Latest news with #KristynGelfand
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Do West Fest takes over stretch of west end street in Toronto
A festival that bills itself as "Toronto's start to the summer" has taken over a stretch of a major west end street this weekend. Now in its 12th year, Do West Fest celebrates the rich culture of the city's Little Portugal neighbourhood. Sixteen blocks are closed to traffic across Dundas Street W. between Lansdowne Avenue and Shaw Street. The streets are now filled with food trucks and local vendors instead of cars. Organizers have set up three music stages — Lulaworld, Community and Transmit Presents — throughout the festival. "All of them bring a bit of a different flavor," Kristyn Gelfand, the event's lead producer told CBC Toronto on Friday. "Lulaworld has bands from as far away as Ecuador and Brazil. The Community Stage is programmed hyper-locally, so all the artists on that stage have a direct connection to this neighbourhood, whether they live or work or rehearse in this right here on Dundas," Gelfand said.. "And then [there's] the Transmit Stage, which brings in the best of Canadian indie rock from all across the country." The festival will wrap up at 6 pm. on Saturday, but road closures on Dundas Street W. will stay in effect until midnight.
CBC
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Do West Fest takes over stretch of west end street in Toronto
A festival that bills itself as "Toronto's start to the summer" has taken over a stretch of a major west end street this weekend. Now in its 12th year, Do West Fest celebrates the rich culture of the city's Little Portugal neighbourhood. Sixteen blocks are closed to traffic across Dundas Street W. between Lansdowne Avenue and Shaw Street. The streets are now filled with food trucks and local vendors instead of cars. Organizers have set up three music stages — Lulaworld, Community and Transmit Presents — throughout the festival. "All of them bring a bit of a different flavor," Kristyn Gelfand, the event's lead producer told CBC Toronto on Friday. "Lulaworld has bands from as far away as Ecuador and Brazil. The Community Stage is programmed hyper-locally, so all the artists on that stage have a direct connection to this neighbourhood, whether they live or work or rehearse in this right here on Dundas," Gelfand said.. "And then [there's] the Transmit Stage, which brings in the best of Canadian indie rock from all across the country." The festival will wrap up at 6 pm. on Saturday, but road closures on Dundas Street W. will stay in effect until midnight.
CBC
01-05-2025
- CBC
Toronto festival organizer calls on city to fund safety upgrades after Lapu-Lapu Day tragedy
A Toronto festival organizer is calling on the city to help fund new local safety measures after a car ramming at the Lapu-Lapu Day Filipino block party in Vancouver killed 11 people last weekend. The city is set to meet with festival organizers — including Kristyn Gelfand, producer of Do West Fest in Toronto's Little Portugal neighbourhood — on Thursday to discuss enhancing event security. Gelfand said she'll be asking the city to fund hostile mitigation measures, such as concrete planters and barriers designed to resist vehicles, if those become mandatory. "We already have a finite amount of funds that we're working with for 2025," she said in an interview with CBC Radio's Metro Morning on Thursday. "It would definitely be an issue if we were told by the city today that we need to have those without having additional support from the city to provide it." Gelfand said the city evaluates festivals individually and has not previously required hostile vehicle mitigation at Do West Fest. But if that changes, the additional cost could range between $40,000 to $80,000, she said. Without city support, she said the festival may need to seek emergency funding from the Little Portugal BIA, which presents the festival. Crowd barrier fencing not effective, organizer says In an email to CBC Toronto, city spokesperson Imane Boussa said Thursday's meeting will "gather insights on potential risks and discuss available city supports." It is not open to the media. Discussions will inform a Festival Safety Summit on May 26 "where the city, partners and organizers will further explore safety measures and potential enhancements," she said. Do West Fest has used crowd barrier fencing in past years, but Gelfand said that measure isn't effective against vehicles. In 2023, an intoxicated driver broke through the fencing before the event started, injuring a pedestrian and hitting a hydro pole. "We've seen that they actually do nothing to stop a car," she said. Do West Fest involves 200 brick and mortar businesses, as well as 200 additional small artisan and food vendors, Gelfand said. She estimated the festival generates millions of dollars in economic impact. "The city needs to step in and act as a true partner for these festivals and understand that Toronto is a thriving and vibrant and economically diverse city because of events like this." Do West Fest is happening from June 6 and June 8 along Dundas Street W., from Ossington Avenue to Lansdowne Avenue.
