The 2016 edition of the CNE starts today and runs through September 5 in Toronto. Get ready to fill your days at the fair with memorable moments and lots and lots of food. But The Ex is more than just the outrageous eats. From the midway to the various shows, concerts and pavilions, there's so much room for activities at the Canadian National Exhibition.

Here are my picks for the top things to do at the 2016 CNE.

Try some Franken-food
With a bounty of carb-laden, artery-clogging dishes, the Food Building and midway will let your wildest culinary dreams come true (even if you might regret them later). This year's offerings include a churro burger, pulled pork cinnamon rolls and a steaklair.

Get inspired at the Innovation Garage
New for this year is the CNE's Innovation Garage, which will feature an Innovation Playground with a slew of new products and services. The most exciting part of this newfangled program that runs from August 19 to 21 is the Emerging Innovators Pitch Competition where inventors will vie for $25,000 in prize money.

Watch the Tragically Hip
On August 20, the Tragically Hip will end their Man Machine Poem tour with one final concert in Kingston, Ontario. Luckily, the CNE will be streaming the entire show at the Bandshell Stage - it's free to attend with the price of admission.

Drink up at the Craft Beer Fest
From August 26 to 28, 12 brewers (including Pommies Cider Co.) will be at the Ex sampling their wares. Expect to taste beer from Muskoka Brewing Inc., Great Lakes Brewery, Wellington Brewery and Central City Brewers & Distillers .

Embrace your inner Trekkie
This year, the CNE is hosting a special art exhibition to celebrate the series' 50th anniversary. Along with look at the various pieces of artwork, you can also attend Star Trek trivia nights and a Star Trek-themed bar.

Gamble
The CNE casino opened on July 31, but you still have plenty of time to place your bets. You can stay here all night because it's open from noon until 6 a.m. daily.

See a Canadian hero at the ice show
The ice show happens twice a day, every day for the entire CNE run. And if that's not enough to get to glide inside the Ricoh Coliseum, the promise of seeing Elvis Stojko should. This Canadian icon will appear in the show from August 23 to 25. Canadian champion Joannie Rochette will be there the rest of the time.

Learn from a celebrity chef
Get up close and personal with your favourite Food Network stars. There will be a different celebrity chef on site each day, so mark your calendars because Michael Smith, Lynn Crawford and Anna Olson will all be there.

Visit the Food Truck Frenzy
Food truck frenzy looks like it's going to be bigger than ever this year. There will be 26 trucks participating, including Bake Three Fifty, Eva's Original Chimney's and feasTO.

Shop 'til you drop
The flea market at the CNE is a wacky and wonderful bazaar filled with a slew of things you don't actually need. I remember my parents dragging me here and I would wander through the various stalls, begging them to buy me cool new products, like the knock-off versions of the slap chop and ShamWow!

For hours of operation and more info check the CNE web site.

Photo by Kaeko via the blogTO Flickr pool.

You'll be happy to note that Pharrell Williams will be performing a free concert next month in Toronto. The Grammy Award-winning artist will be in town for a sneak preview of Theodore Melfi's upcoming film Hidden Figures, which stars Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe.

Hidden Figures tells the story of three African-American women working at NASA who helped launch astronaut John Glenn into space. Select TIFF members will get to see a preview of the movie on September 10 during the festival.

Afterwards, Williams will perform on Festival Street (also known as King Street), at the intersection of King and John. There will be a TIFF members-only section at the front, but the general public will be able to see the whole show too.

Photo via Pharrell Williams on Facebook.

Toronto Food Events rounds up the most delicious festivals, pop-ups, winemaker dinners, supper clubs and other food related happenings in Toronto this week and next. You can find us here every Friday morning.

