Pedestrian Sundays Kicks Off Today in Kensington Market

Streets Are For People kick off a the fifth annual season of Pedestrian Sundays today in Kensington Market.

"We remove cars from our streets so that we can revel in the rarity that is public space," says Shamez Amlani, Kensington Market merchant and co-founder of P.S. Kensington. "We open it up as free space where children can laugh and play, where neighbours buzz in the culture of food and dance and music."

Festivites run from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m (until 10 p.m. on north Augusta Ave.). Highlights include the return of the Kensington Catwalk Fashion Contest (register at 1:30 - 2:00 p.m.) in which contestants have one hour to compete for the best spring ensemble purchased at local shops with 50 "Kensington Bucks" for a bargain price of $25.

There will be a giant pinata for the kids at Augusta and Baldwin at 3:30 p.m. At 5 p.m. there will be an historic parade, including a musical procession of the market's living history, starting at Bellevue Square Park. And from 8 to 10 p.m there will be a swing around the Maypole with Michael J and the Red Rhythm.

Where else can you get to party in the streets and play on a giant Scrabble board?

The festival runs on the last Sunday of each month from May to September. This year, an additional mid-month P.S. Kensington will be added on Sunday, August 17 in celebration of the fifth anniversary of the Toronto blackout.

It's also the second year of Pedestrian Sundays in both Mirvish Village and Baldwin Village. Starting June 22, the St. Joseph St. community is coming together to reclaim its neighbourhood between Bay and Yonge.

Photos by Roger Cullman.