by The Drake Hotel, a ‘Certified Good Food Fighter‘

Last year’s Camp Drake is all grown up and this summer we’re heading to Drake High. At Drake Summer School, you’ll leave shop class with one-of-a-kind antiques from the Drake General Store, the Dining Roadshow pop-up restaurant will serve the best cafeteria food you’ve ever had with alphabet soup, lobster rolls and the tastiest cheese dog in town. The Speaker Series will include lectures that you actually want to sit through and best of all, the juice boxes are spiked with booze. Hang with Drake this summer and you’re bound to learn something new like how to line dance with a lavender lemonade in hand.

Summer School Hotel Escape Package: Available now until Monday, September 5
Skip class for the afternoon, check into the Drake and borrow a cool cruiser bike from Amsterdam. Drake’s Summer School Escape Package includes everything needed for a fun adventure including a one-night stay, two cruiser bikes, a gourmet picnic lunch in a specially designed lunch bag by Sketch and a cute custom guide mapping out bikeable galleries, arcades and great stuff to do in the city. Call 416.531.5042 ext. 3 for reservations. Room rates begin at $239.

NEW Lemonade Stand on re-designed Sky Yard: Now open
Serving up homemade lavender lemonade, lemon beer, tequila, as well as a rainbow of funky patterned shades (in case you forgot yours) and candy, this fully stocked Lemonade Stand comes equipped with everything you need to enhance a sunny afternoon. Drake’s rooftop Sky Yard has been refurbished with bold prints, an upside-down plant installation, black and white striped cushioned benches for sun-tanning and shocks of neon green throughout. Think psychedelic ‘80s outdoor patio lounge. At night, sip on some newly curated, fresh summer cocktails while stargazing and taking in the sparkling patio lights. Recess never looked so good.

Shop Class at Drake General Store: Saturday, June 4 to Sunday, June 5, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Unlike any of the woodwork gone wrong in high school, you’ll leave shop class at the General Store with some incredible collectibles and newfound treasures. The Drake General Store opens the doors to its warehouse, filled with antique furniture and oversized goodies, for the first time on Saturday, June 4 at 10 a.m. Welcome the warm weather with some hot new additions to your wardrobe, including some Shared clothing bargains, vintage patio selections, bizarre gadgets, hilarious retro toys and so much more.  Make sure to arrive early for first dibs and grab a glass of freshly squeezed lemonade while you shop. The Drake General Store warehouse is located at 442 Dufferin Street, unit S; just north of the new underpass.

Dining Roadshow – A pop up restaurant: Opens Thursday, June 23 to Sunday, Sept 4
Drake’s brand new Dining Roadshow pop-up restaurant opens with a fun play on the high school cafeteria with an “haute” dining hall experience – just in time for Summer School. The menu includes items like tomato alphabet soup ($9), chilli con carne tortillas ($11), lobster roll with poached Maritime lobster on a pan-fried hot dog bun ($28), pork ‘n’ beans sliced-to-order ($26), a foot long veal cheese dog ($17) and a blackened fried fish sandwich with tartar sauce ($19). The new pop-up is a complete transformation of the former Drake Dining Room, resulting in a theatrical, creative, culinary space inclusive of announcements from the principal, impromptu performances by the glee club, daily specials served on brightly coloured trays and glasses of wine served in borrowed beakers from science class. Call 416.531.5042 ext. 1 to save your seat at Drake’s Dining Roadshow today.

Band Practice: Sundays – June 26, July 31, and August 28, 9 p.m., free
Local bands come together for a friendly competition in a monthly band rehearsal gone wild. Well known and emerging musicians meet in the Drake Underground to form entirely new bands, after selecting group members from a hat. The new bands must choose names, songs and begin impromptu rehearsals. With only a few hours of practice time, these competitions will surely prove to be highly entertaining. Audience members and some surprise guests will judge the performances in categories like “choreography” or “believability”. Each month the winning band will receive a cash prize of $500.

Summer School Speaker Series: Thursdays – June 30, July 28 and August 25, 8 p.m., free
The lectures at Drake’s Summer School will keep you on the edge of your seat with trade secrets and personal tales from some of Toronto’s most successful creative personalities. The series will include speakers such as Gary Taxali, a Toronto-based illustrator who has been commissioned by the Whitney Museum, New York Times, Newsweek and countless other publications. Other notable speakers will be announced shortly. These free lectures will take place in the Lounge and will fill up fast so come early to save a seat. Visit thedrakehotel.ca/events for more info.

NEW Custom mural by Maya Hayuk: On now, free
Peek into Room 222 and check out Maya Hayuk’s (Brooklyn, New York) incredible new mural. It’s as bright and exciting as the hot summer nights ahead. Hayuk, internationally renowned for her eye-popping abstract works, has created the newest addition to Drake’s permanent art collection. Her recent commissions include installations for the SCOPE (Miami), Bonaroo Music Festival (Tennessee) and the offices of Etsy (NY). The artist is also well known for collaborating with musicians such as The Beastie Boys, M.I.A. and TV On The Radio to develop stage sets, album art, videos and murals.

Memphis Tuesdays: Every Tuesday, July 5 to August 30, 10 p.m., free
Remember line dancing in gym class? DJ Moe Berg (The Pursuit of Happiness) takes us back to the golden age of country with line dancing, cut offs and plaid, and a few good old-fashioned hoedowns. Expect ballads and trail songs every Tuesday night in the Lounge as Moe spins old favourites like Willie Nelson, Tammy Wynette and Kenny Rogers. Prizes will be given out to those dressed in their best country attire. There will be live bands, special guest appearances and choreographed line dancing. Bringing a brand new twang to the Queen West hood, we’ll see you every Tuesday for a night of dancing. Yeehaw!

The Drake Hotel is located at 1150 Queen Street West (between Dovercourt and Dufferin). Visit thedrakehotel.ca or call 416.531.5042 for more information.

Twitter: @thedrakehotel
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