Ahh the countless memories of freezing my butt off while waiting for the big cheese himself, Santa. A great man indeed, always with his wondrous toys that light up the eyes of children. While the typical rule of thumb with Saint Nick is that you're technically not supposed to see him when he's doing his whole Christmas thing, he does make those special guest appearances to help encourage good behaviour, and Christmas cheer.
Because you, as a dutiful blog reader, have taken my advise and avoided the mall as much as possible this holiday season, you might find yourself asking, "How else shall I see Santa this year?" Well my friends I've got just the ticket!
Thats right, this Saturday, December 1st, the 39th Annual Windsor Santa Claus Parade will be taking place at 6pm. Excited much?
The parade will start at Atkinson Park and continue West to Brock Street down riverside dr.W.
While waiting for, Mr. Claus you might enjoy checking out all the cool festive floats making their way down the street. Get excited listening to the marching bands as they play down the streets, and the dancers who are sure to follow.
Nothing says cold better than walking to class from my ever so distant parking space, against the forceful wind. I'm going to be blunt here...I don't like the cold. I don't like being cold, having a cold, or even cold drinks. I'm the type of person who can wear a sweater in 90˚ weather and not even break a sweat. But in order to appeal to the masses I feel that I must provide some cold, wintry fun for those who enjoy such things.
I must admit that even though I recently spent the summer working in a hockey arena, ice does not appeal to me. However, for those of you brave souls who dare to test the fates of the cold, might I suggest ice skating on the outdoor rink in Charles Clark Square, located in downtown Windsor. Each year this irregularly shaped ice rink is set up for the pure amusement of city dwellers. Free of charge, this ice rink is available all Winter long. While there, enjoy the convenient bleacher seating set up around the perimeter as well as the concession stand and near by washrooms. The rink is lit up with perimeter lighting making it not only useful for night time skating but also more attractive.
Somewhat of a city secret, it is nestled between Chatham St. and University E. , between Goyeau and McDougall.
A great way to spend a Sunday afternoon relaxing, completing figure 8, after figure 8.
The rink is tenatively scheduled to open Dec. 1st of this year but it is weather dependent.
NOTE: This rink is not available for playing hockey.
After spending last night laughing hysterically at the amazingly funny Dane Cook live at the Palace of Auburn Hills, I felt like it needed to be mentioned that Windsor-ites can see local comedy right here in our very own city.
Leo's Komedy Korner (located on Ottawa street above Tops of Windsor) is a great place to spend a Friday or Saturday night if you're 19 years of age or older. A friendly and fun place to hang with friends, drink, and laugh all night long, the Komedy Korner has played host to a variety of comics who have become well known to the comedy community. Stand-ups such as J.R. Remick have opened up for note-worth comedians such as Tim Allen, Jeff Foxworthy, and American rock band Reo Speedwagon.
Leo Dufour, owner of the Komedy Korner, is also a well known stand-up. He has been seen on A&E's Evening at the Improv, and Comedy Central. Full of hilarious antics, Leo's shows are a non-stop barrel of laughs. You can check him out for yourself this weekend November 30th-December 1st.
Also be sure to check out Dave Landau (seen in the clip below) December 21st through the 22nd.
For a complete schedule of upcoming comedians at the Komedy Korner check out the website here.
WARNING: These acts are likely to contain crude humour and are not recommended for overly sensitive people. Also if you do not like to be picked on as part of a running-joke, please do yourself a favour and refrain from sitting in the front row.
As I made my way down the steps and through the theater doorways out into the brisk night air I said to myself...what happened to great movies? Why is it that the preview either gives all the funny stuff away and leaves us no hope for the time in between, or sets us up for a great suspense with an ending that kills (and by that I mean you recall the last time you said "if I have to watch another movie with a crappy ending I'll kill myself *cough Children of Men *cough). Anyway, as I did some web surfing in my so-called "free time" I ran into a secret of Windsor...The Windsor International Film Festival *gasp! Okay so its not a huge secret but there are plenty of people out there who have never even heard of such a thing taking place in Windsor. Once a year for the past 2 years Windsor brings together some of the best movies never to hit the big screen. If you're looking for a movie you've seen a preview for on television...this is not where you want to go. Most of the movies showcased in this 6 day event are independent films that include both fiction and non-fiction. Now don't underestimate this films, these are done by some of the best directors in the country and include actors that YOU know for example : Susan Sarrandon, Colin Firth, Tommy Chong, Christopher Plummer, Woody Harrelson, Willem Dafoe, and Lily Tomlin, to name a few.
According to their website, the Windsor International Film Festival has " a mandate to showcase critically acclaimed cinematic arts by distinguished directors; to present international film worthy of a Canadian audience; and to debut independent film in Windsor, the Windsor International Film Festival is committed to providing accessibility to Canadian and international audiences."
