Charity events, Khalsa parade, documentary festival and free pie this weekend

By Samantha Knight and Patricia D'Cunha

There is always room for pie, especially when it is free. That’s one of the things to look forward to this weekend, as well as charity and fundraising events, obstacle courses, a colourful and high-energy parade, a documentary festival, and Toronto Blue Jays home games.

As you make your weekend plans, keep in mind a portion of Line 1 (Yonge-University-Spadina) will be closed for TTC work.


Events

Hot Docs
Learn about the world around you at the annual Hot Docs International Documentary Festival. The festival, which starts Thursday and runs until May 7, features 230 films from countries around the world. The opening night film is “Bee Nation,” which is about Canada’s first-ever province-wide First Nation Spelling Bee. It was held in Saskatchewan last year.

Charity walk for Sick Kids
Run or walk in support of the Hospital for Sick Children this Sunday. The CF 1K Kids Run starts at 9:30 a.m. and the CF 5K Run/Walk is at 10 a.m. Both start and end at the Shops at Don Mills. The 1K is held on the grounds of the mall, while most of the 5K takes place on the Leaside Spur Trail. The eastbound curb lane of Lawrence Avenue will be closed in the area for the 5K.

Khalsa Day parade
Road closures will be in effect for Sunday’s parade. The parade starts at 1 p.m. at Exhibition Place, heads south on Ontario Street, east on Lake Shore Boulevard West, north on York Street, north on University Avenue, east of Armoury Street and south to Nathan Phillips Square, where it ends at 3:30 p.m.

The westbound lanes of Lake Shore will be closed during the parade, as well as the northbound lanes of York and University. Drivers and TTC riders can expect delays in the area.

 

Ahead of the parade, a celebration will be held at the Better Living Centre and afterward, the festivities will continue across City Hall. Anyone attending the festivities is asked to make a donation in support of the Hospital for Sick Children.

Hugh’s Room Live Gala Concert and Fundraiser
One week after its opening, Hugh’s Room Live is hosting a gala concert and fundraiser. The show is at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday and features a diverse lineup of artists who have all appeared on the former Hugh’s Room stage. Tickets are $50 in advance and $60 at the door. The club has raised more than $100,000 since launching its fundraising campaign. Once it’s fully operational, the venue plans on organizing a membership system.

Free Pie Day
Enjoy some free pie at North Shore Pie Co. this Saturday. To celebrate the opening of their new location in Roncesvalles, the pie shop is giving out free mini pies. Guests can stop by from 10:30 to 4 p.m.

Balanse Bum Run
Lace up your sneakers for the Balanse Bum Run this Sunday. The run is in its sixth year and includes a 5K walk/run to raise awareness of colorectal cancer. The run kicks off from Queen’s Park Circle at 8 a.m., runners will then travel along College Street, Spadina, Bloor and Bay Street. There’s also a separate 1K walk/run for “Little Bums” starting at 7:40 a.m.

Queen’s Park Crescent East and Queen’s Park Crescent West, between College Street and Bloor Street West, will be closed from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. TTC buses on Avenue Road and Wellesley Street will be on diversion.

#LetsRise: Blue Jays at home
The Toronto Blue Jays are back at home for a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays starting on Friday. The game on Friday is at 7:07 p.m. while the weekend games are at 1:07 p.m.

If you are going to the game on Sunday, the first 20,000 fans on entrance will receive a Marcus Stroman Blue Replica Jersey. Not going to the games? No problem. You can watch them on Sportsnet.

Concrete Rush obstacle course
Concrete Rush will be taking over Nathan Philips Square this weekend. The two-kilometre course features 15 challenging obstacles from a number of Canada’s Top Obstacle Series. Participants can choose between the Elite Rusher hearts, where speed and obstacle completion are paramount, or the Regular Rusher heats, where you decide the obstacles you complete. Wave times run from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Friday, and 9:40 to 11:50 a.m. and 12:15 to 2:50 p.m. on Saturday.

TTC closure

Partial Line 1 shutdown
Start planning your alternate route now: there’s a subway closure on Line 1 this weekend. There will be no service between Downsview and St. George stations for signal upgrades.

On-street construction means shuttle buses will only operate between Downsview and Lawrence West stations during the closure. TTC riders are asked to use east-west bus/streetcar routes for the Yonge portion of line one or the north-south bus routes for line two. Regular subway service will resume Monday morning.

With files from The Canadian Press

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