Spring is a busy time for us here at CAFE. Starting with Easter and then 420, the spring is filled with opportunities to have fun, host exciting gatherings and get outdoors. We were super excited to host our third Laughing Loud cannabis festival and market on May 4, a beautifully warm and sunny day that had so many people in Toronto out and about. We were happy to see many of those people stream in through our doors – over 500 visitors to our unique cannabis focused event!
Laughing Loud is a truly one of a kind experience for weed lovers in Toronto. This cannabis market and festival celebrates everything, well, cannabis related – from actual product to infused food and beverages, live art, music and comedy. The event took place at The Lithuanian House on Bloor St W in Toronto – an open, multi-floor space which our vendors transformed into a literal weed wonderland. The lower level featured the marketplace, with over 20 of Toronto’s top cannabis vendors offering their products at special prices for that night only. On top of that, each vendor had samples available for show goers to enjoy and make their night even more memorable. Throughout the evening, the marketplace was busy as guests flowed in and out, browsing the goods on offer, enjoying some samples and participating in games and competitions for special giveaways and prizes.
Live art was a big part of Laughing Loud as well. The event featured Ashante, a Toronto based mixed media artist who hosts our Puff and Paint nights, and is well recognized for her unique, eye-catching pieces. During Laughing Loud, Ashante worked to create a beautiful live painting, while also instructing a mini Paint session with about 10 attendees at a time! A space was set up in the middle of the marketplace, with seating, easels, canvases and paint supplies – and guests were able to seat themselves on a first-come, first-serve basis. Ashante helped guests bring their little artworks to life, all the while painting a special masterpiece of her own.
The event also featured live artist Raeclair, who worked away on her own unique piece of art as the night went on. In addition, Julie Seo was on hand displaying and selling her own cannabis themed art prints.
Upstairs, DJ C-LO kept the music going while guests wandered in and out, checking out everything that was happening. The food and mocktail bar was the busiest we’ve seen at our Laughing Loud events! Guests lined up non-stop to get a taste of not just one item, but every item on our small plates menu created by renowned Chef Pat Newton, who has worked with us on every Laughing Loud event so far. This menu was a stoner’s delight – with items like a Big Mac smash taco, Flaming Cheetos covered mac & cheese bites, and infused nachos – it was no wonder guests wanted to try every single item!
The barista counter was run by none other than CAFE’s own barista team – hands down the best in the city when it comes to cannabis infused hot and cold beverages! Our team had a delightful selection of cold drinks created specially to pair with Chef Newton’s snack bites, including two types of lemonade, and an Orange Creamsicle which was definitely the star of the show!
Laughing Loud also featured a live comedy show, with some of Toronto’s best talent taking to the stage to regale our audience with weed jokes. The show was hosted by Tamara Shevon, and featured Andrew Oporto and Andy Packer as headliners. The comedy portion of Laughing Loud took place between 8-10pm, in a large auditorium situated next door to the food and mocktail bar. This was perfect, as it allowed show goers to grab their munchies and head right over to take in some comedy while enjoying the infused snacks and drinks. The comedians absolutely killed it, with guests in stitches throughout the show!
All in all, Laughing Loud was a huge success. Event attendees seemed to be having a blast, wandering the weed market, scoring lots of freebies and getting unheard-of deals on their favourite products. The lineups at our infused food and beverage counters showed how in-demand CAFE & Chef Pat’s creations were, with many items selling out by the end of the night. We are pleased to once again have participated in such a unique event – a truly one of a kind cannabis experience in Toronto. Laughing Loud is fast growing and will take place regularly – we can’t wait for the summer edition! To get your name on the waitlist for tickets, click HERE.
