Toronto Visitor's Guide to Seasonal Events
Overview of Festivals, Events, and Tourist Attractions in Toronto
Oct 7, 2009
Worth a visit any time of the year, summer and fall are when Toronto really shows its stuff. With festivals and special events that can usually found any day of the week, there is something for everyone in Toronto.
Year-Round Culinary Festivals and Events
During the summer months, Toronto staple Summerlicious has both locals and tourists alike queuing for prix fixe meals at some of the city’s hottest restaurants. (To beat the winter blahs, Winterlicious is the equivalent in January and February). Locals and visitors alike can dine on three course lunch or dinner set menus for a fraction of the price- usually between $15 and $35 plus beverages, tax and tip per person.
Other culinary events in the city include Taste of the Danforth in August which sees Toronto’s Greek Town transformed into a pedestrian walkway with concerts, wine tastings, and some of the most delicious Greek food this side of Athens. After tasting souvlakis and baklava, the Toronto Festival of Beer hits historic Fort York is on the same weekend as Taste of the Danforth, but be cautioned that tickets sell out weeks in advance to this major event for beer-lovers.
The Canadian National Exhibition (or simply The Ex) comes to town for the last two weeks in August and boasts an impressive midway, game booths, horse shows, food, and exhibitors featuring everything from plants to handicrafts from around the world. One of the largest draws of The Ex is the Food Building which showcases culinary delights from around the world.
Pride Week and Caribana Festivals: The Largest of Their Kind
Mega-watt parties Pride Week and Caribana come to town on select dates in June and July/August. Parades takeover the downtown streets and the city becomes a playground for partiers no matter attendees’ sexuality, gender, or nationality. Both feature many free events and activities ranging from performances, live music, arts and crafts, and other attractions. Pride Week is an annual event that attracts visitors from around the world and is one of the largest organized Pride events in the world. Caribana regularly attracts more than 1.3 million visitors to the city of Toronto as North America’s largest street festival.
Celebrate Arts and Culture in Toronto
Luminato and Buskerfest celebrate the arts in Toronto, as well the city is home to some top-notch theatre, and museums such as the Frank Gehry-designed Art Gallery of Ontario, the Royal Ontario Museum, and the Hockey Hall of Fame. Nuit Blanche in the fall is a free all-night art festival which lasts from sundown to sunrise at various locations around the downtown core, and usually takes place on the first Saturday of October.
The biggest festival to hit Toronto is the Toronto International Film Festival. One of the most accessible festivals, the general public can easily get tickets for movies in advance or on the day-of the screening. Score a ticket to the first showing at the festival, and visitors may just find themselves sitting next to a big Hollywood star as the cast and director of the films sit among the regular ticket-holders at premiere screenings.
Explore Vibrant and Diverse Neighbourhoods
The city boasts a Chinatown, a Koreatown, Little Italy, Portugal, and India, as well as bars and clubs for Goths and Hipsters and everyone in between. Lots of shopping to be had in boutiques, malls, and high-end stores, and in independently owned shops in many of the city's distinct neighbourhoods. There is much to see and do in the Distillery District, the Entertainment District, High Park, and the many beaches along the waterfront. For the anti-consumer, there are many outdoor recreational areas and parks around the city that are worth a day trip like the Toronto Zoo or Toronto Island which is a short ferry ride from downtown. Toronto is a very family-friendly city with activities for people of all ages.
A welcoming and safe city, Toronto can be a great trip any time of the year.
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