This is the big social event of the HVRA year, bringing together the whole range of Harbord Village residents for fun, music, socializing, and a silent auction. It takes full advantage of Margaret Fairley Park (Brunswick and Ulster) on the first Sunday afternoon after Labour Day.
Read about plans for the 2024 Fall Fair in our sidebar story — and watch for more information!
Also click on green links in the list below to see details and photos from past years.
2023 Fall Fair
2022 Fall Fair
2021 Fall Event with a difference
2020 Fall Fair cancelled, with regrets
(sorry, no story)
2019 Fall Fair
(story and photos below)
Cool and pleasant—-a great day to start the Fall season. Food and drink were abundant, the live music was better than ever, and the silent auction was amazing. Kids had their faces painted, re-dug the contours of the large sandbox, and found new ways to use the playground equipment. Parents, friends, and neighbours got together at picnic tables and benches under the trees, sharing enjoyment of everything going on in Margaret Fairley Park. Much credit to the organizers Gus Sinclair and Anne Fleming, and to the dozens of local volunteers who kept things running—-and had fun in the process. A selection of images below from photographers Anne Fleming, Angela Miles, Margaret Procter and Merrill Swain. Click on the white arrow or use your right-arrow key to see a slide show.
And thanks once again to our generous donors, who furnished food, drink, and items for the silent auction, HVRA’s only fund-raising initiative.
AGO
Akai Sushi
Alex Cuts
Almond Butterfly Bakery
Alternative Arts
Anne Lindsay Music
Annex Photo
Bakka Phoenix Books
Bata Shoe Museum
Blackbird Bakery
BMV Bookstore
Cafe Diplomatico
Canadian Stage Theatre
Caversham Booksellers
Central Tech Dome
Cheese Magic
Christian Mueller/Mary Louis
CL Hair Salon, Bathurst
Clay Design
Cobs Bread
College Street Optical
Comrades Barbershop
Crafty Coyote / Victory Cafe
Curbside Cycle
David’s Tea
Dessert Kitchen
Everdale Farms
Factory Theatre
Fiesta Gardens
Flock Rotisserie
Free Times Café
Fringe Toronto
Fresh Restaurant
Gardiner Museum
Good for Her
Gripped Publishing
Harbord Bakery
Harbord Convenience
Harbord Dentistry
Harbord House
Harbord Street BIA
Hart House Theatre
Harvest Kitchen
Her Father’s Cider Bar
Hot Docs Theatre
Hutoshi
Independent City Mart
Insomnia
Jimmy’s Coffee on Baldwin Juxtapose
Kalendar Cafe
Keiko Shintani Textiles
Kensington Brewery
Kilgour’s
King’s Landing Barber
Knox Church
Krispy Kreme
L’Arc en Ciel
LeTAO
Manic Coffee House
Margaret Keenan Ceramics
Mars Diner
Mattamy Centre Ryerson Rams
Metro
Miles Nadal JCC
Mugi Restaurant, Bathurst
Muskoka Brewery
Muskoka Mercantile
Nu Bügel
Panago Pizza
Parentbooks
Patrick Crean Books
Paupers Pub
Paradise Theatre
Pet Valu
Peter Macaulay
Piano Piano
Pizzeria Via Mercanti
Piya’s Boutique
Randolph Academy
Rasa Restaurant
RBC, Spadina/Harbord
Rexall, Bloor/Brunswick
The Rock Store
Royal Conservatory of Music
Sanagan’s Meat Locker
Second Cup, Bloor
Shopper’s Drug Mart, Bloor
Sivananda Yoga
Starbucks, Bloor
Studio 79
Susan Swan Author
Sweet Pete’s
Tafelmusik
Tarragon Theatre
Textile Museum
Think IT Cafe
312 Optical
Tom’s Place
Top Cuts
Tranzac Club
U of T Athletic Centre
Urbane Cyclist
Wanda’s Pie in the Sky
Wiener’s Hardware
Wine Rack, Bloor & Spadina
Wright Real Estate
Yasu Sushi
Zade Jones Studio
2018 Fall Fair
Cool, windy, but not rainy! That was Sunday Sept. 9 in Margaret Fairley Park. People came in jackets, scarves, and even gloves—and kept warm by having fun. The volunteers worked hard, but looked as if they enjoyed it. Thanks to photographers Graham Rempe, Richard Longley, and Merrill Swain for the photos below. (Click on the white arrows to see a slide show, or use the right-arrow button on your keyboard.)
