Summer Fun
Summer is fast approaching. In just a couple of weeks, the kids will be out of school, parents will start taking vacation days, and everyone in between will be finding ways to stay busy this summer.
A great way to get out of the house, enjoy time with family and friends, and to soak up the sun is festivals! The GTA is full of fun and exciting events from small festivals to large spectacles.
Here is your guide to summer festivals this year…
June Festivals
Sound of Music Festival – June 12th – June 19th
Location: Spencer Smith Park
Sound of Music is Canada’s Largest Outdoor Free Music Festival! Each June, music can be heard throughout downtown Burlington for nine days straight. Spanning from the ticketed concert – Live on the Lake, through the Sound of Music Club Series – spotlighting local & emerging talent, to a lineup of FREE concerts on three stages. Be sure to also take in the Downtown Streetfest, Grande Festival Parade, midway, vendors, food trucks and more, all wrapped around a celebration of the arts.
Wee Festival – May 31st – June 12th
Locations: Toronto’s Factory Theatre, AKI Studio, Theatre Aquarius and Aurora Cultural Centre
This Spring, the WeeFestival will offer over fifty performances…
for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and kindergartners, promising beautiful, stimulating, and joyful productions for the littlest members of our community (and their grownup guests!) created by leading artists in the field of theatre for very young audiences.
In addition to the featured performances, the festival will offer a range of family events, concerts and children’s author and illustrator series. Other WeeFestival activities will include professional development workshops for educators and artists and conference programming for professionals from June 8 -10.
Bread and Honey Festival – June 4th
Location: Streetsville – Queen St. S.
Features:
- Main Stage with Live Performances
- Beer Garden
- Kids Stage
- Food
- Midway Rides & Sideshow Games
- Parade
- Petting Zoo
- Discovery Island
- Community Stage
- Home and Trades Show
The festival will take place on Queen Street South in the Village. From the north side of Thomas Street to the south side of Tannery Street.
Ontario’s Best Butter Tart Festival – June 11th
Location: Downtown Midland
Thousands of butter tarts will be available for sale at Ontario’s Best Butter Tart Festival, so if you like them with or without raisins or with a firm or runny filling (elbow lickers), you’ll find your perfect butter tart. And yes, there will be butter tarts that are vegan, gluten-free, nut-free and/or Keto.
Vaughan Pizza Fest – June 17th – June 19th
Location: 7250 Keele St., Vaughan
Presented by La Piazza Wood Ovens, Vaughan Pizza Fest is North America’s largest pizza festival. Sample pies from more than a dozen pizzerias, with more food and dessert vendors available, enjoy cold refreshments, dance along to live music and enjoy live comedy acts. Over its first four events, Vaughan Pizza Fest boasts that more than a quarter-million pizza slices have been consumed, washed down with 100,000 beers, 25,000 scoops of ice cream and 10,000 espressos. It is slated to take place June 17th to 19th at the Improve Canada plaza on Keele Street at Highway 407.
Innisfil Onion Fest – June 17th – June 19th
Location: 7315 Yonge St., Innisfil
First Annual Innisfil Onion Fest being held at Innisfil Recreation Complex June 17 -19. We want to celebrate and promote what’s unique to the area. This three-day event will capture Innisfil’s vibrancy while celebrating the unique heritage and culture of our community. Did you know we have one of the largest onion farmers here? Yep, Horodynsky Farms. We also want to create a safe and family friendly event with great food (especially BBQ) and live entertainment.
Taco Fest – June 17th – June 19th
Location: Ontario Place
This three-day Fiesta celebrating all things Mexican alongside Toronto’s most celebrated chefs is sure to bring out your favourite cocktails, music, interactive games, dance lessons and of course Tacos!
With over 150 variations of Tacos, guests can expect to indulge in the city’s top offerings of both traditional Mexican cuisine and new takes on your favourite classic dishes. Indulge in the best of Toronto’s Taco & Mexican Cuisine, while enjoying the sights and sounds of the Authentic Mariachi Band, Salsa Dancers, & Live Music.
