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Toronto's favourite festival offers fun for the whole family

JULY 30, 2009: TORONTO:   Toronto's favourite street festival has a whole new way to celebrate the fun and flavours of Greece and summer in the city.  Every year in August, the city of Toronto flocks to GreekTown on the Danforth.  Celebrating its 16th year, the Pilaros Taste of the Danforth is Canada's largest street festival, welcoming well over a million visitors.  A Decima Research poll indicated that 90% of respondents identified "The Taste" as their favourite GTA festival event -- beating out such iconic events as the Toronto International Film Festival, Caribana and Pride Week. 

The GTA lays claim to more than 200,000 residents of Greek ancestry, the third largest Hellenic community outside of Greece, and between August 7th and August 9th, 2009, everyone who comes to the Danforth gets to be Greek for the day.

This year the Taste of the Danforth welcomes a new Title Sponsor, Pilaros.  Pilaros International Inc. is a leading importer of Mediterranean food products, primarily olives and olive oil, what the ancient Greeks refer to as "The Essence of Life".

"A Taste Of What To Expect"

This year's Pilaros Taste of the Danforth has loads of fun family-friendly activities to engage and entertain Torontonians.  The programs, exhibitors and performers are still being finalized but the following is a "taste" of what is to come:

1. THE CELEBRITY STAGE featuring "A Taste of Broadway", including:

"The Sound of Music"

"JERSEY BOYS"

Stage West's "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" - featuring the songs of Neil Sedaka

Second City - Join The Second City for hilarious, interactive family-friendly comedy!

CanStage - GYM Choir

... and many more great performers.

2. THE BROADVIEW STAGE featuring an eclectic array of music and lifestyle-related programs and performances, including:

The Swamp Dawgs

The cast of "Secrets Of A Black Boy"

Hog Town Swing

Scot Free - ultra physical comedy

Kalen - Mastery of Fire Arts

Batucada Carioca Samba Group

Hannan's Bellydancing

Embrujo Flamenco Dancers

The Argentine Tango Milango

Aideen O'Brien - Celtic Legends

Tone Devils

Karate demonstration from Japan Martial Arts Centre

Yosakoi Dance Group

Free Zumba, Nia and Yoga classes

3. THE GREEK STAGE featuring traditional Greek dancers, singers and musicians, including an opportunity for the audience to learn Greek dancing. Some of the performers include:

Yia Mas

Parea

Ola

Magika Votana

Levendia X

Galaxy

Knossos Cretan Association Dancers

Yiannis kapoulas & Ena K'Ena

4. THE SPORTS ZONE including challenges created by Toronto's professional sports teams featuring the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Toronto Raptors, the Toronto Argos, and the Toronto Marlies.  There will also be two volleyball courts: one for adults and one for children. Lots of chances for people to test their skills and win fun prizes.

5. THE OLYMPIADA offering fun-themed activities for the young, including:

The Mount Olympus Climbing Wall

Caryatid Stand-off

Oracle Of Delphia

We've Lost Our Marbles

Olympic Torch Carry

Olympic Designs

6. CELEBRITY GREEK CHEF - There will be an opportunity to meet our celebrity Greek chef Maria Loi Kouzina, compliments of Pilaros. Maria is a popular Greek television food star from New York. Maria is also a cookbook author and restaurateur. Back home in Greece they call her the "Greek Queen Bee". Maria owns two gourmet restaurants, publishes a weekly magazine and monthly soft cover cookbooks, and has a regular spot on a top daily morning TV show.

7. TASTE OF THE WORLD - Our feature country this year for our new "Taste of the World" program is Japan. There will be Japanese karate demonstrations from the Japan Martial Arts Centre and dance performances from the Yosakoi Dance Group, plus a chance to win a Trip For Two To Japan.

8. THE WINGED WHEELS - We will also be welcoming The Toronto Police Precision Motorcycle Team, The Winged Wheels, in a special 20th anniversary performance.

9. BEER GARDENS - There will be both a Mill Street Brewery Beer Garden and a Moosehead Beer Garden to help keep thirsty patrons refreshed

10. MOTT'S CLAMATO CAESAR GARDEN - This year we will be introducing a Mott's Clamato Caesar Garden where you can not only taste a Mott's Clamato Caesar but you can also learn how to mix the perfect Caesar.

11. WINE & SPIRITS GARDEN - We will also be featuring a Wine & Spirits Garden including sommeliers and a series of seminars on wines, including:

"It's All Greek To Me" - A selection of Greek wines

"Wines Of The World Meet Mediterranean Food" - Compare and contrast some wines of the world

"We're Making Cocktails: Part 1" - Learn how to mix the perfect Mott's Clamato Caesar, Margaritas and Martinis

"We're Making Cocktails: Part 2" - Taste unique international liqueurs and fortified wines.  Creates a great cocktail.

