October 1, 2018

Pumpkin Sale and Haunted House Oct. 20

Photo of pumpkins spread out on the Sorauren Town Square under sunny blue skies

The Pumpkin Sale at the Sorauren Town Square

The annual Pumpkin Sale in support of the park takes place Saturday, October 20, from 9 am until 12 noon… and this year features a Haunted House in the Fieldhouse!

The Pumpkin Sale on the Sorauren Town Square also features cider, hot chocolate and face painting. (Come early, the pumpkins sold out last year!) The fundraiser is sponsored by Chander Chaddah, Sutton Group Associates and Meridian Credit Union. This year 100% of proceeds will be donated to the Charles G. Williams Park (“Sorauren playground”) revitalization fund. The Haunted House is hosted by Scooter Girl Toys and The Little Paper.

Remember to bring your carved pumpkins back to the park after Halloween on November 1 for the world-famous Sorauren Pumpkin Parade.

Pumpkin Sale Sponsors

Haunted Fieldhouse Sponsors

September 23, 2018

Thanks for a great 2018 outdoor movie season

The audience settles in for the last movie of the 2018 season at Sorauren Park

Several hundred people packed the Town Square and surrounding lawn for Moana on September 22, following the Basketball Jamboree, kids’ games and Teddy Bear Clinic with real vets (!), and capping off a grand 2018 Sorauren Outdoor Movie Season.

Big thanks to everyone who came out to the free movie screenings, which began in June and included a special add-on screening of Hocus Pocus in collaboration with City of Toronto and Park People. It takes a community to organize, execute and pay for movies (several thousand dollars in permits, licenses, equipment, insurance, supplies, etc.) Thanks to:

The volunteers who ran the concession and pizza stands, set up and tore down equipment, and promoted and secured sponsorships for the series.
City of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation.
Our devoted Presenting Sponsors: Dundas West Animal Hospital, Master Mechanic High Park, Meridian Credit Union.
Our hard-working pizza oven operator: Pizzeria Defina (a share of all proceeds gets donated back to the park).
Moana special event sponsors: Scooter Girl Toys, The Little Paper, Friends of Charles G. Williams Park (proceeds to the Charles G playground fund).

The movie series is produced by the Friends of Sorauren Park. The Friends will be meeting over the winter to plan the 2019 series, including strategies to reduce the long (yet congenial) lines at the pizza oven and concession stand… thanks for your patience! You’re invited to join us the first Thursday of most months, 7 pm in the Sorauren Fieldhouse, for the regular monthly meeting of the Friends.

Presenting Sponsors

Pizza Oven Sponsor

Moana Special Sponsors

September 14, 2018

Moana movie screening Sep 22

Join us for the last outdoor movie of the year, the family-favourite Moana, a special presentation in support of the Friends of Charles G. Williams Park (“Sorauren playground”) on Saturday, September 22.

Activities kick off with a Basketball Jamboree at Charles G. Williams Park across Wabash Avenue from Sorauren Park, starting at 4 p.m. Kids aged 7 – 11 can sign up for the jamboree and tournament in person at Scooter Girl Toys on Roncesvalles Avenue, or by calling Scooter Girl Toys at 416-534-211 or emailing the shop.

We’ll also have a Teddy Bear Clinic, presented by Dundas West Animal Hospital, Fun Games for Kids, presented by Scooter Girl Toys and The Little Paper, and a raffle.

And the pizza oven will be fired up for park-made pizza with our partner Pizzeria Defina. Come to the parks!

Basketball Jamboree: 4 p.m.
Teddy Bear Clinic: 4:30 p.m.
Kids’ Games: 5 p.m.
Pizza Dinner: 6 p.m. ($10 per pizza, share of proceeds to the park)
Movie: 7:30 p.m. (free – donations welcome)

Kids Games Sponsored by

Outdoor Movie Season Presented by

Pizza Dinners Presented by

2018 Season generously sponsored by:

Dundas West Animal Hospital

Master Mechanic High Park

Meridian Credit Union

Pizzeria Defina

Produced by:

August 31, 2018

Special screening of Hocus Pocus Sept. 13

The Friends of Sorauren Park are proud to support the City of Toronto and the non-profit organization Park People to kick off the Pumpkin Parade season with a special 25th Anniversary screening of the bewitching comedy classic Hocus Pocus, starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy.

The free outdoor screening will take place on the Sorauren Park Town Square Thursday, September 13, along with pizza dinner from the park’s oven, and a special live performance.

6 pm: Pizza Dinner with Pizzeria Defina staff making fresh pizzas in the park’s oven.
7 pm-ish: Special LIVE appearance from Winifred Sanderson, courtesy Toronto entertainer Heroine.
7:30 pm: Free movie screening, Hocus Pocus.

When three 17th century Salem witches are accidentally summoned by modern-day pranksters, the 300-year-old trio sets out to cast a spell on the town and reclaim their youth, but first they must outwit three kids and an immortal talking cat. Get ready for a night of zany fun! Rated PG, 1h 36min.

#HocusPocus25

Pizza Dinners will be available for purchase ($10 each) before the movie from the new Sorauren Park Pizza Oven, prepared and presented by Pizzeria Defina. Pizza purchases are cash only, with a portion of the proceeds going to Friends of Sorauren Park.

Please take transit, bike or walk to Sorauren Avenue Park. The streets are narrow and busy in the neighborhood, and there is no parking in the park.

The closest subway stop is Dundas West, closet streetcar stop is Sorauren at Dundas.

There are accessible public washrooms in the Sorauren Avenue Park Fieldhouse.

The next screening in the park’s regular Outdoor Movie Season will be the kid special Moana, in support of renovations at Charles G. Williams playground.

Get ready for the annual Pumpkin Parades!

On November 1st of each year, Toronto’s pumpkins shine brightly for one last night in parks across the city. The tradition, started at Sorauren Park, has spread to dozens of parks in Toronto and parks in Montreal, New York and elsewhere.

September 9, 2018

Gracias! Taste of Spain fundraiser kicks off fall season

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A beautiful cool evening and the art-deco industrial home of Junction Craft Brewing welcomed revellers for the successful Taste of Spain fundraiser in support of Friends of Sorauren Park and Friends of Charles G. Williams Park on September 8.

Thanks to everyone who attended, sponsored, donated, volunteered and worked the event, a magical evening.

Funds raised will support free programming at Sorauren Park and playground renovations at Charles G. Williams Park.

Produced by Friends of Sorauren Park and presented by Junction Craft Brewing, the event started with a shuttle bus from the park, sponsored by Pollocks Home Hardware. Following the lively cocktail hour, diners enjoyed a wonderful meal prepared by Chef Bruno Beaudoin (GM, Novotel Ottawa) and Executive Chef David Neinstein (Barque Smokehouse). Throughout, everyone was entertained by the Jorge Miguel Flamenco Ensemble. The Roncesvalles Pass and the hamlet of Sorauren are both places in Spain, the names coming to Toronto via settler Colonel Walter O’Hara following his Napoleonic War exploits.

Such an event cannot happen without the support of the many individuals, organizations and local businesses who purchased tickets, as well as our sponsors and donors. Thank you.

PRESENTED BY: Junction Craft Brewing

Supporting Sponsors: Aya Kitchens and Baths Curated Properties

Music Sponsor: Scooter Girl Toys

Supplier Sponsors: Barque Willem & Jools Mabels

Shuttle Bus Sponsor: Pollocks Home Hardware

Friend of the Park: My Olive

PRODUCED BY: Friends of Sorauren Park