Brew & BBQ – June 24th – June 26th
Location: Canada’s Wonderland
Canada’s Wonderland’s Annual Brew & BBQ Festival features dozens of craft beers and ciders from Ontario’s best small-batch craft breweries and cideries. Enjoy an afternoon of foot-stomping live music and entertainment while sampling world-class beverages! Pair your drink with a tasty item from our specialty summer menu featuring ribs, gourmet burgers, and BBQ chicken during this beer and barbecue festival.
At Brew & BBQ, it’s not a beer festival unless we bring exclusive Canada’s Wonderland craft beer to the party. We have partnered with some of Ontario’s best craft breweries like Steam Whistle, Muskoka Brewery, and Ernest Cider. Try our delicious refreshing Leviathan Lager, or our Behemoth Blonde Ale is a light option sure to hit the spot on that hot, summer day. Both were made in collaboration with Indie Ale House.
PRIDE WEEK 2022 – June 24th – 26th
Various Locations
Together with the thousands of individuals, community groups, businesses, and participating sponsors, we are proud to celebrate the lives and stories of Toronto’s Queer Communities. Pride Week features 10 days of world-class arts and cultural programming, community activities, one of the world’s largest street festivals, Pride Parade, Dyke March, Family programming, Blackness Yes and Youth, and much more.
Salsa in Toronto Festival – June 1st – July 31st
Location: St. Clair Ave W, Toronto
The Salsa in Toronto Festival promises to be one of the largest Latino-themed cultural celebrations in Canada. The three-week festival is filled with music, dance, food, and family fun. This free event allows salsa lovers from near and far to explore Latin culture and take part in non-stop dancing in the streets!
July Festivals
Aurora Canada Day – July 1st
Location: Lambert Wilson Park
10 am
Canada Day – Parade
Location – Yonge Street
11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Festivities include live entertainment and children’s activities. Be sure to participate in our Passport Activities which include interactive activities for each Province and Territory, reflective of their history and landscape. There will also be a variety of food vendors to enjoy.
7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Enjoy back-to-back live bands, capping off with fireworks presented by Healthy Planet at 10 p.m.
Stouffville Strawberry Festival – July 1st – July 3rd
Location: Memorial Park Stouffville
The Whitchurch-Stouffville Strawberry Festival takes place over the Canada Day weekend and is run for the benefit of our community – all the Festival organized entertainment and kids’ activities are free. From the festival market, to inflatables, live entertainment, the food zone, pancake breakfast, the Red Berry Café, fireworks and all the fun in between – it’s a weekend where thousands come to participate and enjoy, and it takes place in the heart of Stouffville in Memorial Park.
Celebration Canada – July 1st – 17th
Location: Canada’s Wonderland
Grab a drink and join the festivities in Frontier Canada, enjoying some toe-tapping live music and bands. Live entertainment takes to the stage every day and street performers regularly roam the festival. Be sure to watch the West Coast Lumberjacks put their skills to the test, including axe throwing, wood carving and more! Indulge in delicious Canadian foods, including Beef Sliders, Mac n’ Cheese, and Peameal Bacon Sliders as well as Canadian drinks like the classic Caesar. Plus, it would not be a true Celebration Canada without one of our most iconic dishes… Poutine! Delicious fries topped with soft cheese curds and mouth-watering gravy. You’ll want to come back for seconds… or thirds!
Caribana – July 28th – August 1st
Location: Exhibition Place and Lakeshore Blvd.
Toronto’s Caribbean Caribana festival has grown exponentially since its start in 1967 and is currently North America’s largest cultural festival. What was once a three-day event has now grown into three weeks of celebration, absorbing most of the city with its infectious feel-good vibes.