THIS WEEK

• Get your fill of Filipino street food at Taste of Manila on August 20 and 21. The festival takes over the Bathurst and Wilson area.
• The Hot & Spicy Food Festival is on at the Harbourfront Centre from August 19 to August 21.
• Haute Dog BBQ, presented by Queen's Quay Terminal, runs on August 20 and August 21 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Buy a hot dog or hamburger with a drink for $2 and 100 per cent of the proceeds will go to the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides.
• Admission is free for the Sweetery Food Festival happening August 20 and 21 at David Pecaut Square (55 John St.).
• The August edition of the Toronto Bakers Market returns to Ralph Thornton Centre (765 Queen St. E.) on August 21 from noon until 4 p.m. The massive bake sale boasts a lineup of 28 vendors.
• The 7th annual Wild Blueberry Festival at Evergreen Brick Works is on this Sunday, August 21 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• MexFest16 takes over Yonge-Dundas Square on Sunday, August 21 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Harvest Wednesdays presents Sip and Savour with Bob Blumer on Wednesday, August 24. Expect tastings along with hors d'oeuvres by the Gladstone's executive Chef Katie Venables Lloyd.
• Woodlot sous chef, Cory Baird is doing a pop-up dinner at Lady Marmalade on Friday, August 26. Reserve now (and select your dishes) for the family-style feast priced at $40 per person.

UPCOMING

• Hapa Izakaya hosts an omakase dinner on Thursday, September 8. The 10-course Japanese style tasting menu is priced at $70 per person, including beverage pairings.
• Tickets are still available for PinxtosTO happening on Sunday, September 18 at the Liberty Market Building. Tickets are $10.
• Advance tickets ($15) are available now for Soupalicious Toronto 2016 happening at Artscape Wychwood Barns on Sunday, September 25.

Know of a Toronto food event coming up? Email liora@blogto.com

Photo from Taste of Manila by Hector Vasquez.

$2 million is a lot to spend on a condo in Toronto, but before you conjure up palatial penthouses loaded with amenities, you'll want to do a bit of a reality check. In today's fierce real estate market, you can't guarantee baller status by laying down a couple million. A nice condo you will get, but don't expect the moon.

Here's what a $2 million condo looks like in Toronto.

$2,269,000 on the waterfront
You'll feel like you're floating above the harbour at this new Queens Quay condo, but despite the gorgeous views, it's average-sized for the price point at 1,920 square feet. That said, it features two parking spots, major upgrades (can you say Miele appliances?), and ample outdoor space. Yeah, ok, this one makes the baller cut. Maintenance fees are $1,678.36 a month.

$1,879,000 near St. Clair and Spadina
This three-storey townhouse will be very attractive to families looking to live south of Eglinton but who still need ample interior space. Along with being located on one of Toronto's nicest streets in Russell Hill Rd., there are nice touches like a whole floor for the master bedroom, a private elevator, and two underground parking spots. Maintenance fees are $1,354.70 a month.

$2,099,000 in the Trump Tower
$2.1 million buys you two bedrooms and 1,861 square feet in the Trump Tower. In other words, not so much. The kitchen is downright tiny and the design borders on sterile. You're paying for address here, though you'd expect a suite that was a bit more opulent at this size and price. Maintenance fees are $1,911.80 a month.

$2,250,000 at Bayview and Lawrence
Located above Glendon College near the Bridle Path, Chedington Place is one of Toronto's most exclusive condos. This ravine-facing unit is almost 3,000 square feet with only two bedrooms, so it feels completely spacious. The design will suit an older buyer, but there's no denying it's as elegant as condos in this city come. Maintenance fees are $2,666.10 a month.

$2,395,000 in Yorkville
This old school condo is huge. At 3,600 square feet with a dining room that seats 25 (not to mention five bathrooms), it's perfect for someone who wants to entertain a whole bunch of people in an ornate space. Kidding aside, the bones are good, and it'd be easy to update this place. Maintenance fees come in at $3,160.61 a month.

Would you fork out for any of these condos if you had the cash? Let us know in the comments.

What's black and white and absolutely adorable? If you're thinking of the Toronto Zoo's baby pandas, you wouldn't be wrong, but our city now has another itty bitty animal to fawn over.

Meet Rey, the zoo's baby zebra. She was born on July 26 and like her Star Wars namesake, she already looks fierce and independent.

Rey and her mom Tori are Grevy zebras. As CBC News reports, there are only about 2,000 Grevy zebras left in the wild - the species is listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.

Along with Rey, the Toronto Zoo has received a lot of attention for its baby animals lately. The pandas caused an international pandemonium when they appeared in a photo with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. And now you can watch the giant pandas all day thanks to the new Panda Cam.

Photos via the Toronto Zoo.

Toronto doesn't have many casinos, but last summer, the city gave the green light to build a new one if it also included an entertainment complex.

Now, as the New York Post reports, the bankrupt Caesars Entertainment Operating Co. is among the companies vying to open in Toronto.

