Len's News, Notes, and Stuff

How to Get Maximum Fun from Buskerfest

Buskerfest Toronto is an event that I look forward to every year, but my experience you need to be approach it in the right way to get the most out of it. Here are some “rules” to help you get maximum enjoyment out of this wonderful annual event:

1. Go with the intent to have fun and enjoy yourself, not to critique performances
2. Catch performances from start to finish rather than just catching 5 minutes here and there
3. Decide if you are there primarily to take photos or if you are there to watch and just happen to take some photos
4. Get to a performance stage early and sit your ass down
5. Start the day early and stay late

“Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places for money.  People engaging in this practice are called street performers, buskers, street musicians, minstrels, or troubadours.”

To begin with, what is busking? What is buskerfest all about? Many people in Toronto are familiar with the musicians who play in the subway stations, and yes, these folks are buskers. However, buskerfest is not about street musicians. The festival is about acrobatics, comedy, music that you’ve probably never heard before, and a handful off odd, strange, or weird things you never thought someone would do in the name of (family-friendly) entertainment.

The first key is to head down to the venue with the intent to have fun. This sounds blazingly obvious, but if you try heading down there as a sourpuss or with the intent of trying to find problems, you will find problems and shortcomings (in most cases, but not all!) and you just aren’t going to enjoy yourself much. Go in with the right mindset and everything else will fall in place.

The second key is to watch performances from start to finish. At the very least, try to long segments of acts rather than just flitting from “stage” to “stage” catching only a few moments of each. Many of the acts are true performances in the sense of street theatre with character development and jokes that build on previous jokes. If you jump from act to act, you will be depriving yourself of much of the charm and creativity that the performers have crafted into their acts. Sometimes you can’t help but arrive late, and that’s alright. Sometimes the acts just aren’t very interesting (hey, it happens!), and that’s also alright. Just do your best to catch acts from start to finish and you’ll get the most enjoyment out of your time at Buskerfest.

There are almost as many cameras visible at Buskerfest as there are at a photography equipment show. People take tons of photos and that’s part of the fun. However, always consider whether you are there primarily to take photos, or if you are there to watch and enjoy the acts and just take a few photos here and there. Since I work as a photographer in a paid capacity, I can tell you that the experience is entirely different depending on which approach you take. If you are there primarily to get kickass photos, then trust me, you will not be enjoying the performances as much as you would if you were just there to sit and relax. However, you can definitely come away from Buskerfest with some amazing images. On the other hand, if you go to Buskerfest to relax and capture a few images as mementos, then you will come away with great memories of the acts and maybe just so-so images for the day. Both approaches are perfrectly enjoyable, but do be clear to yourself which is your primary objective: kick-ass photos or relaxation and laughs.

If at all possible, get to each performance stage early and sit your ass down. There are published schedules on a few bulletin boards here and there, and although they change a bit (hey, Buskerfest is by nature a little spontaneous!) try to get to the stage where you think a cool act is going to be, then get to the front row and sit down. First, by getting there early and getting at or near the front row, you maximize your own personal enjoyment of the act because you get to see everything. Second, by sitting down, you (a) take the load off your feet and legs and (b) let other people behind you see the act and enjoy it as well. Sitting down isn’t just for kids, ok? If you so wish, carry along with you a plastic bag or some newspapers to sit on – or better yet, just grab some of the free newspapers available around the area and use them (just remember to toss them into the recycling bin afterwards!).

Finally, start your day early and plan on staying all day. There’s a lot to take in, and every year there are acts that I really wish I’d managed to catch but wasn’t able to. Plan on being at Buskerfest for the whole day and get the most out of this wonderful event. The performers are different each year – though there are some who return again – so if you miss a really cool act, you might not be able to see it for several years or ever at all. Don’t plan on just coming by for an hour or two – you might not get a whole lot out of the festival. Plan on getting there when things start rolling and staying until the end of the evening. Trust me, you’ll have fun for the whole day.