The year in festivals kicked off in January with a dance festival called Connect TO at Lower Ossington Theatre, which is a prime festival location.

The music festival season began with the Canadian Music Festival in March. Musicians and bands performed at local venues including The Painted Lady, The Garrison and The Dakota Tavern.  Juno Fest also hit Toronto, and Ossington, in March, with Canadian musicians featured at The Garrison and The Dakota Tavern.

The music came back with the return of NXNE in June, and we saw some amazing shows right here in Ossington Village. This July, the Painted Lady created a new festival to coincide with the Toronto Jazz and Fringe Festivals. Maybe next year, we’ll see more venues join the fun.

The Contact Photography Festival covered art galleries for the entire month of May, and didn’t miss Ossington, with exhibits at The Painted Lady, Angell Gallery, Brockton General and Levack Block.

Jane’s Walks, which take place all over the globe on a May weekend, were also led in our neighborhood. Maybe next year you’ll see an Ossington Village Jane’s Walk instead of “the Hipster’s Guide to Ossington!”

Summerworks returned in August, bringing music and theatre to Lower Ossington Theatre and other local venues. The hugely popular Havana Cultura returned for it’s second year in August, with Cuban music, art and food on offer at almost every spot on the street. Who can forget the cigar roller surrounded by scantily clad women? Another returning event was Queen West Music Fest, which celebrated it’s third year this summer in Trinity Bellwoods Park.

Some was sipped, and some was likely chugged, but either way, Toronto Beer Week also returned to Ossington in 2011, with tastings and pairings at local restaurants and bars. Ossington also saw the return of TO Sketch Fest, with lots of comedic troupes taking to the stage at LOT this past November.

Bohmer Restaurant is holding a Speakeasy New Year’s Eve, with a 5 course tasting menu with a glass of bubbly, for $75 pp.

At this year’s Dakota Tavern New Year’s party, CATL will have everyone dancing with a show starting at 10PM.

The Painted Lady sticks to what it does best, with music by Salazar and burlesque from Anastasia Burlesque.

The Ossington is planning an 80s boogie funk New Year with “Love Handle NYE Edition” with DJs starting at 10PM.

Opera Bob’s is hosting their 3rd Annual New Year’s Eve-Stravaganza, with live music from The Unknown Culprits and guests. Admission is $20 but go buy tickets in advance as they sold out well before the big night last year.

The Garrison‘s Annual New Year’s Eve party features Chronologic and Shit la Merde and tickets are available at Soundscapes and Rotate This for $20.

Lower Ossington Theatre‘s new event space, LOT, is hosting a New Year’s party for $10 with dancing all night. Tickets on sale now and the party starts at 10p.

UPDATE: Fishbar has announced their dinner menu for New Year’s (scroll down) and for $55 pp they are offering a 4 course meal, drinks not included.

People will be dancing at Levack Block. Featuring DJ Dougie Boom in the backroom with special guests in the front. Entry is $20 in advance, $30 at the door, plus there’s a $40 VIP wristband = entry to second floor & champagne toast at midnite. Doors open @ 10pm, serving till 3AM.
Tickets available at the bar from Thursday to Saturday from 5pm or through PayPal via levackblock@yahoo.com

We’ll keep updating this post as we learn of more happenings in the neighborhood.

The sneak preview happened today at Reposado where they showcased some of the talent – from musicians to cigar rollers. They also allowed us to taste some authentic Cuban food and drink, including a new rum they are launching this year during the festival,  Havana Club Selección de Maestros.

Some of the highlights of this year’s event include a Rumba party at The Ossington on Friday August 19th with IYÁ IRÉ Dance Company, and the Latinada Band from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Also on Friday, local Latin artists Son Aché will be performing upbeat Latin dance music at Watusi.

On Saturday afternoon, you can take a master class in rum drinks and the origins of Cuban rum, the secrets of rum production and learn how to mix a few classic Cuban cocktails at a special Havana Club Master Class at LeVack Block from 2 to 3pm. Even the Lower Ossington Theatre is involved with some Cuban films including “Eso Que Anda” and “Lisanka”.

And once again the wall of Levack Block will be painted during the festival by local grafitti artist Angel Carrillo.

The festival is a great fit for Ossington, taking great advantage of the diversity of businesses and individuals in the neighbourhood. Keep an eye on our calendar for a full line-up of events as the date approaches.

Thursday

Among a few other bands we saw on Thursday, a highlight was Paper Thick Walls, a 5 piece band from Chicago which played at the Painted Lady.

Friday

Early on Friday night we again stopped by and saw Haunted Hearts, from Charlottown, PEI.

Saturday
Through the magic of Twitter, we managed to catch a secret Stars show down at Edward Day Gallery near the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art at 12:30pm on Saturday. With an audience of just over 100 people, (most NXNEers still aren’t awake at this early hour) it was an intimate setting to see such a great band.

Opening for the show was Chad VanGaalan, who later played at The Great Hall.