As The Post writes, Graeme Roustan - the guy looking to bring a second NHL team to the GTA - is working to bring a casino to this new complex.

But don't expect this to happen overnight. As The Post notes, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation won't be making any decisions about which casino would be moving until next summer.

Photo via Caesars on Facebook.

It's a big weekend for road closures in Toronto with the return of Open Streets on August 21. The pedestrian celebration and recreational festival will shut down a major stretch of both Yonge and Bloor streets on Sunday, which should be on your radar. Fortunately, there are no scheduled TTC subway closures to add to the navigational challenge.

Open Streets will shut down Yonge Street between Bloor Street Queen and Bloor Street between Dufferin and Parliament on Sunday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., but give a little leeway on either side for maintenance crew to remove barriers.

In addition to Open Streets, there are two street festivals that will snarl traffic in their respective areas. The annual Chinatown Festival will close the southbound lanes of Spadina Ave. between St. Andrew and Sullivan streets from 9:00 a.m. Saturday to 11 p.m. Sunday. TTC service will operate as normal.

Further uptown, Taste of Manila will close down Bathurst Street between Wilson and Laurelcrest avenues from early Saturday to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Try to avoid using the Bathurst exit from the 401 this weekend even if you'r headed to the area.

Noteworthy events that don't feature scheduled closures but that will nevertheless cause congestion are the CNE and the Sail-In Cinema. And, of course, there's plenty of ongoing construction to be aware of. For a full list of road restrictions and closures, check the official city of Toronto map.

Photo by Jack Landau in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Now you can down your beer with a cheesy slab of brisket mac 'n cheese at this recently opened massive bar and grill. Burgers, tacos and growlers are also big sellers.

Read my profile of Taylors Landing in the restaurants section.

This sweltering summer weekend, hundreds are lining up along Ossington from Queen all the way to Argyle to check out Kanye West's pop-up shop, the Pablo Store.

From Friday to Sunday, in cities around the world from Berlin to Cape Town to Melbourne, the biggest Kanye fans and the trendiest fashion lovers will have the chance to snag exclusive Kanye-designed products.

One fan, Carlos, had camped out since 4:30 the previous afternoon. He wasn't sure if the wait was worth it at first, but then hastened to add that you can't get these items anywhere else.

So if sweet Pablo gear is what you want, you're going to have to be patient, but ultimately you should end up with the exact items you wanted.

Staff out in the heat along with everyone else are still willing to give a preview of what's going on inside if you ask. They all wear the bright orange tees that read "I FEEL LIKE PABLO" on the back in construction neon yellow, which are available for purchase for $60 inside. Security guards in full black pants and blazers protect the entrance, adding to the exclusive club-like feel of the pop up.

Once inside, it's blessedly air conditioned in a hip gallery-type space. The walls are pure white and one giant leaner mirror stands in a corner, though serving what purpose I'm not sure as like an art gallery customers aren't actually allowed to try anything on and are discouraged from even touching anything.

A giant logo on the wall reads TORONTO in a V formation, and this logo adorns much of the clothing as well. It's Kanye's shout out to each city where he's opened a pop up, as obviously the name of the city on the clothes changes depending on location. This wall is great for social media photo ops.

The line is specifically Pablo-themed, not related to any seasons of Yeezy, Kanye's designer collections, the most recent of which was season 4. The Pablo items are a limited selection: it's just tees, long-sleeved tees, hoodies, jackets, and ball caps. Most items are either white with gold lettering or the construction worker style orange with bright yellow lettering.

The satin bomber jackets ($345), however, are black with gold lettering, PABLO repeated four times down the back.

The most expensive item on offer is a camo jacket ($410) with the same lettering, and with patches affixed reading U.S. Air Force and U.S. Coast Guard.

The ball caps both have the same TORONTO logo as the wall, again in white and gold or orange and yellow ($55). Other than that, all the clothing is emblazoned with different Kanye lyrics or sayings and the Toronto logo on the left breast. A gold and white tee reads "We on an ultralight beam this is a god dream" ($60). A long-sleeved gold and white tee ($90) reads "I love you like Kanye loves Kanye."

Crewnecks go for $125, and the white reads "Who your real friends we all came from the bottom" and the safety orange simply reads "Perfect."

