Just got this email, best news all day

hi, David and Irving here. We’re really happy to announce that Sunday afternoons down at Cherry Beach will be continuing this summer for the 6th year!

With the controversy at the end of last summer, all winter long we were concerned that we had reached an end of an era. After 5 years of sweet, mellow anarchy and community in the sun, it was frustrating to think we wouldn’t be able to listen to music and dance in the park with friends, family and pets.

We got lots of good advice from the Kensington Car Free Sundays people Shamez and Kelsey, Jason from Councillor Joe Pantalone’s office, Ari from the Trinity Bellwoods Tuesday drumming group, our smart political friend Mike Layton, the Toronto Public Space Committee, Gregory Nixon from Live with Culture, and Kevin and Lori from NewMindSpace, and went into action this spring to encourage local councillor Paula Fletcher to support us.

Paula understood that this Sunday gathering is fantastic on many levels and she was very willing to throw her support behind it. We wrote up a proposal to the City and now they’ve given us a permit and blessing to continue. This type of fun is a viable part of great cities like New York, Paris, Montreal and Madrid. Toronto just got way cooler.

Here’s the good news:

this Sunday June 17th
Promise Cherry Beach Sunday Afternoon Soundsystem

Bring a frisbee, bring a kite, bring a handy sweater, bring a dog (only nice dogs), bring your lover and a hammock. And pass the time on this lazy sunny Sunday afternoon with friends and friends of friends.

3 to 11pm

Dan Driscoll - trip hop
Violet - dub reggae
Hali - house
Orly - retro and electro
Rollin Cash - break beats from the birthday boy - congratulations Roland!
Adam Marshall - deep house and techno
Mental Floss - deep groove

Directions to Cherry Beach and the new location - With consideration to ongoing construction and landscaping, the site may move around the park from weekend to weekend, which is kind of interesting. We have a meeting at the beach friday morning with Parks staff to determine the location for this Sunday. We will email and let you know in the evening just where it is.

Biking to Cherry Beach is easy along the paths beside the lake, and a bus from Union Station goes there too.

Things to think about - Please bring only what you plan to take back out with you, leave no trace! Pack something warm (it gets cool after dark by the lake) and something to sit on and also something to keep sun off your head. Drink lots of water. Bring something to share.

And remember how key it is to take care of your friends, your neighbours, and what's going on around you. It's what makes Cherry Beach happen smoothly.

We have been asked by Parks to put a lid on public consumption of alcohol, which is reasonable. It’s delicate and we have a trial permit, so understand that alcohol in public spaces is not ok. David and Irving will need to keep an eye out, so please don’t let us see any. We will have friends helping to remind people of this over the weekend. If we all cooperate here, then we get to have our good times.

For the past 5 years the picnic’s been free. Now with the permit, insurance, soundsystem and other weekly expenses, we’d like to ask for your help. From time to time we’ll be passing around a hat, please contribute as you are able. Thanks a lot!

Looking for djs, bands and other performances
Over the course of the summer there’s about 80 djs, bands and artists that perform. We’d love your help and suggestions and any contacts you may have to make the performances happen. Last summer’s stunning hit was the Jimmy Swift Band from Nova Scotia, arranged by our friend Derek in synch with the band’s appearance at NXNE. If you’re bringing in a dj or band or performance, ask them to make an appearance at the beach part of their weekend in Toronto. They may embrace the chance to play outdoors, away from the hype and lights of a club, to a happy and enthusiastic crowd like ours. Think big and let us know.

We’d like to give our deep thanks to Pat and Councillor Paula Fletcher, Sandy Straw and Jaime McCaig at Toronto Parks, Jason and Councillor Joe Pantalone, the Toronto Public Space Committee, Shamez and Kelsey, Ari, Mike, Jason, Kevin and Lori, Wade, Joey, Jonathan, Gregory, Charlotte, Ayla, Katie, Lyen, Linda, Bettina and Emily, Justin, Tomasz, and Robbi-Anne.

And, most of all, please thank yourselves for the huge influx of letters of support to city council. Pat and Paula told us how impressed they were with them. Their office get lots of angry and aggressive complaints. Your letters were refreshingly upbeat, mature and personally engaging. Way to go everyone! We did it!

Thanks for reading, see you Sunday!

cheers,
David and Irving