(Photo courtesy of Chinatown Festival)
It's one of the last free Toronto weekends this summer before our old routine sets in. So we've collected 10 cool ideas for you to make your mark on summer before we head into fall. (Sorry we said the f-word.)
Whether it's the last grab at a free outdoor movie, catching a cool art exhibit for free, or wandering through Chinatown's sights and sounds, make this weekend count.
READ: Toronto Road Closures To Watch For This Weekend
1. Toronto Chinatown Festival
When: Saturday and SundayWhere: Spadina and Dundas St. W.
The Toronto Chinatown Festival has come a long way since its first opening in 2000. Each year the Festival continues to grow and improve. From engaging performances alongside vendors to interactive activities, see a showcase of Canada’s cultural and communal diversity.
2. Festival of South Asia
When: Saturday and SundayWhere: 1426 Gerrard Street East
The 16th TD Festival of South Asia 2018 embraces multidisciplinary arts and foods from all the countries in South Asia. A weeknd filled with literary arts, visual arts, performances and live music.
3. Open Streets Toronto
When: Sunday 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.Where: Bloor W. at Sherbourne St.
Open Streets, also known as Ciclovias, opens the streets to people and close them to cars. Participate. Get active. Get healthy. And have fun. These free, regularly occurring programs offer communities the opportunity to experience their city streets in a whole new way.
4. Panorama India Festival and Parade
When: Sunday 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.Where: Nathan Phillips Square
The all-day program includes performances by 300+ local dancers and Panorama Idol singers. Headlining acts this year include the “King of Bhangra” Malkit Singh, Indo-Canadian Singer Parichay and so much more. They have expanded food vendors this year to over 20 stalls, each bringing with them the mouth-watering flavours of India.
5. Markham Jazz Festival
When: Friday, Saturday, SundayWhere: Main St. Unionville
More than 30 free concerts on three stages will entertain along Main Street from Friday through Sunday. They will also be presenting jazz legend Dee Dee Bridgewater as the Saturday night headliner.
6. Music in Trillium Park
When: Trillium Park Ontario PlaceWhere: Thursday at 7 p.m.
Indigenous artist Wolf Saga has achieved a lot in his career so far. Now performing as a trio with guitarist/keyboardist Richard Gracious and drummer Michael Farina, this has allowed Wolf Saga to bring in some indie-rock influences to his synth-based dance sound.
READ: 5 Insane Events At The CNE This Weekend Free With Admission Ticket
7. Outdoor Screening of Vertigo
When: Sunday at 7 p.m.Where: Christie Pits Park
Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, Vertigo captures the city of San Francisco like no other film. Former police detective Scottie Ferguson becomes obsessed with a mysterious woman who leads him in a dangerous game of cat and mouse through the city’s past and present that slowly spirals beyond his emotional control.
8. A Creative Buzz
When: Sunday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.Where: Etobicoke Civic Centre Art Gallery
A creative hive of professional Ontario artists, including retired Globe and Mail illustrator Anthony Jenkins, exhibiting landscape, portraits, still life, and transportation in a variety of media.
9. Art of Food Group Show
When: Friday to Sunday 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.Where: Urban Gallery
Food and art are longtime companions, with some of the earliest depictions of animals in cave drawings. The works of the eight artists featured in Art of Food take us to other views of food in art. Some are straightforward representations, while others are abstract constructs. In some, the food itself commands our attention. And in others, it's the idea of food that gets us thinking.
10. Outdoor Screening of Kung Fu Panda 3
When: Saturday at 7 p.m.Where: Garden Square
Po might just be the laziest, clumsiest panda in the Valley of Peace, but he secretly dreams of becoming a kung fu legend. When the villainous snow leopard Tai Lung threatens Po's homeland, the hapless panda is chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy and defend the Valley from attack.
