After a trip to the City Centre Market (after a few busy weekends and the Fringe, I think I was going through withdrawal), Mack and I walked over to Chinatown to check out the first East Meets West Festival.
We weren’t sure what to expect – the grassroots committee had put together the festival as a means to promote the Chinatown and Little Italy neighbourhoods – but if anything, we were happy that the event seemed to attract locals that perhaps wouldn’t otherwise set foot in the area.
Lion Dance
We arrived just on time for the opening lion dance, and ended up wandering up 97th Street which had been closed to traffic. As Mack noted, the tables were too spread out and sporadic, and there was a definite lack of food vendors (food smells are half the reason outdoor fairs attract crowds). Still, knowing that this is hopefully the first of many such festivals, I’m sure it will be much improved next year.
97th Street
Handmade Felt Cupcakes and Cookies (too cute!)
Zocalo’s Mobile Flower Cart
99 Supermarket’s Outdoor Market
Pretty lanterns outside of Lucky 97 (standing behind my zodiac animal – cheesy, I know)
We didn’t make it all the way down 97th into Little Italy, but we heard there were also festivities to be seen in Giovanni Caboto Park.
In the end, we chowed down on our own version of “east meets west”:
Mack’s jalepeno-cheddar smokie from Fat Franks and my shredded pork sub from Nhon Hoa 2
Mack’s complete photo set is here.
Only Here for the Food 
Loved this festival! Maybe because the area wasn’t crowded 😛 You’re totally right about it being great in attracting people who wouldn’t otherwise venture to the area. We need more liveable and communal spaces and this event really encouraged that, I think! Went to Little Italy for a drink and noticed that it drew people who would probably usually go to Chinatown. I think this city needs some more pedestrian streets, too.
I agree with you – the festivals that draw people to otherwise untrodden areas are best (Kaleido, or the recent Eastwood Festival are examples). It sounds like we should have made the effort to trek over to Little Italy though!