Toronto is a city of festivals, which is the most accurate description of its way of life. The number of festivals and national celebrations held here is counted in dozens, and their thematic focus is astonishingly diverse. The Toronto Street Festival is especially popular with travelers, with all sorts of fairs, exhibitions, and recreational events.
The main festivities take place in the Outdoor Art Exibition Toronto, where the festival features an array of colorful tents. The festival is a great place for local craftsmen to display their works of art, not just paintings and traditional handicrafts, but also a wide variety of other artworks. The festival, which usually takes place in July, is open to everyone and usually lasts for three days.
A lot of young travelers visit Toronto in October, before the celebration of Halloween the city is transformed beyond recognition. In mid-October, Screemers, a horror theme park, starts operating on its territory, which will not leave thrill-seekers indifferent. Until the end of October, the city hosts a series of mystical entertainment events, and Screemers Park remains one of the main destinations for tourists.
The most colorful and enchanting event in the cultural life of the city is the Caribana Festival, which usually starts at the end of July and lasts for more than two weeks. The fun and noisy festival, with plenty of costume parades and festive parades, attracts thousands of visitors to Toronto every year. The festival’s name speaks for itself – it celebrates Caribbean culture, known for its rousing musical rhythms and plenty of colorful outfits.
For a few weeks the modern Canadian town is transformed into a typical Caribbean resort, where cheerful laughter and upbeat music can be heard everywhere. A special children’s festival is held in parallel with Caribana, the traditions of which are exactly the same as those of the adult festival. The little guests of the festival are invited to try on unique outfits, choose a queen and a king of the festival, as well as take part in interesting competitions and contests for the most extravagant costume.
The beginning of June in Toronto is marked by the North by Northeast Festival (or NXNE, as it is abbreviated for convenience). It’s dedicated to the arts in all their manifestations: and that includes music, film and theater. The peculiarity of the festival is that every year the organizers invite prominent musicians (most of them from Canada and the U.S.), and they do not let anyone get bored. But not only well-known performers and bands attend it as participants – it gives a chance to young musicians to become famous as well. There are many venues (as well as participants): art cafes, bars, concert halls, open-air stages, located in the city center.
At the beginning of the second summer month, tourists visiting Toronto will have a unique opportunity to listen to the rhythms of salsa and see the colorfully dressed dancers. No, this is not a mistake – the action really takes place in Canada, in the provincial capital of Ontario. That’s because during this period, the Salsa on St. Clair event is held, which is rightfully considered the most famous and largest festival of Latin American culture in the whole country. This is evidenced by the number of people who attend the festival at this time – and that number exceeds two million. As its name suggests, it takes place on St. Clair Ave W. After it, the already mentioned Carribana festival begins, which is also a “tidbit” for event tourism lovers. In addition to dance shows, the Salsa on St. Clair festival offers master classes, parties, a gastronomic program, and themed tours.
Another festival that will interest music lovers is Digital Dreams, one of the most popular events in all of Canada. Dates for the music event fall at the end of June (sometimes the beginning of the next month), the place for it is the most suitable – Echo Beach, which means that visitors of the festival will be able to enjoy the beautiful weather not in stuffy apartments, but outdoors (altogether, there are four venues on the beach). Besides, camping lovers can have a great time as well. It’s worth noting that for the event, impressive special effects are prepared, which perfectly complement the musical shows, to which the famous headliners, playing in the style of electronic music, are invited.
Those who prefer jazz should visit Toronto in July, because there are two festivals dedicated to jazz. The first, Beaches International Jazz Festival, covers the Beaches area and its fun lasts an entire month, while the second, Toronto Jazz Festival, takes place in more than 40 venues located downtown and usually starts at the end of June and lasts until the middle of the following month. The first festival is characterized by the fact that most of its events are free to attend, and the venues are organized in parks and on the streets. As for the Toronto Jazz Festival event, it is the third most popular festival in Ontario after the North by Northeast and Beaches International Jazz Festival and offers a wide variety of subgenres (including Latin, country, blues, R’n’B, and fusion).
For art lovers, a visit to the Luminato Festival is a great way to get inspired and get some new ideas. At this time (in June), talented artists from all over the world are invited to present their works of art (sculptures, paintings, art installations) to the public. Every year the festival is attended by well-known celebrities, including Amal Clooney and Naomi Campbell. The multifaceted event is divided into several programs: music, art, and show (includes fireworks and theatrical performances). During the festival, it is worth keeping an eye on the repertoire of concert halls, theaters, and exhibition complexes, as there are several locations where the stages are located.
Of equal interest to music lovers is the Canadian Music Week festival, held in early May in large art cafes, bars, concert halls and shopping malls. The slogan “music is everywhere” suits the event perfectly, because at this time it really “envelops” Toronto like a fog. Needless to say: every year the number of participants, who delight the guests of the capital of Ontario and locals with their music, exceeds three thousand. For those interested in literature, Toronto becomes a “point of attraction” in late October, when the International Festival of Authors event kicks off here. The venue for the literary event is the Harbourfront Centre, located right on the waterfront at scenic Lake Ontario. The program includes literary readings, meets-and-greets, and interviews with contemporary authors.
The Anime North event is the largest of the geek festivals, designating the Toronto Congress Centre as its main venue. Other venues include major hotels. Costume contests and shows, art exhibits, meetings with comic book authors, presentations, interactive and video games, and discussions are all on display at the end of May. Other festivals of interest with their cosplay shows include ConBravo!, held in late July at the Hamilton Convention Centre by Carmen’s and the Sheraton Toronto Airport Hotel. Its events are just as impressive for fans of colorful shows. So are the events at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival, an independent comic book event held in mid-May and held at the Toronto Reference Library.
Many tourists associate Toronto with another exhibition that is considered the largest of its kind in Canada (about a million and a half people attend it every year). We’re talking about the Canadian National Exhibition, which takes place in the most appropriate place for events of this kind – Exhibition Place Centre. The date coincides with Labour Day, which falls on the first Monday in September in the country. In addition to the fact that you can buy a variety of products, ranging from food to unique handmade products, visitors enjoy other interesting events: sports and interactive games (including simulators and virtual reality), live music, attractions for young tourists, gastronomic program with food tasting.
Toronto Fringe Festival event is another interesting festival for many fans of event tourism. It is especially busy for fans of theatrical art, during which the audience can enjoy watching productions of all genres. The main scaffolding where vivid theatrical performances take place is the stage of the Scadding Court Community Centre, and the event also takes place in other locations in the city. As for the time when you can watch the wonderful theatrical productions, it falls at the beginning of June. The colorful festival dedicated to Chinese culture, the Toronto Chinese Lantern Festival, is also worth a visit, being the largest festival of its kind outside of Asia. It is usually held in July and the dates depend on the lunar calendar.
The capital of Ontario is among the cities that host Toronto Fashion Week, the main event for the fashion industry. Witness the event, which includes fashion shows and meetings with couturiers, twice a year: in early February and mid-September. The festival often reveals new names in fashion, like Canadian Joe Meemran and his brand Joe Fresh. During the festival the shopping and exhibition centers of the most luxurious area of the city (and it is Yorkville) become the most visited places, attracting about forty thousand guests in five days, and showing the fashion collections of about one hundred famous designers. In early September Bloor Street is filled with the scents of street food – that’s because at that time the Taste of the Kingsway festival takes place, during which, in addition to tastings of incredibly delicious food, there are a lot of other interesting events.