Second most expensive under the jackets are the hoodies for $130, though that's not much more than the long-sleeved crewnecks. For these, the white reads "Woke up and felt the vibe" on the back, and the orange reads "Any rumor you ever heard about me is true and legendary." (Obviously, Kanye is not familiar with Canadian spelling.)

Once you've sufficiently browsed and drooled over all this coolness, there is a "menu" of all the items where you write down what you want. Staff can assist you with this, you can do it yourself, or you can simply go up to the cash and use the menu to explain what you want. Customers are only allowed to purchase two sizes in the same style.

Even though you can't try things on, staff will discuss sizing with you to make sure you walk away with the fit you desire.

There are only fifteen people allowed in at once and about twenty staff on the floor, so you're sure to get the help you need. There's no time limit to how long you're allowed to stay, but they're operating on a five in, five out policy.

Although the courteous thing would be to keep your visit short, I can't blame folks who've been waiting eighteen hours for wanting to take their time.

Photos by Jesse Milns

Did you hear about the all-white dinner party that went down in Toronto last night? Diner en Blanc was back for its fifth year. The elegant, all-white clad affair surprised passerby in the Canary District who must have wondered what exactly they were witnessing.

As per usual, guest were required to sign up in advance, dress in all-white outfits and lug with them white tables, chairs and a ready-to-eat gourmet meals.

Check out all the action from Diner en Blanc in this photo gallery.

Photos by Natta Summerky.

When Muhammad Ali fought was in town to fight Toronto's George Chuvalo at the Maple Leaf Gardens in 1966, he trained Earl Sullivan's Toronto Athletic Club at 109 Ossington Ave.

Now, Sully's is located at 1024 Dupont St., but it's original - and historic - location will be commemorated with a plaque, reports Inside Toronto today.

The plaque, which will focus on the late Ali's life and his time in Toronto, will go up at 109 Ossington. That site will soon be home to a new six-storey condo. As Inside Toronto writes, the Ossington-area community tried to stop this development from moving in, but the OMB allowed it to move forward.

The city and the condo developer will split the cost of the plaque.

Photo by Jesse Milns.

What better way to celebrate Friday than with a plethora of baby animal photos? Along with the zoo's new zebra filly, you can now add newborn bunnies to your list of adorable Toronto creatures to ogle at.

Staff at the Fort York National Historic Site found a litter of baby bunnies last month. As CBC News writes, they waited to post photos and videos to avoid disturbing them with an inundation of visitors.

And not only did the Fort York staff make this delightful discovery, but they did so on Beatrix Potter's (you know, the author of Peter Rabbit) 150th birthday.

Photos via Fort York National Historic Site.

This dark and loud party bar just opened along with Toronto's newest locations of La Carnita and Sweet Jesus. It's slinging playful cocktails, boozy milkshakes and Jello shots - look forward to fun libations that incorporate cotton candy and tattooed garnishes.

Read my profile of Good Fortune in the bars section.

The top new patios on the 501 streetcar line might be just steps from your regular stops, making acquiring a post-commute pint easier than ever. If you're on the hunt for a quick and easy option on Queen Street East or West, this is where to go.

Here are my picks for the top new patios on the 501 streetcar line.

Bar Hop Brewco
Just south of Queen on Peter head up to the rooftop patio at Bar Hop Brewco for a stellar view of the downtown core. The patio is pretty impressive, decked out with hanging lights, bright accents and its own massive bar. If you've got your squad with you, no worries, there's room for 110.

Barrio Cerveceria
Joy Bistro's original owner took over his old spot on Queen East next to Jimmie Simpson and replaced it with a wannabe Mexican restaurant. While the food might still need some work, the drinks and snacks are a hit and the restaurant's two patios now boasting cushy sofas, cushier seating, a massive floral mural, hanging lights and an outdoor bar.

Nandos on Queen
The rapidly expanding chicken chain now calls Queen Street home. The casual restaurant boasts a pretty impressive patio that looks out onto the bustling street. If you don't feel like people watching, grab a spot farther back to enjoy your Peri Peri Chicken in peace.

Dominion Pub & Kitchen
If your ride on the rocket lands you in Corktown, the Dominion Pub & Kitchen is one of the better options in the area for pub food and pints. Its east-facing side patio has enough room for 50 drinkers and diners.

