It's been a slow two months for anything hot and heavy happening in the city beyond the weather.

Montreal has their Censored Festival happening right now (and I'm constantly reminded of how easy and affordable it is to get there thanks to those ads on the subway) but for those of us who don't feel like skipping town, the pickings are slim.

Sure, the Leather Ball is happening next Saturday but it caters to a rather specific crowd which, god bless 'em, has never been my thing. For those who do go, it's one of those things they mark on their calendar every year and I'm not going to preach to the converted.

For the rest of us, the Church Street Fetish Fair is happening the day after the Ball and it promises to be the best one yet. As far as these type of events go, it's the only one that's set outside and this makes it possible to do more than just sell you a nifty collar and leash.

Picture a market, throw in some entertainment and you have P.T. Barnum's kinkier cousin hawking a dildo while a tattooed man pukes out fire.

If that's not fun, I don't know what is.

While you can go dressed up as a leather-bound furry if you want to, that would almost be like blending in. I say wear whatever you want and concentrate on taking advantage of the extended patio areas. It's not all kink and BDSM though; Cam Lewis, the executive producer of the Fair, notes that they've had a diverse range of musicians on their stages, playing everything from jazz to country and the event always draws a variety of people for a number of reasons beyond the simple exploration of deep-seated fantasies. Given the choice between diversity and a lifestyle being the most dominant feature of a personality, I'll take the former any day.

Another plus is that since the fair is run by Church-Wellesley Village Business Improvement Area (CWVBIA), the focus is on local businesses and merchants rather than the large corporations that often compete with local businesses in events that are somewhat untruthfully presented as being about the community (I'm looking at you, Pride!)

This kind of event will also inevitably be very popular with Americans, a lot of whom will be in town for the Ball, and along with marriage it's yet another reason for them to come to Canada. While I'm not normally prone to civic pride, I do like that the fact that one of the big reasons to come to Toronto is our tolerance of proclivities that could get you in trouble elsewhere.

Whether you're actually looking to purchase that nun costume you've been thinking about or are just looking for an interesting Sunday stroll, the Fetish Fair is a good bet.

Church Street Fetish Fair
12-10pm
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Greater Church Wellesley area

For more information about the CWVBIA and the Church Street Fetish Fair, please contact CWVBIA Coordinator Dwayne Shaw at:

416.393.6363 or info@churchstreetfetishfair.com

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Photo: Church Street Fetish Fair