Kensington rocks with free concert by the Hip
Sandra Pendle and her friend Stephanie Whitter came for the gooey, cheddar and portobello mushroom-filled sandwiches at The Grilled Cheese restaurant.
David Camplin and his wife Hwaling Huang came for the European vibe that dominates the neighbourhood when it’s closed to traffic.
But Pam Westoby, Evelyn Reford and Mike Archibald all came to see The Tragically Hip after learning the Canadian rock stars would be playing a free impromptu concert to launch their new album.
It was the last “Pedestrian Sunday” of the summer in Kensington Market, when the neighbourhood that runs from Queen St. W. to College St. just west of Spadina Ave. is closed to traffic.
The sun shone, the streets were packed and people wandered freely among the food stalls, political pamphleteers and performers.
“It’s a beautiful day,” said Whitter, who was enjoying a churro, a Latin-American sugary fried doughnut-style treat from Pancho’s Bakery.
The best thing about Pedestrian Sundays, said Pendle, who was pushing her 1-year-old son in a stroller, is “not getting hit by a car.”
Camplin and his wife Huang, with their 4-year-old son Ocean, had stopped to watch a hula hoop performer on the corner of Augusta Ave. and Nassau St.
“It’s a little like a Taiwanese market because everything’s so open,” Huang said. Melissa Thompson and Patty Morzenti were in the market drumming up support for U.S. President Barack Obama. Both members of Democrats Abroad, they were urging any Americans to register to vote in the November election. “I’m really surprised at how many we’ve had come through,” said Morzenti, a dual citizen in Canada for 12 years. Many have kids attending the nearby University of Toronto, she noted. “Notice there’s no corresponding Mitt Romney table here,” Morzenti laughed, referring to Obama’s Republican rival. Up the street, in front of Super- market, which despite its name is a restaurant, a crowd gathered to hear The Tragically Hip. “They wanted to give something back to their fans,” said Tyson Parker, vice-president of corporate communications for Universal Records. They chose Kensington Market because “it’s just a very hip place to be.” The event was being held to promote their new album Now for Plan A, which is being released Tuesday.