Scotiabank BuskerFest Held 8/26-29 In Toronto's St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood

The largest festival of its kind in North America, this year's Scotiabank BuskerFest features more than 100 of the world's top street performers in four days of spectacle, from August 26-29 in Toronto's St. Lawrence Market neighbourhood. There's more to this Festival than buskers; this year's event features the lavish Scotiabank BuskerBall gala, a wide variety of fun activities for kids, cool contests, special performances, and the Festival Launch with Mayor David Miller.

Some of the exciting events leading up to and slated for the Festival include:

SCOTIABANK BUSKERFEST/EPILEPSY TORONTO OPEN THE TSX!
Monday, August 23 - On the morning of August 23, Scotiabank BuskerFest and Epilepsy Toronto representatives will open The Toronto Stock Exchange market at 9:30am at the TMX Broadcast Centre!

SECOND ANNUAL SCOTIABANK BUSKERBALL!
Tuesday, August 24 - Before the festival even begins, the second Annual Scotiabank BuskerBall (6pm-10pm) kicks off the festival spirit with an evening of glamour, giggles, and gastronomical delight, along with live and silent auctions, a special performance from Montreal's Cirque Éloize (re-opening the newly renovated Sony Centre for the Performing Arts in October), and an intimate preview of more of the world's most spectacular and unique performers headlining this year's festival! Honorary co-chairs are Robin Hibberd, Scotiabank Executive Vice-President, and CTV News anchor Tom Hayes, who also hosts the evening. Held at the St. Lawrence North Market, tickets for this fundraiser are $125 and all proceeds go to Epilepsy Toronto. Email pam@epilepsytoronto.org for tickets.

SCOTIABANK BUSKERFEST KIDS CAMP BAR-BQ
Wednesday, August 25 - Toronto Police Department's 61 Division will hold a BBQ for 350 youth aged five to 12-years-old from nine local community day camps at noon in Market Lane. Some of the fest's most kid-friendly performers will treat these young people to their unique brand of entertainment.

FESTIVAL LAUNCH!
Thursday, August 26 - Mayor David Miller will launch the 11th Annual Scotiabank BuskerFest at Church and Market St. on the CTV stage. Be prepared for special appearances by Kim Churchill, Mat Ricardo, Jim Armstrong, Cirque Éloize, the Saurus and a very special appearance by Toronto's Suspended Animation Circus on a giant helium balloon! Begins at noon.

ESPECIALLY FOR KIDS:
August 26 - 29: Back by popular demand, Scotiabank BuskerPlay has wonderful activities for kids throughout the four days of the festival, including free balloon twisting and face painting workshops, crafts and more at the Scotiabank Tent. Family-oriented performances are held throughout the afternoon at the BuskerPlay Stage, located in Market Lane Park, next to the North Building of the St. Lawrence Market and TELETOON will be on hand with their "Most Awesome Summer Tour". In the evenings, Circus Montreal showcases Authentic Circus Artist in Natural Habitat, a groundbreaking performance installation being presented in Canada for the first time ever.

SPECIAL PERFORMANCES AT THE FEST:
A number of special performances are happening this year. On Thursday, August 26 at 8pm, Cirque Éloize will perform a "sneak peek" benefit show at the Metro Stage in Berczy Park featuring excerpts from iD, which opens the Sony Centre for the Performing Art's 2010 season on October 1.

The Fifth Annual Fire Show combines the best of all the Festival's fire acts, and features FlameOz, Arizona Jones, Liqueur Flambé, Aidan Orange, PyRomeo and a special appearance by Suspended Animation Circus. The Fire Show takes place Friday, August 27 at 9:30pm (rain date: Saturday, August 28) at the Scotiabank Stage (Front and Church St).

Scotiabank BuskerFest ends with the Grande Finale on Sunday, August 29 at 6:30pm at the Metro Stage in Berczy Park, featuring performances by some of the festival's top international performers. The winner of this year's Metro People's Choice Award will be awarded to the act who receives the most audience votes.

Normally buskers keep the proceeds that they gather after a performance but, for these three special performances, all proceeds go to Epilepsy Toronto, and Scotiabank has generously offered to match each dollar donated at the fire show!

BUSKERBRUNCH! NEW THIS YEAR!
Sunday, August 29 - Join the buskers at the BuskerBrunch, 10:30am-noon on the final day of the Festival. Hosted by Mat Ricardo, one of England's most in-demand comedy variety performers and the only person in the world able to put the tablecloth back on the table, this buffet brunch features special entertainment provided by some of the festival's top out-of-town buskers and a silent auction with proceeds going to Epilepsy Toronto. The cost is $19.95 for adults and $10.95 for children 12 and under. BuskerBrunch takes place at the Novotel Toronto Centre at 45 The Esplanade, in the Champagne Ballroom on the second floor (elevator access available). To reserve a spot, contact Julie Pilkington, 416-860-5184, julie.pilkington@accor.com.

CONTESTS:
Audience members can enter their best photos to the EYE Weekly Photo Contest to win a Nikon CoolPix L22 camera, courtesy of Henry's Photo-Video-Digital. Visit eyeweekly.com/contests for further details. Winners will be announced in the September 9 issue of EYE Weekly as well as on eyeweekly.com.

Audiences can also vote for their favourite busker to win the Metro People's Choice Award, which gives the winning busker an automatic invite back to next year's festival. As well, each ballot filled out by an audience member will be entered into a raffle to win a pair of tickets to Cirque Éloize's iD at the Sony Centre for the Arts this fall. Drop by the Metro booth in Berczy Park to enter your ballot.

The Scotiabank BuskerFest Contest gives festival enthusiasts the chance to win the ultimate 2011 Scotiabank BuskerFest VIP experience, including two tickets to next year's BuskerBall and VIP Fire Show, three nights' hotel accommodation from August 25 - 28, 2011 and $500 spending money. People can enter once every day until August 30, 2010 at www.torontobuskerfest.com.

GENERAL INFO:
Since its inception, Scotiabank BuskerFest has featured hundreds of the best street performers from around the world, hosted millions of amazed spectators and helped raise close to one million dollars for Epilepsy Toronto. Not only is Scotiabank BuskerFest now the largest street performers' festival in North America, it is also the largest Epilepsy awareness-raising event in the world. More than one million spectators are estimated to attend Scotiabank BuskerFest this year. Volunteers will be standing by entrances, accepting donations on behalf of Epilepsy Toronto as crowds come and go.

11th Annual Scotiabank BuskerFest
Toronto International Street Performers Festival
Thursday, August 26 - Sunday, August 29, 2010
throughout the St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood:
Front Street from Jarvis Street to Yonge Street, and all adjacent side streets
Thursday, noon - 10 p.m., Friday, noon - 11 p.m.,
Saturday, 11 a.m. - 11 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Admission is by voluntary donation to Epilepsy Toronto.
www.torontobuskerfest.com www.facebook.com/BuskerFestToronto.

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