Eastside Social
For those who exit the Queen car in Leslieville, there's Eastside Social. Its brings seafood lovers a secluded place to enjoy their oysters. The cozy backyard space features wood-heavy decor and a fireplace, for when summer stops feeling like summer.

Thanks to Strongbow for sponsoring our 2016 Patio Guide

What did I miss? Add your favourite new patio on the 501 line in the comments.

This new bar-style eatery serves up Southern style comfort food with a focus on craft beers and cocktails. Weekend brunches are a satisfying affair here, with dishes like pulled pork hash or blueberry corn cakes that are pleasing both to the eye and the palate.

Read my profile of Junction Local in the restaurants section.

The CNE is one of the longest running major events in Toronto, and with that deep history comes a whole lots of quirky facts and trivia. From freak shows to modernist architecture, the Ex has been home to a variety of fascinating cultural phenomenon over the years. We tend to forget some of this diverse history, but that makes it all the more fascinating to recall.

Here are 10 quirky things you might not know about the CNE.

1. The CNE was originally called the Toronto Industrial Exhibition and was founded in 1879 to showcase the latest developments in technology and innovation (it took its current name in 1912). Entertainment wasn't it's primary raison d'etre until the 20th century.

2. The Exhibition grounds were once home to the most beautiful building in Toronto. The Crystal Palace was completed in 1878 and rivaled similar steel and glass buildings in London, Dublin, and New York. A spark ignited a massive fire in 1906 and the structure burned to the ground.

3. One of the highlights of the CNE in the mid 20th century was the Miss Toronto pageant, which took the stage at the grand stand near the end of the Ex. The competition actually lasted until the 1990s before the city pulled the plug.

4. The midway used to feature real freak shows, and not during the sleazy era of the '70s and '80s but back in the early 1900s. Signs advertised "giants, midgets, and bearded ladies!"

5. Speaking of the '70s and '80s, most remember these decades as the Conklin period, but the amusement company actually ran the midway and rides at the CNE between 1937 and 2004. It was Conklin that built the Mighty Flyer roller coaster in 1953, which was an Ex icon until in was torn down in the 1990s.

6. Perhaps the most outrageous and visually stunning event of the Ex of old was the high dive, where on top of plunging into relatively shallow water from dizzying heights, participants would often set themselves on fire.

7. The final day of the Ex was regularly referred to as Black Monday in the late 1970s and throughout the '80s. The expression is often thought to stem from mischievous activity youthful visitors got up to on the final day and certainly has some highly problematic racial overtones, but the etymology of the phrase goes back way before the Ex.

8. Toronto's oldest building is located at the Exhibition grounds. Scadding Cabin dates all the way back to 1794, though it was originally located on the west bank of the Don River near Queen Street before it was moved in 1879 for the first year of the CNE.

9. The Ex was a breeding ground for modernist architecture in the 1950s and '60s. Landmark examples include the Food Building (1954), Peter Dickinson's Queen Elizabeth Building (1956), the now-demolished Shell Oil Tower (1955), and the Dufferin Gates (1959).

10. One of the darker aspects of Toronto's past played out at the Stanley Barracks on the Ex grounds during World War I when residents of German, Hungarian, and Turkish decent were interned there as "enemy aliens."

What did I miss? Add your tidbits about CNE history in the comments.

Photos via Toronto Archives and Chuckman's Nostalgia.

Toronto's craft beer scene might be expanding, but one brewing facility is keen on introducing our city to brands from outside of Ontario - and now it's getting ready to brew these beers right here at home. Enter Brunswick Bierworks, a massive new brewing facility that recently set up shop in East York.

Brunswick, located at 25 Curity Ave., opened in partnership with Craft Brand Company, an organization that brings beer from places like British Columbia, the United States, Europe and New Zealand into the Ontario market.

But importing beer is tricky. There are only a few channels you can go through and usually, what's coming in isn't as fresh as it could be. So Craft Brand Co.'s Mike Laba and his team have been thinking about how to thwart these challenges for a while.

"It would be really great to one day be able to find a brewery in Ontario that could make some of these products locally so that people could enjoy them fresh," he says. "We could direct deliver and get around a lot of the challenges a lot of craft brewers have when exporting to Ontario."

And that's exactly what they're doing at Brunswick, which features two brewhouses and currently has capacity to brew 70,000 hectolitres of beer - the goal is to get up to 100,000. Instead of bringing in kegs, bottles and cans from various places, Brunswick and Craft Brand Co., let out-of-towners brew their beer right here in Toronto.

