Neilson Park Creative Festival on Saturday, July 5 @ 12 pm – 5 pm
Please join Neilson Park Creative Centre and our community partner, Toronto Pearson for a day of arts in the park on July 5!
We’ll have art and fine craft vendors selling their handmade items including paintings, drawings, quilts and quilted items, rug crafting, calligraphy, woven and spun textiles, jewellery, stained glass, home accessories, clothing, wood carving, soaps, cards, toys, pottery and more!
Live, outdoor music performances are scheduled throughout the day with The Music Studio’s Jazz and Rock Bands, Spoken Word artist Desiree Mckenzie, the smooth and soulful sounds of Bitter&Broke and super-fun headliners, Surfrajettes! Keep scrolling down for the music performance schedule.
A Plein-Air Painting competition will be featured throughout the day culminating with an exhibition and awards ceremony at 4:30 pm. Artists interested in participating in the competition can find details here. Deadline to register is Friday, July 4 at noon.
While you’re at the Festival, be sure to come inside the Centre for refreshments and check out our 32nd IMPACT juried exhibition in the Art Space Connect Gallery. IMPACT is NPCC’s most anticipated show that fosters creativity in the artistic community. IMPACT 2025 aims to bring together artists practicing in diverse media and approaches, both traditional and contemporary, while showcasing artwork of the highest standard.
Our Resident Groups will have demos and displays in our studios. Come enjoy work of the Calligraphic Art Guild of Toronto, Etobicoke Art Group, Etobicoke Rugcrafters, Etobicke Quilters’ Guild, Etobicoke Handweavers and Spinners and Humber Valley Art Club as they demonstrate their expertise.
We’ll also have free kids art activities throughout the day! Join us as a family or drop off the kids in one of our craft tents so that they may participate in Rock Families and Family Photo Frame: Floral Garland! Rock Families is a fun and creative activity where families paint rocks to represent each member, including pets or favorite characters, turning simple stones into personalized art. In Family Photo Frame: Floral Garland, participants create beautiful watercolor floral garland paintings.
Check out our music line-up:
The Music Studio presents student rock and jazz bands
12 pm – 2 pm
Desiree Mckenzie
2:10 pm – 2:30 pm
Desiree Mckenzie is an award-winning poet, arts educator, national poetry slam champion, and voice actor living in Toronto. Her poetry and voice have been featured in works for CBC’s Poetic License series, When Sisters Speak, Clearco Financial, Button Poetry, Kids Help Phone and Home Depot. She facilitates a range of community poetry programming for organizations like JAYU, VIBE Arts, Unity Charity, Poetry in Voice, and Shakespeare in Action. Her debut spoken word EP, Wet Hair, is now available on streaming platforms. In December 2022, she opened for Rupi Kaur on her world tour stop at Massey Hall.
Desiree McKenzie – Bertie’s Pepper Sauce
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIx0_CO690s
“Do you get it?” What’s Next – Poem by Desiree Mckenzie ( SCWIST)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=MjZgiDvsHgQ
Own Your Story | Clearbanc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgqWorPeYvI&t=4s
Bitter&Broke
2:45 pm – 3:45 pm
Bitter&Broke is a Canadian pan-Asian live trio. Curating soundtracks to daily life – they craft unique sounds by weaving city pop, soul, and funk with contemporary grooves of neo-soul and R&B. As a band that swiftly carved a local buzz in Toronto’s competitive musical arena, Bitter&Broke is growing from success in live entertainment to original songs, beat tapes, and featured production on emerging Canadian artists. From covers to remixes to experimental original songs – Bitter&Broke’s music captures the story of relentlessly pursuing artistry. Entrenched in the grind-first culture, they strike a chord with the collective souls of dreamers worldwide.
Televised Performance for Rogers Filipino TV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNO_UmZphOc&ab_channel=Bitter%26Broke
Off-the-floor Live Performance of New Single “FLOAT”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8qZN0BJsZQ&ab_channel=Bitter%26Broke
Live Studio Intimate Performance covering Snoh Aalegra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtN_doJkND4&ab_channel=Bitter%26Broke
The Surfrajettes
4:15 pm – 5:15 pm
The Surfrajettes are a four-piece instrumental combo from Toronto, ON, Canada. Since forming in late 2015, the band has charmed audiences with their clever mix of psychedelic rock and reverb-drenched surf music, sky-high beehives, go-go boots, and eyeliner as thick as
their guitar strings. The band achieved viral online notoriety from their home-made performance videos and their feature by Norman’s Rare Guitars in LA. The debut 45 single “Party Line / Toxic” released late 2018 on Hi-Tide Recordings to immediate success. The band has toured extensively in its support, including performances on The Beach Boys Cruise, The Melissa Etheridge Cruise, at Sea.Hear.Now, Nashville Boogie, Wild O Fest in Mexico City, The New England Shake- Up!, Surf Guitar 101 Convention, Tiki Oasis & Hi- Tide Summer Holiday: Asbury Park.
The Surfrajettes are guitarists Shermy Freeman and Nicole Damof, bassist Sarah Butler,
and drummer Annie Lillis. When not on tour, the group is busy woodshedding in their
secret beach hut, sewing new miniskirts, debating vintage gear, and daydreaming about
performing in a Quentin Tarantino movie.
Links
Website:
https://www.thesurfrajettes.com
Easy as Pie:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ez5UMddX_Pg
Album Release Party at The Horseshoe Tavern:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FQ5Rn1v5Ng
Britney Spears “Toxic” Surf Cover
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAyeVjnJg9E
RJ’s Roadhouse will be at hand, offering a variety of gourmet street food for purchase, like prime beef smash burgers, classic Canadian poutine, using only the best beef gravy and squeeky cheesy curds, and some of the best french fries you’ve ever had!
NPCC has free on-site or street parking and is a fully accessible facility with washrooms available inside the building. There will be seating provided in the music area and other locations throughout the park. For special accommodations, we invite you to email [email protected]