12. GREAT CONTESTS, PRIZES AND FREE SAMPLES FROM A HOST OF EXHIBITORS including:

Free samples of Dr. Oetker Pizza

Free samples of Astro Yogurt Smoothies

Free samples of Odwalla

Free samples from Tetley

Free food samples from George Foreman Grills

Chance to win free gas from Sunoco

Chance to win prizes from Yak

Relax to the music of Sirius Satellite Radio during intermission on our Celebrity Stage and in our Wine & Spirits Garden. 

13. OPPORTUNITY TO WIN GREAT TRIPS - From our feature country, Japan, there will be an opportunity to win a Trip For Two To Japan, compliments of the Japan National Tourism Organization, Air Canada and Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel.

There will also be opportunities to win an Aegean Splendour Trip For Two To Glorious Greece, courtesy of Transat Holidays.

14. FOOD, FOOD AND MORE FOOD - And, of course, dozens and dozens of tasty food stations from the Danforth's amazing array of multi-ethnic cuisine

PILAROS TASTE OF THE DANFORTH CONTRIBUTES TO TORONTO EAST GENERAL HOSPITAL - On Friday afternoon, August 7th, as part of our "Pre-Show", celebrities, politicians, members of the media and corporations will be kicking up their heels with "Beds On Wheels" at the 5th Annual Danforth Dash Bed Race, in support of the Toronto East General Hospital Foundation.  To-date this event which is hosted by the Pilaros Taste Of The Danforth has raised in excess of $100,000 towards the purchase of new electric hospital beds for TEGH.  In addition to supporting The Danforth Dash, over the years the Taste of the Danforth has raised more than $800,000 in support of our community hospital, Toronto East General.

The Festival is supported by Ontario Tourism ... Ontario, Yours to Discover.

The Pilaros Taste Of The Danforth is presented by the GreekTown On The Danforth BIA, in cooperation with the Danforth BIA.

UPDATED INFORMATION AND SCHEDULES

For updated festival programming and schedule information visit:  www.tasteofthedanforth.com

FESTIVAL PHOTOS:

In order to access festival photos, please see the instructions below. Photo credit should be given to John Narvali.

Go to:  www.narvali.com - click on EVENTS - search for: Taste of the Danforth - Password:  td204

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR MEDIA INQUIRIES CONTACT:

Howard Lichtman at:  howard@lightning-group.com or 416-402-4948

MARIA LOI

Maria Loi, a former Public Affairs Specialist and Lobbyist, who has undertaken projects for multinational conglomerates like the energy giant TEXACO, or the telecommunication pioneer NOKIA, Sheraton Hotels chain, or Nethold International, decided to leave behind her outstanding lobbying track and embark on new challenges.

Today, her innovative spirit exploits new frontiers as she runs her own cooking show within Greece’s most successful morning show on the country’s leading TV network: MEGA channel.

Captivating millions of viewers of all ages, having a special appeal in the huge group ranging from 15 to 40+( 40% to 60% of all viewers), Maria Loi manages to combine her TV activities, publishing work and running her own weekly magazine Kouzinomageiremata, distributed with ETHNOS daily (belonging to the country’s biggest media group PEGASUS SA). Her publishing work includes: the Athens 2004 Olympic Games book, Ancient Dining and a series of monthly books on cooking, distributed again by PEGASUS and MOTIBO Publications. Her cooking frenzy is concluded with a line of products for the house and DVD’s.

Yet, Maria’s multidimensional personality is not “restricted” to her cooking business. A born businesswoman, she owns a gourmet restaurant at the idyllic Nafpactos and a clothing business representing international fashion firms. Restless Maria is heavily involved in philanthropy. One of ELPIDA’s (NGO dealing with children suffering from cancer) core founders, nowadays she funds poor youngster’s university studies. Last but not least, she worked as a fundraiser on events aiming to help the homeless. Though for restive spirits, the best is yet to come…

Cooking on PBS

NATIONAL WEEKLY

WLIW New York proudly presents what promises to be the latest hit in its ever-popular lineup of public television cooking shows, Maria Loi Kouzina. It’s an original half-hour weekly program that combines all the most successful ingredients of the public’s favorite cooking shows: ethnic foods, glamorous locations, a stellar personality and solid reputation. The popular Greek television food star, cookbook author and restaurateur, Maria Loi brings her brilliant talent and European star quality to a fresh new look at Mediterranean cuisine that is sure to take the public television audience far beyond the fast-meal and “bam!” schools of cooking.

Yes, Maria’s kouzina (Greek for cuisine) is easy to prepare, and her sparkling personality gives any Rachael or Emeril type a run for their money...but Maria has more. She’s got the track record: back in Greece they call her the “Greek Queen Bee”--with two gourmet restaurants and two more to open this year in Athens, a weekly magazine, monthly soft cover cookbooks and a regular spot on the top daily morning TV show. She’s got location: classically beautiful Greece in all its rich variety of history and landscape.