Savouring Thoughts: How do Foodies & Ghostologists Celebrate October in Toronto?

It's getting darker sooner each day... As the temperature dips with each glorious Toronto sunsets, the crisp autumn air returns, and the vivid green leaves morph into breath-taking kaleidescope of colours... Yes, the clock is ticking away, but don't wait to celebrate and embrace all that the Fall season has to offer in the remainder of October, whether you're passionate Foodies hankering for comfort food or Ghostologists seeking bone-chilling local legends along eerie Toronto neighbourhood ghost walks! If you swing back and forth between being comforted and spooked, well you are in for a wicked treat or two with us! That's right... Come on, take a bite of that juicy Ontario apple it's good for you (unless your name is Snow White, and we all know what happened to her) and read on before it's too late!

A Taste of the World's
Multicultural Fall Bounty Experiences:

The Foodie in me always rejoice in Toronto's local, seasonal bounty. As a matter of fact, Toronto, the Meeting Place lives up to its name as it become increasingly multicultural in its Fall harvest. This time of the year, I'm always excited to be able to share the diverse Fall bounty in the form of multi-ethnic comfort food on food tours within the Kensington Market and Toronto's Second Chinatown neighbourhoods. As you stroll through either areas with a culinary historian like myself, you come away with a deeper appreciation of the layers of food history while all your senses are awakened...

Event: KENSINGTON FOODIES ROOTS WALK

Fresh dates!

Celebrate Fall bounty connected with 200 years of immigration waves within multicultural Kensington Market/ residential quarters past and present with culinary historian Shirley Lum! We will pay homage to the founding family with a cheese from that area (as well as artisanal cheeses to give you a true cross-Canada tasting). There will be equal portions of food for thought and the palate! NOTE: Do NOT eat breakfast prior to the tour for the fullest enjoyment of this food tour! NOTE II: I'll be winding down in the month of November but stay tuned for the holiday food tours in December.... Yes, the ever popular Kensington Festive Foodies Roots Walk returns on December 1, 8, 15, 2012 and we will celebrate ALL the Festival of Lights holidays - Diwali, Winter Solstice, Channukah, Christmas and Kwanzaa. Stay tuned!

Dates & Time: Sat. OCT 20, NOV. 3, 2012 9:30 AM-1:00 PM

Fees ($CAD: incl pre-ordered food & drinks): Adult $45 SR/ST $40 Child $30

Meet: Red Pole with Black Cat, 350 Spadina Ave/St Andrew St (1 bl N of Dundas St W)

Pre-register: (416) 923-6813 or info@TorontoWalksBikes.com

Event: SECOND CHINATOWN FOOD TOURS

Dessert - a feast for
the eyes & palate!

Celebrate and savour the Fall harvest! Go behind-the-scenes with culinary historian Shirley Lum! Sit back and enjoy hosted dim sum, complete with Chinese Horoscope Book plus review of chopsticks and tea pouring etiquettes. After this treat for all the senses, we head off to an Asian grocery store for a tour complete with a bi-lingual shopping list we provide to our guests. Ever wondered where's Toronto's 1st Chinatown? Find out at the finale in one of the oldest Chinese bakery as we sip hot tea and delicious traditional and contemporary pastries.

Dates & Time: Sun. OCT 21, 28, NOV 4, 2012 10:00AM-1:30PM

Fees ($CAD; incl pre-ordered food & drinks): Adult $45 SR/ST $40 Child $30

Meet: Lucky Moose Statue, 393 Dundas St W/Beverley St

Pre-register: (416) 923-6813 or info@TorontoWalksBikes.com

A Taste of the World's 12th annual
Toronto Hall❍ween Experiences:

Time flies by when you're having fun scaring the daylight out of big and little kids! The Ghostologist in me loves donning the period costumes to lead the eerie and spine-chilling Toronto Halloween Week experiences! It's hard to believe that 12 years ago, Spring 2000, I launched three unique neighbourhood ghost walks: Ghosts, Greasepaint & Gallows Walk; the Haunted Kensington, Chinatown & The Grange Walk; and Haunted Yorkville, U of T & Queen's Park Walk! Pretty soon folks went on all three of them, and there was increasing requests for another Toronto neighbourhood ghost walk. During Halloween Week 2003, I obliged by launching Phantoms, Players & Pundits Walk as an "Invitation Only" to repeat guests who experienced paranormal activities on all three previous tours with us. We were not disappointed that evening. Each year our Halloween Week ghost walk experiences gets better since then. Why? The already eerie tales from inaugural tours get spookier over time with the cumulative accounts of past guests' paranormal experiences over the years... So look out for the Grey Lady or perhaps that's your tour guide transformed by her period costume... We dare you to find out if Toronto is the Meeting Place for the Living... or... the Dead? Our ghost walks are not for the faint of heart... but definitely for those who loves a mystery or two...

