circus show post following my outing with co-workers at Cirque du Soleil last year. I initially was not planning to go to this show, but my mother was pleading and begging me to take her to see the circus, as she has never been to the circus before. I ultimately gave in to her demand and I bought two tickets to see the show.

The F1 Exhibition In Toronto

There has been a renewed casual interest in Formula 1 racing in the last few years. Most of this interest would come from the success of the Netflix show "Drive to Survive", which offers an inside look of the various F1 teams and many of the races on the F1 calendar. "Drive To Survive" does its part to amplify the drama on the track, as well as off the track, despite some accusations from detractors that Netflix and/or the producers of the show artificially manufacture this drama. The success and documentary style of "Drive to Survive" has influenced similar documentaries to show up on Netflix, covering sports such as tennis, golf, and rugby.

Corporate-Mandated Fun at Cirque du Soleil

Last week, I had a work outing at Cirque du Soleil, which is a circus producer of many travelling shows around the world. As of last week, they had their show Kooza playing in Toronto (as of writing this post, Cirque's run of Kooza shows have finished in Toronto) and I always wanted to go see the show, but I could never justify paying $150 for a decent seat. Luckily, because this is a work event, my company covered the Cirque ticket. Also, because this is a work event, I must go socialize with many of my co-workers at the event, which is (for an introvert like me) a complete nightmare. I decided to suck it up, because I do not think there would be a time where I would willingly go to a Cirque du Soleil event.

The Suite Experience At Scotiabank Arena

A couple of weeks ago, I went to see Kevin Hart in concert at Scotiabank Arena, and I was lucky enough to purchase a discounted ticket for a suite. Right off the bat, I want to apologize for the lack of pictures and videos of this experience. As this is a comedy event, video and audio recordings are strictly prohibited. In fact, in order to enter the arena with our tickets, we had to place our electronic devices (smartphones, smart watches, etc.) inside a pouch, which is locked when you enter the arena and unlocked when you exit the arena (you keep the pouch with you).

The Bob Marley One Love Experience

This summer, the Lighthouse Artspace in Toronto was hosting an exhibit dedicated to the life of Bob Marley called the Bob Marley One Love Experience. This exhibit features a collection of various photos and memorabilia for viewing, as well as taking you through the life and music of the late great Bob Marley. Tickets ranged from about $25-$50 depending on when you went and the level of ticket you purchased (whether it is a basic ticket or a VIP ticket).

Feminist Art Fest 2020

Right off the bat, I want to say that I have never been to an event quite like this before. One of my goals for the blog this year is to go to more events in Toronto and the surrounding area. The Feminist Art Festival came up in conversation to go check it out was because a friend of mine was displaying an art piece at the festival. I thought it would be a good idea to go support her and the organizers of this festival by attending, as well as to better understand women's/trans/indigenous issues in the larger society.

WinterFest at Canada's Wonderland: Straight Out Of A Hallmark Christmas Movie

For this year's holiday activity, I went to the first annual 'WinterFest', created and hosted at Canada's Wonderland in the hopes that the popular amusement park would become more of an all-year destination for fun. The Aurora Winter Festival experience last year was disappointing, and I was hoping that WinterFest could help to fulfill my lack of holiday cheer.

Why A Logic Concert Has Me Thinking About My Current Situation

I went to a rap concert not too long ago, where YBN Cordae, J.I.D., and Logic (the headliner) performed on stage. This was my first arena concert and my first concert since university (where I tried to make friends by going to see Metric at a makeshift stage on the university grounds). The concert was entertaining, and the rappers were constantly interacting with the crowd in unique ways. I was particularly impressed with the creation of the lighting effects at the concert.

Legends of Horror At Casa Loma

I had the pleasure of going to Casa Loma to partake in their 'Legends of Horror' event. 'Legends of Horror' is a theatrical experience where you go for a 2 km walk at your own pace through the Casa Loma grounds. Throughout the walk, you experience different sets with its own different scenes involving actors and props that create an unsettling and spooky setting.

2019 Canadian International Auto Show Media Gallery

For all the years that I have been to the Canadian International Auto Show, I do not believe I have actually made a blog post about it. Anyways, I went to the 2019 edition of this auto show, and I can safely tell you that it was just like all the other auto shows of the previous years. That is not to say that there were not any highlights from the show, because there certainly were. I will share these highlights below, as well as some other pictures I took at the event.

The Aurora Winter Festival (Or How I Spent $25 On Instagram Pictures)

This holiday season, I have not had the time to get myself immersed in the holiday spirit. So, when I heard about the Aurora Winter Festival occurring over at Ontario Place (and apparently not in Aurora, Ontario), I thought it would be a great jump-off point for me to experience some holiday cheer and camaraderie with my friends. What I thought would be a whimsical, magical adventure turned out to be an overpriced, low effort dud with few attractions for the steep admission price. Regardless, I will talk about my positives and negatives about this event.

Why Carnival Games Are Not A Waste Of Money

So last weekend, I went to the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) with a few co-workers of mine. It was actually a lot of fun. Went on some rides, played some games, and ate some weird food. While I was there, I came to a realization, which I want to share with you. This realization came about while we were playing some carnival games on the CNE grounds.