Then Stars rocked the afternoon:

We then moved over to Reposado, who held an impromptu, rogue NXNE show with Chains of Love, Hot Kid and Modern Superstitions, generously sponsored by Steamwhistle and Rdio in the north lounge of the bar. The heat in the room was offset by free ice cream offered by the sponsors.

After some recovery we strolled over to the Dakota Tavern for great sets from Chris Velan, Bellewoods, and Portland, Oregon’s Horse Feathers.

Sunday

On Sunday we wandered over to Trinity Bellwoods Park to watch a NXNE showcase played out among the trees in the park.

NXNE is over for 2011. What were your highlights?

As in previous years, the organizers of NXNE haven’t mastered good web servers or set-ups, so it’s difficult to search the schedule right now, but I recommend looking by date and venue, then you can see who’s playing at each venue on each day. When NXNE launches, you’ll be able to get a program and printed schedules in the free weeklies.

As more music venues pop up in our neighborhood, so do more opportunities for us to see NXNE acts. Remember to check our calendar for these and all event listings!

For those of you who haven’t experienced NXNE before, here are a few notes and tips:

• * Shows start on time. The band scheduled to play at 8PM will most likely be off stage by 8:50PM and the next artist will start playing at 9PM. Stick to the schedule, because the bands and venues will.
• * Wear comfortable shoes
• * If there is a band or artist you really want to see, get to that venue as early as you possibly can. For more well-known and/or smaller venues (ie, the Dakota Tavern) and for well known or hyped bands, there will be a line-up and you might not get in
• * Have a back-up plan.  You may not get in to see your first choice

Anyway, on to the shows! As always, The Dakota Tavern is open every night with full sets of performers: Wednesday from 9PM – 2AM, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 8PM – 3AM. Horse Feathers out of Portland, ORE, plays Saturday at 11PM.

The Garrison, at 1197 Dundas, has shows Wednesday 9P-2A, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 9P-3A, and Sunday night 10P-12A. Performers include Canada’s own Handsome Furs Saturday night at 1AM as part of the You Look Death.ly showcase

There are NXNE shows at The Painted Lady Wednesday-Friday 8P-2A, and Saturday til 3A.

Trinity Bellwoods Park is even a venue for several afternoons, so let’s hope it doesn’t rain! Called the Live in Bellwoods series, the concerts run every day starting Thursday, June 16 from 2p-5p, with stripped down acoustic sets every half hour. The shows are happening just west and north of the kids park (D5, D6 of the map). These shows are free, so bring a blanket and a picnic and listen to some tunes in the park.

Other relatively close venues include The Great Hall, The Mod Club on College, and the Drake and Gladstone Hotels. As usual, there will be free concerts at Dundas Square, including Men Without Hats and Stars this year.

The festival runs the entire month of May with the theme “Figure & Ground” and features traditional exhibits in galleries and restaurants, and also a number of public installations and open exhibits.

The full calendar is available online, and there’s even a mobile app. We, of course, want to highlight some exhibits and events in and around Ossington Village.

On Sunday, May 1 between 6 and 9PM, head over to The Painted Lady for the opening of owner Nikki Potter’s exhibit, States of Undress: The Big Easy. The walls will be filled with her work for the entirety of May.

At the same time, 6-9PM Sunday May 1, Brockton General will host an opening for Ian Brewster‘s Cover of Night.

From 6-9PM this Thursday night, Angell Gallery launches two Contact exhibits, including Long Divisions by Geoffrey Pugen.

Also that night from 7-11PM at Levack Block is the opening for Pigeons and Powerlines by Mark Binks.

If you can’t make it out for the openings, these exhibits should be up all of May. Also, check out the Contact displays at Alison Milne Gallery.

There will be lots to see and experience this May with the Scotiabank Photography Festival. For more recommendations in other parts of the city, try these sites. It’s a city-wide event with a lot of variety, so go explore yourself!

With big names like Melissa Etheridge and Janet Jackson, and a Big Sugar reunion, the CMF is a industry event. But it’s not all name brand entertainment – you will also be able to hear some new and undiscovered, or just barely discovered, talent too, especially in the local vicinity.

I browsed briefly through the schedule, and, as of now, The Painted Lady offers 2 nights of CMW music, The Garrison 4 nights, including a Manitoba music showcase, and the Dakota offers 4 nights of a “Factor Breakthrough Series” headlined twice by The Schomberg Fair.

Other spots in our extended neighborhood also featuring CMF bands include The Great Hall, The Mod Club and The Gladstone. Dates are Wednesday, March 9 – Sunday, March 13. You can buy wristbands to access most shows, or individual tickets are also available.

Bunda Lounge, for one, is hosting a special night on Saturday, February 12, with DJs, bottle service and appetizers.

On the dining side, Delux Restaurant is hosting a prix fixe menu on Monday, February 14. Salt Restaurant is also offering a prix fixe menu – you can check it out online. We also called Beau Lieu Bistro, and this lovely French boite is also doing a set menu, so call now for reservations!

Paramour is also doing a special Monday opening for Valentine’s Day and will offer their regular menu and some specials, including a special cocktail menu. They are offering an early and a late seating.

Union Restaurant tweeted that they will be open for Valentine’s Day and we are waiting to see what the menu will be.

Bohmer is still working on their set menu, but rest assured, will be open. Reposado is planning some special Valentine’s “oysters, Cava and crooning,” according to their website.

If you don’t want a fancy dinner but want to throw down and have some fun with your S.O. or some friends, there are some good choices for you too! Head on over to The Painted Lady for Big Rude Jake hosting the weekly Open Mic Night. The Rattlesnake Choir will be playing at The Dakota.

And, if your Valentine’s night doesn’t turn out like you plan, check out the fun and original night planned at XPace Cultural Centre on Feb 18! Called “Heartbeats,” it’s a new, live interactive dating show. They are even looking for contestants!

These are the 10 most popular posts by site traffic over 2010.

1. Beau Lieu Bistro is now open. – This is one of the unsung stars of Ossington. A low-key French bistro, with really nice food, a good ambiance, and a staff that cares. So we are happy that, at least on our blog, they are getting the attention they deserve

2. Dinner at Salt Wine Bar. – Before this place had a license they were operating on catering certificates. We went over and tried the food and were very impressed. Soon after  we ate there they were closed for almost two months. Reader were curious on what to expect when they finally got a chance to taste the food.

3. Ward 19 Candidate’s Debate. – When we announced that we were going to have a candidate’s debate, it was a new thing for us. The debate itself was a lot of fun and there were a lot of folks that ended up watching the UStream video from this post from the night itself. Michael Sims rocked the night and shook some people up.

4. Goed Eton Gets off to a Rolling Start. – One of the quirky, but delicious places that opened on the street is Goed Eten – where the proprietor, Johan, has been putting together a menu of poutine, local fed sausage burgers and other gourmet food. This post we put up right when he open and was still working out the kinks.

5 Salt Wine Bar Looks Open. – Salt Wine Bar gets another place on our top 10 list from our post on Aug 7th when we learned it had opened – albeit without a license.

6 Karen Sun shows good knowledge of Ward 19. – We did a number of candidate profiles over the course of the election cycle, but the big hit on our site was the profile of Karen Sun. Although she didn’t beat out Mike Layton, she was the site favourite in terms of page hits.

7. Call Joe Pantalone, Open Salt Wine Bar. – Again, Salt Wine Bar hits our top 10 list – the frustration with Joe Pantalone’s decision to put a moratorium on the restaurants on the street encouraged others to check out our post.

8. Jess’s Dead Sexy bad ass, mother Fxxxing, pulled-pork Sandwich. – What can we say? The best pulled pork sandwich on Ossington, or maybe in Toronto, is in an unexpected place, The Painted Lady.

9. The Evolution of Dundas off Ossington. - This year because of the moratorium, as well as other factors, the Dundas strip to the east and west of Ossington became popular with places like Churchill, Camp 4, Red Light,  The Port, Enoteca Sociale and more. This post looked at some of the newer places that emerged.

10. Havana Cultura Starts Today. – Our 10th place post is about a festival that took place in August celebrating Cuban Culture. We have a number of places on the strip as well as just off that joined in the festivities with Cuban food and music.

Many places will be closed including Julie’s Cuban, Beau Lieu Bistro and Pizzeria Libretto. You still have a lot of options, though, including:

Dance party at The Garrison! Featuring DJ Shit La Merde, revellers will dance to music from 1890 to 2011, in that order. Tickets are available in advance for $15, $20 at the door.  The Ossington offers another lively party with Some New Bullshit with Azuree & Carl, Champagne, bourbon and “sleazy tunes for the sinner”, $11 cover. The Painted Lady is a great option, with no cover and burlesque dancers and DJ NV spinning all night. The Port on Dundas West has a whole list of DJs (Poppy Seed, Luxury Bob, Miracle Whip and DJ Hot Pants) to get you moving, with $10 for advance tickets.

Live music is available at The Dakota Tavern, where Sunday night regulars The Beauties are headlining a New Year’s Eve Party, with special guests. Tickets available at the bar until they’re sold out.

We always have great dining options on Ossington, and this New Year’s is a prime example. Union is offering  their regular menu plus Grower Champagne, foie gras along with a few surprises, call for reservations!  Salt is celebrating their first New Year’s in style, with a special 5 course menu including 1 glass of Spanish Cava. Reservations are required, there are two seatings, 6:30 and 9:30PM, and cost is $70 per person.

Celebrate New Year’s 50s and 60s style at the very mod Watusi, where the dinner seating starts at 8PM and includes a sparkling wine toast at midnight and music from DJ Mark Foreman from 10:30P-3A. Bohmer will be open regular hours with a regular menu for New Year’s Eve, as will Foxley. Call now to reserve!

If you’ve got the coin and the appetite, head over to Dundas where Enoteca Sociale is offering a 6-course festive Italian dinner in honor of La Festa di San Silvestro, and begins at 7PM. Reservations required and details here.