Over a million tourists are expected in Toronto during the August long weekend to experience everything Caribana has to offer. The beauty of Caribana in Toronto is the varied audience it attracts: everyone from families across Canada and the U.S, singles looking for a good time, to celebrities throwing Caribana-themed parties in clubs across Toronto.
Toronto’s Festival of Beer – July 22nd – July 24th
Location: Bandshell Park-Exhibition Place
A celebration of Canada’s rich brewing history, hosted by experts of the brewing craft from around the country. Featuring more than 200 brands of beer on-site, this is Canada’s premier celebration of the golden beverage.
VELD Music Festival
Location: Downsview Park
The party begins at VELD Music Festival! The electronic music festival has brought in huge headliners such as Zedd, Major Lazer, and Future. Tickets are for both days, and VIP packages can be purchased. Grab your dancing shoes and be prepared to wear them out, as you’ll be dancing all night long!
Kempebfest – July 29th – July 31st
Location: Barrie Waterfront, South Shore
Kempenfest is Ontario’s biggest and best waterfront festival featuring over 400 vendors, live music, a youth village, midway, antiques, great food and memories that will last a lifetime.
Toronto Food Truck Festival – July 29th – August 1st
Location: Woodbine Park
Better grab some napkins, because this summer never tasted so good! Woodbine Park will be full of the best food trucks around! Grab a must-eat and enjoy entertainment by Toronto’s best local talent and live-eating challenges.
August Festivals
KidZfest – July 23rd – August 7th
Location: Canada’s Wonderland
If you’re looking for things to do in Toronto with kids, head up to Vaughan for Canada’s Wonderland’s KidZfest. This is the ultimate family event featuring plenty of kids activities, live entertainment, dance parties and more!
AlohaFest Toronto – August 6th
Location: Mel Lastman Square
After a 2 year absence, Hālau Hula I Ka Lā (“Hula School in the Sun”) is excited to present the 6th AlohaFest Toronto, the city’s original and only united celebration of Polynesian culture. On Saturday Aug 6th from 11am-7pm (rain or shine), we will share the Aloha spirit through cultural musical and dance performances, fun kids’ crafts and unique items available at the AlohaFest Marketplace. AlohaFest Toronto is a free event and one of the few places in the city where guests can indulge in both local favourites and unique Hawaiian treats.
To make our return even more special, this year we will also present musical performances by Kumu Hula Kawika Alfiche. Kawika is the Kumu Hula (Master teacher) for Hālau o Keikiali’i, and is the Director for the Kaululehua Hawaiian Cultural Center in South San Francisco and has been teaching hula and Hawaiian cultural arts for over 25 years. With a mission to preserve and perpetuate all things Hawaiian, Kawika spends his life learning, teaching, and sharing his culture through the hula and cultural arts and continues to teach throughout the globe. Kumu Kawika is also a composer and recording artist with 4 CDs; Nālei (2005), Kale`a (2011), Nā Mele Kahiko (2013), White Ships (2015) and 3 DVDs; Nānā I Ke Kumu (2010), Hula Pahu (2012) and Ho`okupu (2014). His music can be found on iTunes.
Taste of Portugal at Canada’s wonderland – August 13th – August 14th
Location: Canada’s Wonderland
Step into a festival celebrating the time-worn charm of Portugal, with lively street entertainment and traditional Portuguese foods! The sounds, sights and flavours of the new Taste of Portugal food festival at Canada’s Wonderland will transport you to Portugal’s seaside villas and vineyards where you can savor the country’s Atlantic-European cuisine including succulent roast chicken and the sweet, rich and perfectly crisp Portuguese custard tarts.
Elora Riverfest – August 19th – 21st
Location – Bissell Park
Get ready for a full weekend of music, arts, food and culture! Riverfest Elora 2022 will be held in Bissell Park on Friday, August 19, Saturday, August 20 and Sunday, August 21. The festival, held along the banks of the Grand River, has come a long way since its humble beginnings as a backyard festival just 11 years ago.