Event: HAUNTED KENSINGTON, CHINATOWN & THE GRANGE WALK

Ghost, vampire & zombie stories with multicultural twists told along this eerie ghost walk tour, with loads of indoors and outdoors make this tour ideal for adults and kids! Not for the faint of heart if you can't handle discovering which cafes, shops and eateries have lively spirits to boast. This ghost walk has been used as part of Ryerson University's Anthropology of Death course in the past, so need we say more... Join us if you dare!
Limit: 13 spots each night

Dates & Time: THURS OCT 25, NOV 1, 2012
SAT OCT 20, 27, 2012 6:30-9:00 PM
Fees ($CAD: incl snacks): Adult $25 SR/ST $18 CHILD $15
Meet: Red Pole with Black Cat, 350 Spadina Ave/St Andrew St (1 bl N of Dundas St W)
Pre-register: (416) 923-6813 or info@TorontoWalksBikes.com

Event: GHOSTS, GREASEPAINT & GALLOWS WALK

Ghost tour with eerie tales and vibes connected with a lost public hanging square, jails and vaudeville theatres in the St. Lawrence Market, Old Theatre District & Financial District. Bram Stoker fans will delight in his connections with a very haunted lost theatre! We will share our own accounts of hair-raising paranormal sightings over the 12 years at the famous FIrst Mayor's home-turned-museum. Eaton's Centre is the spine-chilling Finale! NOTE: Young Children must be accompanied by an adult due to strong paranormal activities at the lost public hanging square. Limit 13 spots each night.

Dates & Time: FRI. OCT 19, 26, NOV 2, 2012 6:30 - 9:00 PM
Fees ($CAD: incl pre-ordered snacks): Adult $25 SR/ST $18 CHILD $15
Meet: St Lawrence Market's middle door, 93 Front St E.
Pre-register: (416) 923-6813 or info@TorontoWalksBikes.com

Event: HAUNTED YORKVILLE, U of T & QUEEN'S PARK WALK

This popular ghost tour starts at the ROM, and by the time we back there, we'll have you wondering who is dead or living on the tour! Yorkville Village is famous for its equal number of hair salon, art galleries, and some expensive haunted sites. Planning on entering politics or attending university some day? You might think twice chance after this attending this ghost walk. Warning: time permitting, we go into one famous university building after sharing the legend, we'll give you a chance to try "paranormal CSI". Ideal for adults and kids!
Limit 13 spots each night.

Dates & Time: TUES. OCT 23, 30, 2012 6:30-9:00 PM
Fees ($CAD: incl snacks): Adult $25 SR/ST $18 CHILD $15
Meet: ROM, steps between the 2 Marble Lions, 100 Queen's Park Circle
Pre-register: (416) 923-6813 or info@TorontoWalksBikes.com

Event: PHANTOMS, PLAYERS & PUNDITS WALK

As dusk approaches, the buildings get empty, or are they? We launched this tour during Halloween 2003, and right away guests experienced paranormal contacts... Can you handle more scary ghost stories of forgotten jails, public hanging square and vaudeville theatre in the Entertainment & Financial Districts?If you work downtown, we dare you to come along and discovery which one of these buildings are highly spirited: Old & New City Halls, Osgoode Hall, Campbell House, Malabar, and Royal Alexandra Theatre.
Limit 13 spots each night

Dates & Time: WED OCT 24, 31 + MON. OCT 29, 2012 6:30-9:00 PM
Fees ($CAD: incl pre-ordered snacks): Adult $25 SR/ST $18 CHILD $15
Meet: Old City Hall, front steps, 60 Queen St W/Bay St.
Pre-register: (416) 923-6813 or info@TorontoWalksBikes.com

Ignorance can be bliss...

You'll never look at Toronto again the same way

after a spooky ghost walk or a foodie tour ....
So join fellow foodies &/or ghostologists!