Just because the weather’s getting colder, it doesn’t mean you can’t go out and enjoy yourself. One of the best parts about living in a big city like Toronto is that there is always a fun (and free!) event or activity to check out, regardless of the time of year. From all night art exhibitions, to a poutine eating competition, October definitely doesn’t have a shortage of fun if you don’t want it to!
Here are 7 super fun (and free!) events to check out this month in October!
Nuit Blanche, October 5-6
It’s back! From October 5-6, grab your #squad and head downtown for a crazy and fun night of art experiences of every kind at Nuit Blanche 2019. With hundreds of artists and over 90 art exhibitions showing, it’s time to get immersed in all the arts & culture that our beautiful and talented city has to offer.
Bayview Leaside BIA’s Apple Fest, October 5
Put on by the Bayview Leaside BIA, grab the whole family and head to Apple Fest on October 5. Expect lots of photo booth fun, food sampling, apple decorating, face-painting, and lots of shopping! There will be sales and special promotions that are on from October 4th – October 6th, but Saturday is the day for all the family fun and excitement.
Toronto Arthouse Film Festival, October 7-12
If film is your thing, you won’t want to miss the Toronto Arthouse Film Festival that’s taking place from October 7-12. This is your chance to view innovative and exciting new works from risk-taking filmmakers from around the globe. This year, you can catch 5 free screenings fro 9 to 11P.M. in a row and it’s all totally free!
BOLO Convos, October 9 & 23
Launching this month is BOLO Convos that’s put on by popular Toronto fitness studio, BodyLove Inc. (aka BOLO). It’s during these “convos” that you can take part in intimate discussions with some of the best and brightest names in business and wellness, for totally free! The first session takes place on October 9 it’ll be featuring All Day Fit founder Cassie Day. Slated for October 23, the second BOLO Convo will feature Fit Squad Training co-founder Jennifer Lau.
Toronto Pumpkin Fest, October 12-14
Taking place at Downsview Park over Thanksgiving Weekend is Pumpkin Fest and if you ask us, it’s one of the best ways to get into the fall festive spirit. This festival is suitable for the whole family and you can bet that it’ll be filled with all things pumpkin, amazing food, lots of vendors, and loads of entertainment!
Smoke’s Poutine Eating Championship, October 19
Have you ever heard of anything more Canadian than a poutine championship? For anyone who is poutine-obsessed, head to Yonge & Dundas Square for the 10th Annual Smoke’s Poutinerie World Poutine Eating Championship. Admission is totally free to watch the two eating championships which will feature Professional Major League Eaters from all over the world taking the stage along with CEOs all eyeing the prize to be top fundraiser all to benefit Friends of We Care.
Howl’oween at The Bentway, October 26th
Halloween is fun, but if you’re not as into dressing up as you were when you were a kid, why not dress up your pup?! This year, head down to The Bentway under the Gardiner Expressway for all sorts of Halloween fun at Howl’oween. Inspired by the Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade in New York City, The Bentway is hosting Howl’oween where dogs (and their ownders) are invited to come out to show off their best Halloween looks. The event will feature prizes for best costume, loot bags, games and for human guests, a licensed “Yappy Hour.”
Summer is here and if you’re looking to fill your body with delicious nutrients, then a green juice is just the ticket. Now I know what you’re probably thinking: it’ll taste awful. While some green juices might be just blended kale, these Toronto juice institutions have (somehow) found a way to make drinking our greens absolutely delicious. So delicious in fact, that we not only pay for it but we keep coming back for more.
These 7 juice bars are where you’ll find top-of-the-line green juices
For our career series “How I Got My Job,” we’ll be talking to real people, working real jobs across a variety of industries. These people are pushing boundaries and have made their mark. They’ve found success on their own terms, and now we’re extracting their advice on how to carve out your own career path.
If getting stronger was on your list of goals for 2019, then BodyLove Inc. aka BOLO needs to be on your radar. Founded by former TV producer Caleigh Rykiss, it’s a safe space for loving your body and being yourself. It’s at BOLO where the trainers rally around you and push you to work your hardest and feel your best.
Specializing in boxing, BOLO even has a huge boxing ring right in the middle of the facility, not to mention a cafe, salon, and boutique. Classes at BOLO range from high intensity classes like BOLO Bootcamp, to more low intensity classes that take place in the hot room like Hot Pli-Yo-Lo which is a pilates focused class that’ll have you really feeling the burn.