Riverfest Elora will return for festival number 12 in 2022… Get ready for three days of art, food trucks, arts and craft vendors, community and of course, music!
CNE – Canadian National Exhibition – August 19th – September 5th
Location – Exhibition Place
The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) is Canada’s largest annual community event. Taking place over the 18 days leading up to and including Labour Day, the CNE offers a wide variety of entertainment and events including Bandshell concerts, celebrity chef demonstrations, an aerial acrobatics and ice skating show, a dog show, a working farm, parades and a three-day Air Show, all of which are FREE with admission to the CNE. Midway rides and games, wacky fair food as well as international food and shopping are also popular highlights of this major Toronto event. Over the course of its 18 day run, the CNE attracts more than 1.5 million people each year.
Afro Carib Fest – August 20th – August 21st
Location: Thomson Memorial Park
The award winning Afro- Carib Fest is back, LIVE and Outside in person on Saturday August 20th and Sunday August 21st, 2022 at the Thomson Memorial Park, Scarborough ON from 12pm to 9pm both days.
Experience the best in African and Caribbean culture with a fun packed event. There will be live performances from diverse talented Afro-Caribbean artists and interactive activities.
FREE Entry! FREE Parking! Live Music! DJ Lounge featuring the best in the city. Cultural Parade. Dance Competitions. Vendors. Food Trucks. African Drumming and Dance Lessons. Kids Zone and much more! We are back LIVE and we are Outside! Ready for the best time you’ve had this summer? Join us for the best in the display of African and Caribbean culture!
The Pirate Festival – August 6th – 8th
Location: Marden Park, Guelph
The Pirate Festival is sure to be exciting for the whole family! Become a pirate for a day and explore the vast activities featured at the festival, which include kids’ activities, bouncy castles, archery, and more! With performances, magic shows, live music, and food and drink, this is a perfect way to spend a summer weekend!
Boots and Hearts Music Festival – August 4th – August 7th
Location: Burl’s Creek Event Grounds, Oro-Medonte
Calling all cowboys and cowgirls! The music festival brings the country vibes to just north of the GTA in Oro-Medonte. Featuring both international stars and up-and-comers, this three-day event is filled with excitement. From concerts all day to parties all night, this summer camping trip is the perfect way to spend your summer.
Festival Essentials
- Reusable Water Bottle
- Sunglasses
- Hand Sanitizer
- Phone Charger
- Sweater
- Cash/Bank Card
- Sunblock
- Sun Hat
- Backpack
What’s Happening This Weekend?
Imagine In The Park Free Children’ Arts Festival
Location: Gage Park, 1000 Main St. E.
When: June 4th 1030 PM – 500 PM
Imagine In The Park is a free children’s arts festival held annually in Gage Park on the first Saturday in June ( June 4, 2022). The festival features on hands-on workshops hosted by professional local artists in various forms of the arts such as: dance, music, storytelling, poetry, drawing, performance arts and much more. Details
Kiwanis Teddy Bear Picnic
Location: Paris Fairgrounds, 139 Silver Street, Paris
When: Sunday, June 5th 200 PM – 400 PM
Join the Kiwanis Teddy Bear Picnic on Sunday, June 5th at the Paris Fairgrounds.
There will be games, entertainment, face painting, raffles, contests, and more.
Hamilton’s Dark History Walks
Location: Alleyway behind Radius Restaurant, 13 Augusta St, Hamilton
When: June 3rd 700 PM
Dark History Tour – Only dark and violent stories from true history. Not the Hamilton you know! Executions and trials, names like Rocco Perri and the murderess Evelyn Dick… all where they happened. Details
Spring Fashion Show and Tea
Location: Royal Canadian Legion Branch 662, 12 King St E, Stoney Creek
When: June 5th 200 PM – 400PM
Join us on Sunday June 5th at the Stoney Creek Legion for an afternoon fashion show and spring tea party. Details
What are you up to this weekend?
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