Tag Archives: Toronto special events

TORONTO’S URBANSOURCE CATERING CELEBRATES 32YR ANNIVERSARY TODAY!

I’d like to offer a very special shout-out to my friends Wayne Abell and Calvin Hambrook who, as UrbanSource Catering, have fed-n-watered Toronto’s corporate and private sectors for 32 years….yes, today is their anniversary and I’m thrilled to present them with this virtual celebration!

Starting off on Yonge Street (south of Eglinton), Wayne and Calvin (pictured below L to R) opened their first store in 1985 offering prepared foods, lattes and lots of catering advice.They soon outgrew their quaint shop housed in a terrace of historical buildings, and based on customer demands, they changed the business model from a retail store-come caterers to a full service catering company. The catering biz grew fast so they moved to their current location on Queen Street East which houses a large commercial kitchen and a suite of offices. Several years ago, the space next door became vacant so Calvin and Wayne took that over and launched Urban Gallery, a non-commission independent art gallery that also serves as a great event space for rent. Needless to say, they cater ALL the events in the gallery. Apart from their corporate events, private parties and spectacular wedding soirees, UrbanSource Catering has supported many of Toronto’s philanthropic causes, catering fundraisers, media launches and special events, eg: United Church’s Heart & Vision Awards, Fife House, PRIDE Toronto, plus the annual InsideOut Film Festival.

Bravo and congratulations to Calvin, Wayne and the staff of UrbanSource Catering – you continually deliver the best, on time and on budget!

www.urbancatering.com

TSE INTRODUCES MUZIK EVENT CENTRE’S INTERIOR RENO’S & POOLS WITH SEXY NETWORKING SOIREE

The folks at Toronto Special Events were kind enough to invite me to the industry networking event over at MUZIK ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE in Exhibition Grounds to unveil their multi-million dollar renovations, pool installations and their oh so delicious catering thanks to the tasty Food Dudes. Accompanying me was hairstylist to the stars (and me!) Cathie D of “Cut, Do or Dye” in-home hair services and being kinda silly when we socialize, we spent a great deal of time playing with the Boomerang app on my phone posting silly videos on Instagram. How old am I? LOLThe cavernous interior of Muzik was made very intimate and cosy thanks to some great drapery and huge table displays in the various seating areas (below)….…and the food service was non-stop, both pass around and buffet style. This lovely young lady (below) kept Cathie and me well-fed all night! DJ Tay James spun hot tunes all evening although they stuck him in the dark surrounded by giant potted palms. Trust me, he was cute! And he’s Justin Bieber’s official tour DJ. Wonder if he does weddings & bar mitzvahs, too?We were also treated to lots of lovely cocktails – I played it safe with my usual G&Ts (gin and tonic, for those non-Brits reading this). Think I was on my 3rd round when Cathie snapped this somewhat demented pic…I was thrilled to run into old friend Omar Leslie (below R), a charming young man who was one of my earliest blogging inspirations. He attended with friend Paul (L) who works in Special Events/PR industry.Out back of the giant showroom (formerly the Horticultural Bldg at the CNE) is a series of glamorous terraces and patios including turquoise pools for swimming, paddling or whatever people do in public in pools…oh my!!!! Also scattered around the Muzik terraces are a number of statues (above) that are part of Toronto’s public arts programme.
Back inside, we watched some great promo videos on the giant screens , then Cathie decided I needed “one more for the road” and hit up the bar for another G&T.Big thanks to everyone at Muzik, especially Amy Tomes who gave me the best directions and parking info earlier. Check out the website for their weekly entertainment and corporate events info. www.muzikclubs.com

A redhead and a blonde walk into a bar…..(add your own punchline here!)

WRITER/ARTIST DONNA LYPCHUK OPENS “ART FOR LOUNGES, LOBBIES & LIVING ROOMS” SHOW FOR CONTACT PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVAL

Last night I was thrilled to attend the opening of my dear friend DONNA LYPCHUK‘s show that’s part of this year’s CONTACT Photography Festival taking place at galleries and venues across Toronto throughout the month of May.Hosted in the unique setting of Mrs.Huizengas Antique Emporium @28 Roncesvalles Ave, the 60+ framed and unframed photographic prints feature stunning landscapes, floral portraits and sassy street scenes. The show also includes one of Donna’s most famous shots of a hurricane-like tempest over Toronto back in August of 2015 – this photo went viral over the internet, was published by news outlets across the country and became Instagram’s “Photo of the Day”. It is also the title photo for Donna’s show promotional materials (see bottom of blog).A long-time resident and arts scene contributor of the Queen Street West Bo-ho community, Donna was a weekly columnist (“the necrofile”) for the now-defunct eye Weekly newspaper as well as a published author, playwright and multi-media artist…… and my dear friend since the early 80’s when we both worked at Yuk Yuk’s. Her own sense of humour and whimsy can be seen in a number of her photos, as well as her “darker side”. I particularly liked her charming “Swan” series, esp. the full-colour framed print featured below….Donna greeted all her friends who dropped in to admire her work and support the show, and I watched as several prints were sold, too – congrats, Donna! For those wishing to purchase her work, Donna (below, centre) has priced her photo prints very affordably – you can pick up a great picture for as little as $16 or as much as $160. Donna’s florals attracted a lot of attention – here are two of my faves…. I really liked this one (above) as the trees look like naked bodies dancing thru the flowers!!

I highly recommend checking out these beautiful photos that will hang in Mrs. Huizengas throughout the month of May…and have fun checking out all the kitsch and vintage treasures in this huge antique emporium. For store hours call T: 416-533-2112. Thank you for supporting Canadian artists….especially Donna Lypchuk