BOLO is much more than just a place to work out because it’s not all about getting “fit” — it’s about building strength and feeling badass. Want to score a job like Caleigh’s? Keep reading to find out how she got her job!
Instagram/@caleighfit
Tell us about yourself, what do you do?
I’m the founder and CEO of BOLO – BodyLove Inc. which is a wellness-minded hustlers-haven. Think: gym, café, and blow-bar hybrid in the heart of downtown Toronto. I consider myself a boss, a creator, a boxer, fitness expert, and a fierce supporter of self-love.
What was the first job you had?
The first ‘real’ job I had was as a segment producer for eTalk. I got an internship straight out of university with very little knowledge about television but a great deal of passion for entertainment, fashion and lifestyle, AND the growing desire to create and communicate. Once I got the internship I just never left — I learned on the fly, worked hard, and got promoted quickly. To this day I’m one of the only producers from that show who never went to school for radio and television.
What inspired you to start your own business?
I was inspired by what I felt was a lack of support within the fitness and wellness industry for all our different needs. At the time, I had just quit my job at CTV to go freelance as a wellness writer/expert, I was taking personal training clients on the side and attending a lot of influencer events. My life was so chaotic running from place to place — trying to get a coffee, hop on wifi to finish some work, jump into a class to get a sweat in, and get myself cleaned up for my next meeting/event. I suddenly had this urge to create a space for people like me and make it easier to live more and compromise less. That’s how BOLO was born.
What’s your advice to people wanting to start their own business?
Have a solid business plan. Go with your gut. Don’t let ‘failures’ deter you — try instead to see them as learning opportunities. Just because others can’t see your vision doesn’t mean the vision isn’t real. Build a salary into your business budget.
Instagram/@caleighfit
Why did you fall in love with boxing?
OMG my love for boxing was instant. I took a class with some friends as a fun fitness challenge and was hooked (pardon the pun). I’d never felt so powerful and loved the mental stimulation side of it. I’ve never boxed out of a place of anger, stress, or frustration – to me it’s like a math equation or a dance — my mind is always working and now, 15 years later, I’m still learning something new every time I’m in the ring. It’s magic.
What’s a typical day for you?
It’s a mixed bag every day. I still teach a lot, I take meetings with potential brand partners, like-minded entrepreneurs and business advisors, and I make time to mingle with BOLO members and staff. I ALWAYS find time for a sweat sesh – usually in the mid-morning hours and I never book meetings before 10am. I basically have no social life these days and am in bed almost every night before 10pm – even on weekends!!!
What’s your favourite part about owning your own company?
The freedom to choose my schedule. The fulfillment of having absolutely no limits on what I can create, who I can work with, what services we can offer… literally there is no glass ceiling when you call the shots. Also — the exhilaration of knowing I’m building something tangible, making a difference in peoples lives, and offering employment and career opportunities for other amazing young professionals in the city.
What would you tell your 18-year-old self?
Don’t worry about fitting into any box or meeting someone else’s standards. Nurture your creativity and keep being you — you will someday learn you have your own special super powers.
What’s a surprising fact about yourself?
I used to sing – semi-professionally!
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt while starting your own business?
Not everyone has the best intentions so it’s important to be careful who you work with. I came into all this so trusting and really just looking for collaborators and people to join in on the business but that bit me in the butt a few times. Now I take my time and always FOLLOW my gut. It almost never leads me astray — as long as I’m listening.
What’s the biggest misconception about being an entrepreneur?
That you make a ton of dough. Truth is, business owners are always the very last to be paid. I have never worked harder or been paid LESS than I do now. But the hope is it will pay off in the end and the fulfillment is a currency I never thought that I’d prioritize over actual money – but it’s true.
Who are some of your role models?
All female entrepreneurs sticking to their guns – making it happen and committed to innovating, pushing boundaries, and being their damn selves.
Instagram/@boloinc
What sets BOLO apart from other gyms?
It is so much more than a gym. It is a lifestyle facility. It is a community. It is a family. We believe in doing things for the body out of LOVE above all else. We have a very little focus on aesthetics and a very large focus on how movement makes you FEEL. If you love how you move and who you move with, you’ll never, ever get tired of it.
Featured Image: Courtesy of Caleigh Rykiss
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