We’ve official hit mid-July and in full summer swing! The weather’s caught up, cottage weekends are booked, anything BBQ’d is the food of choice and the days are long but sadly, already getting shorter. We can see Fall creeping up in the distance and September creeping up on us. While summer might be half over, there's still half of it left with so much to do in this city! Here are 10 things coming up to cap off Summer 2019.

 

 

 

Source: Toronto Beer Festival

1. Fringe Fest: On now until July 14th

Currently on-going, Fringe Fest is all about the alternative, edgy, experimental theatre where the now large production Come From Away got its start. There’s over 150 productions and 37 venues across Toronto with shows starting every 15 min from 12pm-10:30pm during the week and from 10:30 am - 10:45 pm on weekends. So needless to say, there’s a TON of options to choose from. Get out quick! Fringe Fest ends this Sunday July 14th. 

 

 

 

Source: Toronto Beer Festival

2. Beer Fest: July 26 - 28th

The best weekend ever spent in the beer tent! Beer Fest features live performances and LOTS of beer at Bandshell Park and Exhibition Place. With General Admission tickets still available, you get entry into the festival for a day including all the events going on, commemorative mug, and 5 tokens to get you started with some tasters. There’s going to be over 400 brewers to explore from local craft, to international brews, to well known favourites so you might want to get more than just 5 tokens.

 

 

 

Source: Toronto Caribbean Carnival

3. Toronto Caribbean Carnival (aka Caribana): On now until August 3rd

You may have seen some events already taking place, Toronto Caribbean Carnival is running for the full month of July with shows taking place across the city every weekend. Tickets are still available on their site and if you’re planning on visiting, make sure to wear some of your brightest and boldest colour to fit their upbeat atmosphere. Most of all, don’t miss the event highlight of the Grand Parade on August 3rd.

 

 

 

Source: Taste of the Danforth

4. Taste of the Danforth: August 9 - 11th

One of Toronto’s most iconic food festivals right along the Greek Town neighbourhood. Get a chance to try out some local food vendors, restaurants in the area and small performances along the strips. Best part is no ticket purchase required to attend, so you can stroll on through the streets if you’re looking to plan just a quick visit.

 

 

 

Source: Chinatown BIA

5. Chinatown Festival: August 17 - 18th

Another optimal food festival to add to your list. Part of Spadina St gets closed down for free walking space and all kinds of vendors and food options. While it’s in Chinatown, you’ll find all sorts of East Asian foods, including Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and more. No tickets are required for this event so you should definitely stop by for a peek.

 

 

 

Source: Flickr

6. Kensington Pedestrian Sundays: On now until August 25th

Not so much of an event but Kensington Market has been dubbed a must-see tourist location and for good reasons. Kensington Market feature unique stores clothing, accessories, novelty finds, furniture and ALL kinds of foods. Seriously, if you want it, you can probably find it here! If you’ve been avoiding this spot just due to general crowdedness, you can take half the traffic right out of the equation. Every Sunday until August 25th, the streets close down to all motor traffic to allow for people to freely roam on foot. It makes the area much easier to navigate and enjoy!

 

 

 

Source: Toronto Star

7. Canadian National Exhibition (aka: CNE): August 16th - September 2nd

Probably one of Toronto’s longest standing events, starting way back in 1879, the CNE is a fun fair for anyone of any age. They’ve got rides, games, performances, contest, vendors of all kinds (great place to discover something new or get some great deals) and of course the food. While they’ve got your usual fair foods like grilled corn, deep fried Oreo’s, and corn dogs, those who occupy the food tent always release new creations you can find at the CNE. Tickets are available for purchase and there’s so much to do, you might need to make for than one visit.

 

 

 

 Source: Vox

8. Toronto International Film Festival (aka: TIFF): September 5 - 15th - September 2nd

Now, September isn’t usually considered a “Summer Month” but the weather still usually nice and the first day of Fall isn’t until September 23rd so anything prior is summer in our books! Plus, it’s TIFF. It’s gets a pass regardless because not only does it bring some amazing movies to the theatres across Toronto, it brings the actors with them! You don’t even need to see a movie to enjoy the TIFF experience! Just hang about the TIFF Lightbox theatre and your likely to see some stars either strut the red carpet, hanging about, or getting food in the local restaurants nearby.

 

 

 

Source: BlogTO

9. Toronto Island Park: Accessible now until September 23rd

One of the must see spots for not only tourists but a great hang out for locals. While we have no specific events to feature here, we just think the island itself should be a day trip sometime this summer. Visit one of 3 island locations, Ward, Centre, and Hanlan’s island featuring each other own special spots like the lighthouse, restaurant, city skyline and beach. Ferry runs from 8 am to 11:15pm (11:30 pm on weekends) and will be making trips all the way up until September 23rd. Talk about really calling an end to the summer!

 

 

 

 

10. Beaches: No specific times, but we should suggest warmer days

Toronto doesn’t get enough credit for the great natural space it does have, including the extensive list of beaches! Here are our top 7 for the Toronto area covering East to West (ya there’s more that we didn’t feature):

 

If you’re in the East End:

Scarborough Bluff - While known for it’s great look out, you can actually venture into the lower bluffs and find the beach area. It's similar to a cove so it feels very secluded and private from the rest of the Toronto wold. It can get pretty busy so you may need to be prepared to share some space.

Woodbine Beach - Likely the most well known beach of the city. It features multiple food stalls, bathrooms, picnic spots, parks, bike paths, volleyball nets… it’s really go it all. While it receives so much traffic, the beach is SO expansive it feels almost impossible to fill up! Can’t find a spot? Just walk another 5 min down the boardwalk and guaranteed there will be space. When your done for the day, take a quick stroll up to Queen for dinner at one of the many great local restaurants.

Cherry Beach - Moving closer to the centre we’ve got Cherry Beach. This location is best known for being an optimal sailing and windsurfing spot as it’s surrounded by docks and boat storage locations. It’s also tucked in a corner being sectioned off by Tommy Thompson Park and the Toronto Island so it doesn’t have the hustle and bustle feel of Woodbine and offers a more low-key experience.

If you’re Central:

Sugar Beach - If you’re not one for swimming, we highly suggest Sugar Beach. A small man made beach filled with it’s iconic pink umbrellas and adirondack chairs for the perfect laid back kind of day. Positioned right next to Corus and George Brown College, you’re likely to find a lot of young urbanites filling the area and if you're timings right, the Redpath Sugar Refinery might just receive a new shipment of sugar making the air smell extra sweet.

Hanlan’s Point - The featured Toronto Island beach. This guy is located on the South West corner peering off into what seems like the never ending Lake Ontario and the west end skyline fades into the distance. Be prepared though, this is known as a nude beach. While not everyone goes bare, you likely will see a bit extra from others.

If you’re in the West End:

Sunnyside Park - Another expansive beach spot for those looking to enjoy the nice weather and some water. While not as popular as Woodbine, it feels just as long. Sunnyside also has bike paths, multiple restrooms, a food stall for some snacks and even an inground pool if you’re not one for the lake. This spot is very popular for it’s biking and walks. The bike path is very separate and free from foot traffic as everyone is strolling down the boardwalk for optimal beach views.

Humber Bay - Positioned right by the iconic wooden “TORONTO <3” sign, Humber Bay beach is often quiet and much less busy in comparison to its counterparts. This may change though as development continues and condos are being built at lightning speeds so we say enjoy it while it’s still calm! This beach is also a little rocky so be prepared if you’re thinking of going barefoot at any given time.