BRIAN'S BLOG
June events in Toronto
June 2, 2017
Toronto Pride
All month
This June will be Toronto’s second-ever Pride Month! Events and celebrations will be taking place all over the city – beginning with the Rainbow Flag raising at City Hall on May 31 and ending with the famous Pride Parade on June 25th. This year’s programming includes events such as Family Pride, which is a fun fair for children featuring Pride-themed activities and games, as well as a designated Clean, Sober, and Proud space for drug-and-alcohol free festivities. Pride always brings a special energy to the city that residents and businesses love to participate in!
Riverdale Artwalk
June 3
The Riverdale Artwalk is a public art exhibition showcasing up-and-coming artists, and is the first outdoor art show of the season! Located in Jimmie Simpson Park, the Artwalk is a great springtime activity that can be paired with a visit to the adjacent Riverdale Farm or public pool. In addition to the main exhibition, local Queen East restaurants and businesses will be featuring the work of East End artists.
Dundas West Fest
June 3
Dundas West is an increasingly popular neighborhood, with residents and visitors taking advantage of nearby Trinity Bellwoods Park as well as the diverse selection of shops, restaurants, and cafes. Dundas West Fest celebrates everything that is unique about the area, from its vibrant Portuguese community to the rows of small boutiques and renowned tattoo shops. Enjoy a show from one of the many musicians and street performers, or just stroll around and appreciate the spring sunshine!
Ontario Craft Beer Week
June 10 – 17
This summer is all about craft beer, with multiple festivals and events happening in the city and around the province. Ontario Craft Beer week is a province-wide celebration of the many independent breweries that help give Ontario its unique character. With hundreds of events happening across the province, the festival aims to expose Canadians to “the premium quality and culture of craft beer.” Pub crawls, brewing demonstrations, tasting tours, and fairs are a few of the activities available!
The Stop’s Night Market
June 13 – 14
The Stop is a Toronto-based community food centre whose mission is to “fight hunger, build hope, and inspire change.” The Night Market is a fundraising fair in support of the organization and building healthier and stronger communities. The event takes place at Sterling Road – the sparse industrial area is transformed with tents, lights, performers, and hundreds of vendors from across the city.
Luminato Festival
June 14 – 25
The Luminato Festival, more formally known as the Toronto Festival of Arts and Creativity, is a 10 day celebration of culture and imagination that transforms the city’s public spaces into “a home for artists to play, share and create.” This year’s festival has an impressive lineup featuring breakdancers, Shakespearean actors, ballerinas, and opera singers to name a few. Over 80% of the artists featured are Canadian, but the festival also brings in foreign acts to perform and collaborate.
Toronto Art Book Fair
June 15 – 18
The Toronto Art Book Fair will be returning to Artscape Youngplace for a second year! The fair features hundreds of artists, publications, small presses, independent publishers, archives, contemporary art galleries, critics, designers, writers, and performers, and more. Activities include readings, panel discussions, book launches, performances, and workshops, all about exploring art-themed publications. The event is “dedicated to increasing the visibility, dissemination, appreciation, and understanding of the artist’s book and its contemporary manifestations within the visual arts field in Toronto and abroad.”
Taste of Toronto
June 15 – 18
Taste of Toronto’s goal is to create “a foodie’s wonderland”, with Toronto restaurants of all kinds coming together to celebrate the city’s culinary diversity and prowess. In addition to vendors from across the city, the event will also have cooking demonstrations and classes, mixology lessons, and the Saputo Pizza Challenge, where Toronto-based pizza chefs compete to make the best signature dish. Audience members will sample and vote for the winner!
NXNE: North by Northeast
June 16 – 25
Every year, North by Northeast brings hundreds of bands and musicians from across the US and Canada to Toronto venues for the one of the city’s most famous cultural celebrations. Headlining this year are Passion Pit, Tyler the Creator and Post Malone, but NXNE prides itself on hosting many little-known or new musicians and giving them a platform. Beloved Toronto band Broken Social Scene experienced their breakout at NXNE, and attendees are always on the look out for the next big band.
Beaches Rib Fest
June 16 – 18
The Toronto Beaches district comes alive in the summertime, and is host to some of the city’s most famous festivals and fairs. The Beaches Rib Fest at Woodbine Park is just in time for Father’s Day, with a huge selection of food and drinks as well as the adjoining Craft Beer Fest. The Rib Fest is a great place to get grilling inspiration, and attendees can vote for the best ribs, best sauce, best chicken, and favourite “rib team!”