Though some movies are border-line bizarre, such as Weirdsville, others remain intriguing documentaries that bring a new view to life, which includes Kurt Cobain: About A Son which is more like a biography of Cobain's life, using never-before-heard interviews as the direction of the film.(Seen below)
The festival runs from November 6th to the 11th this year. Tickets for each film cost $10 (which is pretty much what you pay to see another boring movie at the theatre) and can be purchased online at the festival website located below.
Schedules and locations for films can be found at the Windsor International Film Festival website located here.
This is a great alternative to seeing some of the typical story lines we seen in big blockbuster movies at the local theatre. Why not try something new?
Fighting my way through mid-term season I find myself feeling a little dazed. Its kind of like I'm watching everything go on around me and I'm barely absorbing any of it. By the time I lay down at night I feel like I've spent the day running in circles. So I have decided that in order to relieve myself of such stresses I will spend this Wednesday night amoung my peers (just like last year...and the year before) laughing hysterically at the antics of individuals under hypnosis in The Basement.
Damien the Hypnotist is returning to the University of Windsor this year for another great night of good ol' fashioned hypnosis. Damien has performed all throughout Canada, the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean and is known for the crazy acts he gets his willing victims to perform. This show is guaranteed to make you laugh for hours and help to relieve some of that pent-up stress. Check out the fun Damien brings to these students at Concordia University last January...
This night of laughs starts Wednesday November 7th at 9pm...be there early to get good seats. Also, this event is FREE! ( even more appealing now isn't it?). The Basement is located in the lower level of the CAW student center building on the University of Windsor campus.
Haven't exercised your funny bone in awhile? Come check out Damien and watch your classmates make fools of themselves on stage!
This event is rated PG-13:Parents Strongly Cautioned
After flipping through CD after CD in my collection I realized that I am currently lacking quality CD in the Canadian music genre. Complaining, as usual, to some friends of mine I was informed of the Border City Rocks! conference that is making its way to Windsor this weekend. I'll be heading downtown this weekend to pick up some new Cd's for my collection and to party all night long to these great Canadian bands! This weekend the University of Windsor Student Alliance is hosting a conference that will also include nightly entertainment open to everyone and anyone. If you dig the local music scene or perhaps weren't even aware that there was one this is a good opportunity to expose yourself to all things musical in Windsor. Tonight The Roxy in downtown Windsor (the old Club O for those of us who haven't been to the Roxy yet), will play host to a variety of bands including: Hello Beautiful, I.AN.EYE, Zaki Ibrahim, The Mission District, and The Saint Alvia Cartel (all of whose myspace pages you can check out by clicking on their names). Some of these bands are well renowned Canadian bands such as The Saint Alvia Cartel who have been added to the playlists of Canadian celebs like George Stroumboulopoulos. Doors open at 8pm.
Saturday night the music relocates to The Chubby Pickle (also in downtown Windsor) to release 10 more bands music into our local air. Well known for hosting the CD releases of a variety of bands this local bar is teaming of with the Border City Rocks conference to bring the following bands to our local area for one great night of music:
The musical stylings for both these nights range from punk alternative to folk reggae. This weekend is sure to be a blast! I know I'll be there shakin' my groove thang to some of the best music Canada has to offer.
These shows are all ages. Tickets are $10 each night and are available for purchase at the UWSA office (located upstairs in the CAW building of the University of Windsor) and on the UWSA website
No one says great Canadian folk rock like Pat Robitaille...at least in my opinion. First introduced to his acoustic driven melodies while cruisin' in the car with a friend in search of the nearest bulk barn, I have to say I wasn't hooked right away. It took at least another ten minutes on the way home to think to myself, I should burn that for myself (nothing says honour to a musician like a burned copy of their disk). In any case it was later on that week while cruising the web that I fell upon his myspace site and found a tour date for this Thursday at the Whiskey in downtown Windsor. Sweet!
So what do you get when you listen to his music? Not only a relaxing melody to wind down your day but also a sultry voice that sweeps you away...not to mention he ain't that bad lookin.
So what makes him Canadian?
Well it helps that he was born and raised here in Windsor, which is pretty cool. Also there are a bunch of Canadian names and places that create that nostalgic feeling of Canadian summers up north. In his song "Leonard Cohen (Northern Lights)" he talks about famous Canadian poet Leonard Cohen,andGeorgian Bay...which you can check out the music video for here-->
You can also listen to more of his music at his myspace page here
Looking for some relaxing acoustic music to wind down your week? Check out Pat Robitaille this Thursday at The Whiskey Bar and Grill in downtown Windsor. Cost is $5 or free if you call ahead to reserve seating.
The Whiskey Bar & Grill 300 Ouellette Ave Windsor 519-977-7875
Growing up in Windsor and Essex County, I've pretty much seen and done it all..well most of it. Upon deep searching in recent years, plus the fact that I can now legally drink, I have found just a few more things to do around here. For the last 19 years or so I've lived in a rural area surrounded by farm fields...so you can imagine how easily people get bored out here. I feel that it is my duty to fellow bored residents to provide knowledge of all the exciting goings-on of Windsor and Essex County!!
The parade will start at Atkinson Park and continue West to Brock Street down
