[Event] Toronto Festival of Beer 2013

Last weekend I had the pleasure of once again attending the Toronto Festival of Beer (@TOBeerFestival). Despite it being the 19th annual TFOB, this would only be my second time in attendance. And with all the lessons I managed to learn from my first beer festival visit last year (see here), I think it's safe to say I was able to enjoy it this time around even more!

The Preparation

First order of business was to (a) buy tokens (no tokens, no beer!) and (b) to hang out a bit in the media lounge. It's a nice refuge from all the walking and standing around, and it also doesn't hurt that there are an endless supply of Neal Brothers (@NealBrothers) chips and LOL Candy trees (@LOLcandyco)to snack off of! :)

Official Beer Festival Currency

[Events] Oktoberfest at Steam Whistle Breweries

So now that it is October, it’s only fitting that I do a little post on Oktoberfest, right? Right. But make no mistake, despite it commonly celebrated over Thanksgiving weekend, Oktoberfest actually starts in September, and lasts a total of 16 days. The very first Oktoberfest took place in 1810 in Munich Germany, and was to commemorate the marriage of a German King Ludwig to his bride Therese. 200 years later, this festival of beer is still celebrated by 5 million people all over globe. A ceremonial 12 gun salute and official tapping of the first keg marks the beginning of the 2 week long festival.

This year Oktoberfest began on the 22nd of September, and so last week I decided to join in on the festivities by attending Steam Whistle’s (@SteamWhistle)annual Oktoberfest celebration. Complete with a celebratory first keg tap, traditional German fare, and lots (and I mean LOTS) of beer, I just couldn’t resist going!

I made a trip out to downtown where the Steam Whistle brewery is.

Steam Whistle Brewery

[Event] The 2012 Toronto Festival of Beer

Just over a week ago, I had the pleasure of attending the 18th annual Toronto Festival of Beer at Bandshell Park. Being Canada's largest beer festival, it was definitely an overwhelming feat for this newbie! Each year the festival brings together hundreds of beer exhibitors and pavilions showcasing everything beer related. From cigars to food, hot girls to zoo animals. So much to see, do and soak in all at once! It was definitely a good time, but I wish someone would have told me how to tackle it strategically to make the most of my day. So here it is, Mary's guide to The Toronto Festival of Beer.

There really aren't too many words to describe this event aside from being one collosal beer party!

1) Equip yourself!

Photo by: Yvonne
So the first thing you do when you enter is buy tokens. These are the golden universal currency of the festival, as it is the only currency vendors will accept. Sold at $1 each in packs of 20, make sure you stock up on these. You don't want to get caught running of them!

[Toronto] Food at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE)

Review Location:
210 Princes' Boulevard
Toronto, Ontario






If you've never been to CNE (or what is commonly referred to as The Ex) then your definitely missing out. Each year, this 18 day exhibition attracts thousands of people with its carnival games, food stands, fair rides, casino, animal shows, shopping, and much more. Obviously as a huge foodie, every year I only remember CNE by the countless hours roaming the food building and food carts. This year was no exception. Infact, this year I went with @misswu23 as well as a bunch of other girls, and went on an all fried food frenzy. Believe it or not, for the entire day I did not eat a single thing that was unfried. What a disgustingly amazing day. 

Ottawa Tulip Festival

Location Review:
35 O'Connor Street
Ottawa, Ontario
(Near Parliment Hill)





So this weekend I headed to Ottawa to spend the big Victoria day weekend, and aside from doing lots of sight seeing, I also did alot of eating! in fact I probably did more eating than sight seeing. I contemplated doing an entry similar to the Toronto eating tour one, but realized it would be too much for one post. So I'll try to break it down by day, or as logical as possible.

One of the biggest reasons people come to ottawa for the May 2-4 weekend, is to attend the Tulip festival. During this weekend, the park displays over 50 types of tulips spanned over several large parks. This festival commemorates the bond that is shared between (what was then known as) Holland and Canada. Back in the second world war,