The array of food came from Fiesta Farms, sold to us at cost and provided with exemplary service. Much appreciated! Our neighbour Harbord Bakery graciously helped us stock our bake table. Delicious!
And our generous donors once again contributed a wonderful range of items for the Silent Auction—the one and only way we raise money for the operation of HVRA itself. Many thanks to all!
AGO
Akai Sushi
Alex Cuts
Almond Butterfly Bakery
Alternative Arts
Annex Photo
Bakka Phoenix Books
Bata Shoe Museum
Blackbird Bakery
Blo Go Hair Salon
BMV Bookstore
Body Invest
Caversham Booksellers
Central Tech Dome
Cheese Magic
Clay Design
Cobs Bread
College Street Optical
Crafty Coyote
Crêpes à GoGo
Curbside Cycle
Elchi Chai Shop
El Rey Restaurant
Everdale Farms
Factory Theatre
Famoso Pizzeria
Fancy Franks
Fiesta Farms
Flock Rotisserie
Free Times Café
Fringe Toronto
Fresh Restaurant
Gardiner Museum
Good for Her
Gripped Publishing
Harbord Bakery
Harbord Convenience
Harbord Dentistry
Harbord House
Harbord Street BIA
Harvest Kitchen
Her Father’s Cider Bar
Hot Docs Theatre
Hutoshi
Independent City Mart
J’s Apron Restaurant
Juxtapose
Karen Millyard
Kensington Brewery
Kilgour’s
King’s Landing Barber
Knox Church
Krispy Kreme
Manic Coffee House
Margaret Procter
Mars Diner
Metro
Miles Nadal JCC
Noah’s Foods
Nu Bügel
Parentbooks
Patrick Crean Books
Paupers
Pet Valu
Piano Piano
Pizzeria Via Mercanti
Piya’s Boutique
Quetzal Restaurant
Randolph Academy
Rasa Restaurant
Raymond James Financial
RBC, Spadina/Harbord
Rexall, Bloor/Brunswick
River Tai
The Rock Store
Rowe Farms
RCM Koerner Hall
St. Louis Bar & Grill
Sanagan’s Meat Locker
Scholar House
Second Cup, Bloor
Shopper’s Drug Mart, Bloor
Sivananda Yoga
Sunflower Kitchen
Starbucks, Bloor
Sweet Pete’s
Tafelmusik
Tarragon Theatre
10 Editions
Textile Museum
Things Japanese
Think IT Cafe
312 Optical
Tom’s Place
Top Cuts
Torreira Imports
Tranzac Club
Victory Cafe
Wiener’s Hardware
Wright Real Estate
Yasu Sushi
2017 Fall Fair
Sunday Sept. 10 was an ideal day of sunshine and comfortable temperatures. We made the most of the newly refurbished Margaret Fairley Park, with activities for the whole family and the whole neighbourhood. The photos below tell some of the story. Thanks to Graham Rempe for being official photographer; contributions also from Merrill Swain. (Click on the white arrows to see a slide show.)
The delicious food and drink was provided with the generous sponsorship of local businesses. Our thanks go to Fiesta Farms, Pizza Nova, and Tim Horton’s.
We also thank the 100 donors who stocked the Silent Auction table with wonderful items, gift cards, and tickets. Money raised here supports the ongoing activities of the HVRA (including the costs of running the Fall Fair and other events, initiatives such as the tree inventory, and also our own donations to such good causes as the Green P Farmer’s Market).
