FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 27, 2014

BIG ON BLOOR FESTIVAL 2014, TORONTO

Now in its 7th year, BIG ON BLOOR celebrates arts, culture, community & small business with a unique community and city-building festival featuring hundreds of events, activities, and exhibitions.

Saturday, July 19, 1-9pm and Sunday July 20, 12-6pm

Car-free Bloor Street: Dufferin to Lansdowne

Toronto, Ontario

FREE ADMISSION

BIG on Bloor 2013 announces leading events:

- The BIG Market Place: More than 200 arts, crafts, and information tables!

- BAAF: BIG Alternative Art Festival: This year’s BAAF is a feature attraction with participatory cultural events curated by area resident Carla Garnet. The program features a collection of fourteen distinct musical, theatrical and visual art projects presented on stage, paraded along the street, and nested within and during the larger BIG street fair. Presenters include: Andrew Harwood as Madame Zsa Zsa, Andrew Owen A01, Clay & Paper Theatre, David Dacks/MUSIC GALLERY program featuring: Mas Aya and Nhapitapi, Dyan Marie, Emily Gove, Julius Poncelet Manapul and Juliet Manapul, Mammalian Diving Reflex’s Young Mammals, Melanie Lowe,PULP, Pamila Matharu with Boner Kill, Tom Dean with Max Kelly, Jiva MacKay and Yvonne Dean and the sweet grass/jazz posse, Tough Guy Mountain and Veronica Abrenica with Artist Researchers.

- Card-Yard: Recycled materials animated by architecture, art and poetry! Card-Yard will present interactive projects stations by artists, architects, poets and social activists, community organizations to create a participation village specifically for Bloordale’s BIG on Bloor Festival, presented by PULP and Senayah Design.

- Celebrate Here: Main Stage performances! We encourage stage events for originals songs, raps, plays or performances that include references to the local culture/ scene.

- Savour Bloor: Visitors can explore one of the most diverse culinary scenes in the city with festival food stations, street food, patios and more!

- BIG Awards: Community Appreciation! Elected officials will each present awards to 10 outstanding local citizens and the Bloordale BIA will honor our elected politicians and police department with an award of appreciation.

- PlayFair: Games for children and adults! Children’s storytelling, exotic animal menagerie, circus acts and aerial displays, hands on cultural exhibits and instructions, feats of daring at our trampoline display, impress your friends and walk on water with “What A Ball”, and of course bouncy castles, popcorn, face painting and more.

- Bloor Gardens: Official launch of Bloordale’s new and improved street with new

sidewalks, road resurfacing, in-ground trees and a community art project. Also, over 100 stainless steel flowers embedded in Bloordale's sidewalks created from drawings made by local community members.

BIG On Bloor Festival is an initiative of the Bloordale BIA and BIG: Bloor Improvement Group.

Festival Director: Dougal Bichan, dougal@dougalco.com, 416-645-0295

Publicity: Jessica Myers, bigonbloorpublicity@gmail.com

BIG and The Bloordale BIA: Dyan Marie, dyan@dyanmarie.com, 647.973.2349

More information: www.bigonbloorfestival.com

Twitter/ Instagram: @bigonbloorfest

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