"We're going to start rolling out some pretty kickass beers from around the world out of Toronto," says Laba.

In less than two weeks, a representative from Stockholm, Sweden's Omnipollo - a well-known European craft beer company - will head to Brunswick to brew two new beers for the Ontario market. As more and more brewmasters start brewing at Brunswick, Laba is planning on having them the collaborate on new and novel beers.

"We're always going to have collaboration brews with all of our different partners coming out of there," Laba notes.

Brunswick is also brewing for a few Ontario-based craft brands and will also act as an incubator for new beer startups that may not be able to build their own breweries just yet.

And along with brewing, Brunswick will be open to visitors with its taproom and tours next summer.

These new stores opening soon in Toronto for will actually get you excited to pick out your back-to-school or chilly weather wardrobe. From large US based department stores to a cult Japanese chain, shopping options just keep getting better.

Here's a round-up of stores opening soon in Toronto to get excited about.

Nordstrom
This upscale department store is also making its way to both Yorkdale and the Eaton Centre - the latter will open on September 16, so you can start getting excited to shop for clothes, makeup and shoes now.

Uniqlo
Uniqlo is finally opening up in Toronto! Get ready to stock up on gloriously multicoloured basics, black pants and packable puffy jackets. This Japanese retailer will make its Canadian debut at the Eaton Centre before it opens at Yorkdale in October.

Canada Goose
Toronto's getting its first standalone Canada Goose store this fall and it'll be located inside the new Yorkdale expansion. It'll feature 4,000 square feet of down-lined jackets and other cold weather accessories.

Vitaly
This locally owned jewellery and apparel company is opening its first ever permanent bricks-and-mortar storefront this fall in the Queen West area. It'll feature Vitaly products as well as some other (well curated) brands.

Babaton
Aritzia - the Canadian clothing company now going public - is giving it private label Babaton its very own store at the Eaton Centre. According to information in its IPO documents, Babaton will open before the end of this year.

What store are you most excited to shop at? Let us know in the comments.

Anyone who lives in Toronto kind of knows the deal when it comes to art galleries.

Typically they move into a neighbourhood people aren't totally familiar or comfortable with, slowly people start flocking, coffee shops spill in, condo developers break ground and the galleries move out to another lesser known, cheaper spot.

It's the circle of life for galleries in general and Toronto is no exception to the nomadic migration. But that's not what's interesting.

Toronto's west end is most definitely experiencing the next art gallery gentrification swing and combined with that excitement is a brave new sense of community. There's something exciting happening in the city's art gallery world that overshadows real estate woes.

"I think despite real estate going up and it being hard to find places like this in the city where you can do things without spending a lot of money, there still is an interesting grass roots scene that people just make happen and that's important," says Andrew Williamson, owner for Black Cat Artspace.

"Now more than ever stakeholders... see the value in drawing people to places and changing their mind about certain spaces," he continues. Williamson goes on to talk about other former industrial spaces that are currently looking to be used by artists while they're in an interstitial phase prior to redevelopment.

"Luminato using the Hearn kind of set a great example of that. There still are these old buildings from the industrial age in Toronto that haven't been converted or adapted."

Williamson's artist-run, grassroots art space on Dundas West near Roncesvalles was one of the first beacons of new life and energy on the strip three years ago. He had been running art shows and events out of his loft with two roommates years prior, but decided to take the leap and open up his open space to encourage new and exciting works from local artists and photographers.

He and four other alternative art spaces will be throwing a new type of Art Fair and Party at Artscape Sandbox this September, to draw more attention to the artists who show in these more grassroots spaces.

To further Williamson's point, what's going on in Toronto right now is we have our traditional three tiers of art galleries (institutions at the top, then commercial galleries, the artist run centres) and though traditionally it was the grassroots galleries who were taking the biggest chances - and let's be real, they still are - the scene is moving towards a trend where every level of gallery is trying bold new things and spaces. More than ever before.

"I think there's a new energy," Daniel Faria, own of Daniel Faria Gallery on Helen's Avenue in Bloordale says. "I think the galleries are becoming more ambitious, the spaces are more interesting, the spaces are bigger so it's not like they moved from one tiny storefront to another."

