Exciting Acts and Hotel Partners for Scotiabank BuskerFest Announced, 8/22-8/25

Scotiabank BuskerFest, Toronto's wildly successful international street performers festival, returns for its 14th wacky, outlandish year. Epilepsy Toronto's signature event, this year the festival is Celebrating Yonge, moving to Downtown Yonge Street and runs from August 22 to 25.

Over 100 of the best street performers from Canada and around the world will excite and amaze Torontonians and tourists alike at its new location, up and down Yonge Street from Queen St. to College St. and surrounding areas in the Downtown Yonge Business Improvement Area (BIA).

The event raises money for Epilepsy Toronto, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people with epilepsy and their families live well by providing counseling, employment support, advocacy and education. Geoff Bobb, Epilepsy Toronto's Executive Director, announced just a few of the champion (literally!) performers audiences will get to see:

o The Festival's Metro People's Choice Award winners from 2012 return! Dream State Circus, an Aussie/English duo, perform acrobalance, juggling, and dynamic high skill fire manipulations to prove that anything is possible!

o This year's festival features it's first ever World Champion Living Statue! In his first appearance at the festival, Germany'sCANDYman is an entertaining character who dispenses a lot of - guess what? - CANDYs! This artificial salesman of sweets plays with the audience in sync to music with surprising tricks!

o Sweden's Charlie Caper returns to the Scotiabank BuskerFest having since won Sweden's Got Talent as well as a silver medal at the 2009 World Championship of Magic. In a magic duel between Harry Potter and Charlie Caper, the winner would probably be Harry - but only just...

o Cirque du Soleil performer Julio "Klown" Santiago, creator of the ever-popular USA Break Dancers (winners of the 2009 Street Performance World Championships in Dublin, Ireland and 7 People's Choice Awards at fests around the world), returns with a high-energy interactive new show - Flow Like H2O is an action-packed, interactive break dance show like no other!

o Toronto's own Scott Jackson returns! The 2012 Canadian Beatbox Champion and finalist on Canada's Got Talent brings his crowd-pleasing, high-energy beatboxing showcase to the streets, stretching the art form to its limits!

More thrilling acts will be announced shortly.

With more than one million spectators expected from North America and around the world, Scotiabank BuskerFest is a great weekend getaway and now is the time for travellers to plan to attend. Scotiabank BuskerFest has partnered with local hotels to offer great room rates for out-of-town guests - as well as locals - looking for a getaway in the heart of the city. Just steps away from the Eaton Centre and the many restaurants and shops lining Canada's most vibrant street, travellers are encouraged to visit www.torontobuskerfest.com/#hotels to find these and other Downtown Yonge BIA hotel options:

o Eaton Chelsea, Toronto (33 Gerrard Street West) - located within the festival site, the Eaton Chelsea is offering special room rates starting as low as $129 plus applicable taxes, for festival attendees.
o Toronto Marriott Downtown Eaton Centre (525 Bay St., Toronto) - rates from $199 plus applicable taxes.
o Novotel Toronto Centre (45 The Esplanade) - the hotel is located at 45 The Esplanade just a few blocks away from the festival, and offers a special room rate starting at $189 per night plus applicable taxes,

Spontaneous, colourful and bursting with the unexpected, Scotiabank BuskerFest features some of the most unique hula-hooping, fire-breathing, body-contorting, whip-cracking, Chinese Pole climbing, marionette manipulating, slack-rope balancing, rubber chicken juggling, in the world! As well as the buskers, children can also enjoy Scotiabank BuskerPlay, located in Trinity Square (just behind the Eaton Centre); an area featuring face painting, balloon-twisting, free workshops, family friendly performances and more family fun.

"We are excited for another exciting and awe-inspiring Scotiabank BuskerFest this year," said John Doig, Scotiabank Senior Vice-President, Toronto Region. "Scotiabank BuskerFest is the largest Epilepsy Toronto fundraiser and, through our Bright Future philanthropic program, we are proud to support a critical organization that helps thousands of Torontonians living with epilepsy."

Scotiabank BuskerFest in support of Epilepsy Toronto
Thursday, August 22 - Sunday, August 25, 2013
throughout the Downtown Yonge Neighbourhood:
Yonge Street all the way from Queen to College and surrounding areas
Thursday noon - 10 pm; Friday noon - 11pm; Saturday 11am - 11pm; Sunday 11am - 8pm
Admission is by voluntary donation to Epilepsy Toronto

For information, visit: www.torontobuskerfest.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BuskerFestToronto , Twitter: buskerfestto hashtag: #SBBF

About Scotiabank BuskerFest
Since its inception in 2000, Scotiabank BuskerFest has featured hundreds of the best street performers from around the world, hosted millions of amazed spectators and helped raise much-needed funds for Epilepsy Toronto. Scotiabank BuskerFest is the largest street performers' festival in North America and is the largest Epilepsy awareness-raising event in the world.

Pictured: The Flying Dutchmen (one half of whom is Canadian) are The Rolling Stones of street performers, are doing their last tour... again! Performing together since 1989, these old school comic geniuses are on their monumental comeback tour....again! Winners of ten first prizes around the world!

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