10 Editions
312 Optical
Akai Sushi
Alex Cuts
Almond Butterfly Bakery
Anne Roper
Annex Photo
Aunties & Uncles
Bakka Phoenix Books
Bata Shoe Museum
Blackbird Bakery
BMV Bookstore
Body Invest
Caspar Haydar Design
Caversham Booksellers
Cheese Magic
Clay Design
Cobs Bread
College Street Optical
Crafty Coyote
Crêpes à GoGo
Dirty Bird Waffles
East of Brunswick
Elchi Chai Shop
Famoso Pizzeria
Fancy Frank’s
Fiesta Farms
Flock Rotisserie & Greens
Free Times Café
Gardiner Museum
Global Cheese
Good for Her
Greg’s Ice Cream
Gripped Publishing
Harbord Bakery
Harbord Convenience
Harbord Dentistry
Harbord House
Harbord Street BIA
Harvest Kitchen
Her Father’s Cider Bar
Hooked Seafood
Hutoshi
Independent City Mart
J’s Apron
Jelly Modern Doughnut
Jimmy’s Coffee
JUMP+
Juxtapose
Peter Macaulay and Mary Neumann
Karen Millyard
Kensington Brewery
Kilgour’s
King’s Landing Barber Shop
Listening Centre
Lotus Yoga
Magic Noodle
Manic Coffee House
Margaret Procter
Mars Diner
Metro
Miles Nadal JCC
Myo Medical Wellness
Nu Bagel
Parentbooks
Pet Valu
Piano Piano
Pya’s Boutique
Queen Video
Randolph Academy
Rasa
RBC, Spadina
Rexall, Bloor
Risque
River Tai
Rowe Farms
St. Louis Bar & Grill
Sanagan’s Meat Locker
Shopper’s Drug Mart, Bloor
Sivinanda Yoga
Solo Hair Salon Yorkville
Swiss Chalet
Tafelmusik
Tarragon Theatre
Textile Museum
Things Japanese
TIFF
Tom’s Place
Top Cuts
Toronto Popcorn Co.
Torreira Imports
Urbane Cyclist
Wanda’s Pie in the Sky
Wiener’s Home Hardware
Working Moms
Wrapido
Wright Real Estate
2016 Fall Fair
In 2016 it was a big street party on Brunswick just south of Ulster, closed to traffic with the consent of neighbours and the city. That’s right beside the usual location of Margaret Fairley Park, currently undergoing renovation. The weather was glorious, the food from local businesses was delicious, and the silent auction was the best ever.
The photos displayed below were taken by Richard Longley (identified in captions as RL), Christian Mueller (CM), Margaret Procter (MP), Anne Stevens (AS), Merrill Swain (MS), and Wendy Trueman (WT). Put your cursor over the photos below, then click on the arrows to move through the slide shows.
Visitors
Several hundred visitors made the most of the fine weather and each others’ company. Use the arrows to move through the slide show.
Kids caught the infectious enthusiasm, entertaining themselves and everyone else by dancing, playing, drawing, eating, and having their faces painted by volunteers from St. Stephen’s Community House. Use the arrows to move through the slide show.
Entertainment
The Nags’ Players provided roaming entertainment, and seven musical groups kept us singing and dancing. Where else could you get free shows like this?
The Lineup: The Turnups, Murray Powell, Joe Hall (with Tony Quarrington, George Dobo, and Casey Irwin), The Nags Players and their horse, The Groovees, Nuno Cristo and three of his cavaquinho students, Paddy on the Cell Phone, and The Real Deal. Click on the arrows to see the photos.
The Volunteers Who Made it Happen
Christian Mueller and Wendy Trueman, co-chairs of the HVRA Fall Fair, spent a hot summer making arrangements for street closure, licensing, security, entertainment, food and drink, table and chair rental, and also of course recruiting more volunteers for the day. At least 60 people helped run the show. That’s too many to list, but you probably saw them there, enjoying themselves! Click on the arrows to move through the slide show.
Donations and Silent Auction
We ate well at the Fall Fair because local businesses gave us a break on their delicious food and drink. That includes Fiesta Gardens for the burgers and hot dogs, Independent City Market for the condiments, Rasa for its chopped salad, Aroma for coffee, Crafty Coyote for pulled BBQ’d lamb sandwiches, and Kensington Brewery for beer. We also appreciate the cash gifts from Workin Moms Productions, which is filming in our area, and from the Harbord Street Business Improvement Area and the newly renovated Coin O Rama Laundromat.
The 2016 silent auction was the most exciting and the most productive ever. That’s because of the organizing skills of Wendy Trueman and Deanna Hendriks, and also the enterprise of Anna Barnett, Ann Eyerman, Marilyn Martin and others who canvassed local businesses for donated items to sell. Cobs Bread, for instance, donated a year’s supply of bread and a fine basket of goodies to go with it. Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre and the ROM gave memberships. Piano Piano offered a luxury dinner, one of many local restaurants giving gift certificates for eating and drinking. Independent City Market and other stores also provided gift certificates, often with samples of their goods. Several individual donors gave event tickets for resale.
This is the one time of year that HVRA raises money for its own work. We appreciate the generosity of all 109 of our silent-auction donors! Click here for a PDF file listing them.
From past Fall Fairs, a few photo memories: