On Sunday, Adriano and I walked down to the Carrousel of Nations festival on Erie Street.  Despite the fact that Italy lost to Spain in a shoot out (!!!), the street was still buzzing with activity. 

There’s something about an outdoor patio that just makes having a drink or eating a meal so much better.  Our riverfront festival plaza is great, but for me, a street festival trumps it everytime.  It adds a unique flavour to the event and brings liveliness to the neighbourhood. 

Il Gabbiano
Outdoor Patio at Il Gabbiano’s

We stopped to say hello to Fil Rocca and Mike Barlozzari of Mezzo’s then headed over to Il Gabbiano’s to have a drink with Joe Fallea and listen to the band playing a few vintage Italian tunes (and a few English ones to even it out).  It was a good end to a great weekend.

But Carrousel isn’t over just yet!  You can still head over to Erie Street this weekend or one of the many other Carrousel events scattered across the city. 

  • Caribbean Village 
  • Croatian Village
  • German Village
  • Italian Village
  • Scottish Village

Visit the Carrousel of Nations website for details on locations and times.

And check out Mark Boscariol’s post on Scaledown where he discusses via Italia’s use of streets as public spaces.