Faria moved into what used to be an auto body shop from his co-run spot in the Distillery District. "When I moved here everyone thought I was nuts, but now that there's a concentration of galleries," he says excitedly as he described how weekends now see streams of people poking in and out of the gallery.

"Cooper Cole moved into that Portuguese bank on Dupont, there's a lot more warehouse space like me and Clint [Roenisch], so i think the space has physically changed which allows the artist to do more interesting things, pushes them to be more ambitious."

Not only are gallery spaces getting more fun and crazy, in part thanks to this, artists can get crazier too. The relationship seems to be evolving into something more adventurous that what Toronto's art scene is used to.

"I think there's also this blurring of the galleries," Faria says. "Years ago the commercial galleries felt very commercial because they were selling works that were easier to sell, prettier paintings. But now galleries are getting ambitious with spaces and also with their exhibitions and doing installations.

"The commercial galleries are taking way more chances, which would only happen in museums or not-for profit spaces, which is really exciting."

Williamson, who's always existed in an inclusive world of blurring lines and experimentation to makes things work shares the buzzy feeling.

"Art galleries and art spaces help the city grow and help it become what it is by changing people's opinions on places" he says. "It's fun to be part of that process."

Photo from the Surface II party Facebook page.

Is Toronto's cold-pressed juice market saturated? It might seem like it with numerous trendy, glass-ensconced juiceries popping up and then closing in the city.

This year, for instance, we lost Union Juice's two locations (which did juice, but not cold-pressed) as well as The Only Cafe's The Other Juice Bar on the Danforth. But juice companies that are in it for the long-haul seem to think there's room for everyone.

Fresh, for instance, sees its cold-pressed juice program as part of its overall healthy eating brand. Business manager and partner Barry Alper tells me cold-pressed makes up just 15 per cent of its juice business - the rest comes from Fresh's freshly squeezed juices and smoothies.

But he thinks the proliferation of cold-pressed juiceries across Toronto is helping Fresh's sales. "It's on everybody's mind. It's all over the place, so it's good for us," he says.

Fresh, however, is lucky because juice is just one tiny part of its business. Its multiple locations focus on serving brunch, lunch and dinner for those dining in and doing takeout. The local mini-chain also sells its juice wholesale to places like Dark Horse Espresso Bar and the Ritz Carlton.

So what about companies that do juice and juice alone? A group of friends started Toronto's Greenhouse Juice Co. after they started drinking cold-pressed juice while living abroad in cities such as New York and Los Angeles.

They founded Greenhouse in January 2014 out of a tiny storefront on Macpherson Avenue in Rosedale and thought it would just chug along as a cute little side business. But Greenhouse grew quickly.

Today, it has 10 locations, with six more in the works for places like Union Station and the incoming Saks Food Hall across from the Eaton Centre.

Though instead of opening up standalone stores, Greenhouse likes to partner with other businesses. "Finding a storefront that's small enough for us is tricky so we love to go in with friends and see if we can create something unique," says Emma Knight, Greenhouse's director of brand and marketing.

I meet with Emma over green juice at her company's First Canadian Place outpost. This location is attached to iQ Food Co., a match made in healthy food heaven. More recently, Greenhouse opened with Crown Flora in West Queen West.

But its most fruitful partnership might be with Pusateri's. The juice brand operates a store within a store at certain Pustari's locations, including in Oakville and Yorkville. Greenhouse is even coming out with its own cookbook via Penguin Random House Canada next spring.

Yet, Emma realizes it's not an easy industry to be in. Customers, for instance, sometimes get sticker shock when they see a $10 beverage. But cold-pressed juice is expensive to make and margins are small.

"The business model is really hard because you're dealing with huge volumes, in our case, of 100 per cent organic produce," she says. And she understands why some juice brands can't make it. "It takes some serious gumption to still be in the game."

Like Greehouse, the Village Juicery started as a small local company, but has since expanded to multiple locations, which serve food as well as juice. Village Juicery also sells its products at cafes and restaurants throughout the city.

Cold-pressed juice might be a fad like cupcakes and frozen yogurt. But devotees seem pumped about downing bottles of multi-coloured juice and elixirs - and there are plenty of companies to feed their health-conscious appetites.

But for those like The Only who are getting out of the juicing business, the next food trend is always around the corner - its juice bar will soon be reborn as what else, but a taco bar.

Photo by Hector Vasquez.