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February / March Hours RBG Centre / Hendrie Park Open Tuesdays to Sundays for Alice in Bloomland, CLOSED Mondays.

WinterTide: Blackburn Brothers – SOLD OUT

Special Event Accessible Event

Date & Time:

February 22, 2025, 5:30 pm - 10:00 pm

Location:

Rock Garden (1185 York Boulevard)

Types:

Evenings, Food and Drink, Special Event

Admission:

Ticketed Event

Event Description

Artist: Blackburn Brothers (JUNO Nominated Feature)

Delight in the beauty of winter as the Rock Garden turns into the season’s most elegant jazz lounge experience. Adorned in glowing lights and roaring firepits, the garden’s natural winterscape is the perfect setting for a night out. Explore the garden pathways or cozy up indoors while you enjoy live music, classic cocktails, and delicious cuisine. RBG has partnered with Emerging Artists Association to bring live performances from emerging musicians and award-winning artists.

  • Reservations are required and can be made via Open Table.
  • Doors open 5:30 p.m. Music begins at 6:30 p.m. with three 45-minute sets throughout the evening (6:30, 7:45, and 9 p.m.)
  • This is a 19+ event. I.D. required at the door.

This date is SOLD OUT but there is plenty more WinterTide to discover! See the full lineup at rbg.ca/wintertide

Generously Supported by:

incite foundation for the arts
  • Guests clapping and enjoying a live jazz performance at WinterTide
  • Band view from the stage at WinterTide
  • Couple at WinterTide enjoying a glass of wine and watching live music
  • Guests enjoying a live jazz performance at WinterTide
  • Live intimate jazz performance with vocalist Sammy Jackson at WinterTide at the Rock Garden

Tickets/Reservations

Ticketing Details

Event tickets are required for access to Rock Garden’s indoor and outdoor spaces. Tickets / reservations are made exclusively through OpenTable, paying event cover through that service.

  • $30 / person (+ HST & Service Fee)

Select your seating type and location upon making your online reservation.

Please note: based on availability, limited tickets may be purchased at the door, though at-the-door entry is not guaranteed. It is highly recommended to purchase your tickets online in advance to avoid disappointment.

Ticketing Details & Terms

  • Your ticket is for this event only, and does not include general admission for the full day.
  • Tickets are non-refundable and final sale
  • General admission discounts and coupons are not applicable to this ticketed event.
  • Members do not receive a discount but have access to a presale.
  • RBG Gift Certificates are not redeemable on OpenTable

Tickets purchased to WinterTide are final sale and non-refundable. Tickets for this experience can be transferred to someone else if you can no longer attend the event. Please keep your tickets and confirmation: it is proof of your purchase and allows entry into the experience.

Liability: RBG assumes no responsibility for loss or damage to property, or for personal injury or mishap; all activities are at the risk of the participant.

Filming/Photography Release: Please be advised that all photos, audio-video, and static images taken at this experience may be used for exhibit, reproduction, and/or distribution for RBG related promotional use, including all forms of print, television advertisement, social media and /or website display. In consideration of your participation as a guest or attendee of this experience, you authorize Royal Botanical Gardens, its legal representatives, suppliers, invited media and assigns unrestricted right and permission to copyright and use such photos and images under their sole discretion. Royal Botanical Gardens, its legal representatives, suppliers, invited media and assigns are released without limitation of any claims for libel or invasion of privacy.

By purchasing tickets and participating in this event on RBG properties, you are agreeing to the above release for yourself, and on behalf of your guests.

Plan Your Evening: Seating at WinterTide

Choose your perfect spot for the evening! Upon booking with OpenTable, you will be required to select a seating option:

  • Restaurant Seating: Cozy dining setup in the Rock Garden Bistro with reduced visibility of the stage. Standard bistro tables and chairs.
  • Great Room Lounge Seating: Relax on couches and lower seating along the room’s perimeter. Small table to rest food and drinks provided. Not recommended for visitors with mobility concerns.
  • Great Room Table Seating: Located in the center of the performance space with view to the stage, seated in standard-height chairs with small tables.

Learn more about seating and event layout at rbg.ca/wintertide

Frequently Asked Questions and more available at rbg.ca/wintertide

Entertainment: Blackburn Brothers

An obvious uniqueness that identifies and sets apart Blackburn Brothers is that they are a band of brothers. Led by Duane (lead vocals, organ, piano), Brooke (guitar, vocals, writing), and Cory (drums, harmony vocals). Oldest brother Robert (guitar, vocal harmonies, writing) and cousin Nathan (bass guitar) can be heard on recent studio recordings. Longtime horn section bandmates include Neil Brathwaite on tenor saxophone and Ted Peters on trombone. Touring bass guitarist is Andrew Stewart. The brothers musical lineage traces back to R&B legend Bobby Dean Blackburn, whose legacy in the Toronto music scene spans over six decades.

Beyond the music, other history runs deep. The Blackburn Brothers are 4th-generation Canadians, descended of freedom seekers through the Underground Railroad and settling in Southern Ontario. The Blues that the Blackburn Brothers create is part of their inheritance, and always about a message of history, freedom, legacy, family, Black unity, and love.

The SoulFunkn’Blues album is a tribute to all the trailblazers, all of the ancestors and forgotten tribes who taught the Blackburn Brothers the importance of history, blues, soul, groove, rhythm and life. It is a tribute to 230 years of Canadian Roots and Blues.

Blackburn Brothers - three bearded men dressed in dark clothing with various hats
Photo: Cory Duane
Emerging Artists Association logo, made of three quarter notes

EAA Emerging Artists Association (Formerly known as Toronto Undergraduate Jazz Festival Inc.) is a federally incorporated nonprofit organization creating opportunities for equity-deserving groups of emerging artists to showcase, learn and network.

  • close up of mussels topped with microgreens
  • Outdoor Bar With Wine
  • espresso martini, lavender cocktail and glass of rose wine on a bistro table
  • Hands preparing a cheese plate including fruites and crudites
  • beet gravlax on toast with a side garden salad

Food & Drink

Enhance your WinterTide experience with our tapas-style dishes and shareable plates, featuring seasonal and locally inspired options crafted to complement the ambiance of the evening.

WinterTide

Thursdays to Saturdays,
February 13 to March 22, 2025

RBG has partnered with Emerging Artists Association to bring live performances from emerging musicians and award-winning artists.

More Upcoming Special Events

RBG hosts unique events all year long! See rbg.ca/specialevents for details