With the opening ceremonies of the XXXI Olympiad set for this Friday, we put together a guide for all those Torontonians who want to live and breathe the Olympic spirit this month.
Brazilian for a day
No need to head to Rio to get into the Olympic spirit. You can find all the Brazilian fixin’s right here in T.O.
Sip on a Caipirinha
At traditional Brazilian steak house, Copacabana, mixologists craft signature cocktails. Try the caipirinha, Brazil’s national cocktail made with Cachaca rum, sugar and lime. 150 Eglinton Ave. E.
Samba squad
Get in the Brazilian groove to the beat of the samba drums. Don a traditional costume, or just workout wear, and take one of the samba dance classes offered at the AfroLatino Dance Company. 901 Yonge St.
A bite of Brazil
Rio comes to T.O. in a food truck. Made in Brazil specializes in tapas, or petisco as they’re called in Brazil. Prefer to sit down? Head to their restaurant Mata Bar. 1690 Queen St. W.
Be your own Olympian
Looking for some sports inspo? Wannabe athletes can hit up these local spots to get their Olympic on with ease.
You’ve been served
Beach volleyball enthusiasts can set up silver bullets at Ashbridges Bay Beach, where the Ontario Volleyball Association has been a tenant just shy of 20 years. Sign up to play as individuals or join teams. 1561 Lakeshore Blvd. E.
Nautical know-how
Sailing rookies can learn the, erm, ropes at Gone Sailing Adventures sailing school. Three-hour on-water adventures provide an overview, and full-day lessons for groups of four are also available. 415 Queens Quay W.
Goal-oriented
Toronto FC runs its own academy for up-and-coming soccer talent in the city. Boys can start in the U-11 league and work their way up to pro status where they can rep the red and black. 85 Carl Hall Rd.
Where to watch
The Games may be far away, but you can rally together with fans here at home to cheer on your fellow Canadians.
The real McCoy
La crème de la crème for Olympic zealots is, but of course, Real Sports Bar. With an HD TV standing 39 feet tall, missing out on any play is pretty much not optional. They’ve also got 50 brews to choose from. 15 York St.
Footy fanatics
Hunker down at Dundas West’s Churchill, which just saw plenty of Euro action, to take in Olympic events. Perch on their patio for big events while clutching a tasty bao from Almighty Bao. 1212 Dundas St. W.
Sou Braileiro?
Hey, so the only spot in Little Portugal that’ll make you feel like you’re smack dab in Rio is … closed for August. Solution? Hit up hipster fave the Dock Ellis, grab a craft on draft and a sammy and call it a win. 1280 Dundas St. W.
Rio by the numbers
We crunched the digits to bring you the best of Brazil, from number of nations to Canada’s medal #goals
206: The grand total of nations that will be participating in the Rio Olympics, including wee countries like Palau and Comoros alongside biggies like China.
1: The number of times a South American country will have hosted the Olympics. It will be the third time the Games have been hosted south of the equator.
85,000: Total number of law enforcement personnel that have been given the ambitious task of watching over the Olympics, where over 10,000 athletes will compete.
19: Amount of medals Own the Podium has targeted for these Games. Our best Olympics was the 1984 Summer Games in L.A. The Canucks brought home 44 medals.
315: Number of athletes Team Canada is expecting to send to Brazil for the Games, tallying up to 36 more athletes than were sent to London in 2012.
