Toronto
Indoor and Outdoor Festivals

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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.

More information: beerlicious.ca

GreekTown Taste of the Danforth is one of Toronto's signature events, showcasing Hellenic cuisine and culture. You can enjoy mouth-watering Greek cuisine such as souvlaki and spanakopita. The festival also offers the multicultural tastes of the city.

The street festival is in the heart of Toronto's GreekTown, and attracts hungry mouths from all over the world for this renowned street festival. They come for the food, the entertainment, the atmosphere, and to be Greek for the weekend!This festival is a must for food-lovers as samples of a variety of the ethnic dishes available at Greek Town restaurants are available for tasting. The event also includes two stages for bands, a Healthy Eating, Healthy Lifestyle Village, a midway, a sports area, a Beer Garden, a Martini Lounge and the Greek Wines Garden.

More information: www.tasteofthedanforth.com

The 3rd Annual York-Eglinton International Street Festival offers everyone a weekend of hot music and fun activities. Begin your weekend with music and a sidewalk sale on Eglinton Ave. West. Running from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., our businesses offer great deals and sales to kick off the event. On Saturday, live musical performances, dancers, street magicians, buskers, face painters, a kid zone, and a variety of vendors will take over the street and offer something for everyone! There'll be exciting giveaways, kids' activities, and more. Best of all, admission is FREE! 

More information: www.internationalstreetfest.com

Hot, sour, sweet and salty! The Hot & Spicy Food Festival serves up diverse hot food and flavors from around the globe, and occasionally pairs a spicy dish with a complementary sampling of the hot sounds of the region. One of the most popular festivals at Harbourfront.

More information: www.harbourfrontcentre.com

Toronto After Dark Film Festival is one of the world's leading showcases of thrilling cinema. The critically acclaimed annual festival, now in its 5th Year, showcases new horror, sci-fi, action and cult films from around the world, including numerous award-winning features and shorts. Last year's festival was attended by a record 9,000 enthusiastic film fans and over 100 members of press and industry. In a poll of local filmgoers, Toronto After Dark was also voted Runner-Up for Best Film Festival in the City. We invite you to join us this August 13-20, 2010 for eight amazing nights at the Bloor Cinema, Toronto's legendary cult movie theatre revered by visiting filmmakers including Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith and Edgar Wright.

the 5th annual Toronto After Dark Film Festival returns to thrill thousands of fans over 8 amazing nights at the Bloor Cinema next August 13-20, 2010 with 17 new horror, sci-fi, action and cult movies! In the last two years fans at Toronto After Dark got to be THE FIRST to see such amazing films as LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, TRuICK ‘R TREat, Dead Snow, Repo! The Genetic Opera, Grace and Black Dynamite.

More information: www.torontoafterdark.com

Since opening day in 1879, the Canadian National Exhibition has been a real bargain for families looking for great entertainment, education and a whole bunch of excitement….and it's no different in 2010! All events are free with admission to the CNE. Included are this year's presentation of the Canadian International Air Show, MANA: Cirque Fantaisiste, the daily CNE Mardi Gras Parade and the SuperDogs Show, just to name a few.

You can download the CNE brochure from their official website or at our own website www.HOToronto.com

More information: www.theex.com

Celebrating the city's Yiddish culture, this week long event held at the Harbourfront Centre is Toronto's most important Jewish celebration. The 10-acre site comes alive with festival productions and works of art created by world-famous artists. With more than 175 artisans from 10 different countries, the festival adds an international flavor to a communal experience. Musicians, poets, painters, sculptors, actors and dancers come together the last week of August through the first week of September to celebrate before the sun sets on another summer. Most events are free of charge.

More information: www.ashkenazfestival.com

Every summer, for 4 days and nights, the streets of the St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood come to life with laughter, cheering, aplause and flames when some of the best street performers from around the world gather for the Toronto International BuskerFest. Contortionists, comedians, clowns, magicians, musicians, acrobats, aerialist artists, daredevils and so many more, all strut their stuff to the delight of crowds of all ages. Admission is by donation to Epilepsy Toronto. Playing in the street has never been so much fun!

More information: www.torontobuskerfest.com

Bigger, better and greener than ever, this year's Green Toronto Festival will transform Yonge-Dundas Square into a celebration of all things green! Stroll through more than 100 exhibits of green products and services, sample some scrumptious locally grown food and enjoy live bands & special guest speakers, all in a car-free environment — Yonge Street will be closed to traffic from Dundas to Queen.

The Toronto Italian Film Festival is an intimate jewel of a festival in a city that boasts one of North America's largest movie-going publics, and over half a million Italians. Set to mark its 12th anniversary, it is a much anticipated cultural event, not only by the Italian community but by Toronto's loyal cinema buffs.

More information: www.italianfilmfest.com

The 29th Anniversary of Hispanic Fiesta in 2010 is ready to fill Mel Lastman Square with the splendid sounds, tempting treats and colorful culture that the Hispanic heritage is famous for. Hispanic Fiesta will feature the best known local & International Hispanic performers covering 20 different countries, that speak Spanish. More than 300 local, national and international performers will be taking part in the festival.

More information: www.hispanicfiesta.com

The Junction Arts Festival proudly promotes the arts while offering something for everyone. One of the largest art meets street festivals in North America, the Junction Arts Festival provides the opportunity to stroll through lively street venues featuring engaging art exhibits, live musical performers at the open-air stages, strolling performers, and children's activities.

More information: www.junctionartsfest.com

The Toronto International Film Festival ranks among the most prestigious international film festivals in the world. For ten days, film lovers, filmmakers, industry professionals and media watch the best in new cinema from established masters and new talent. 

The Toronto International Film Festival presents one of the world's largest annual showcases of Canadian film with the Canada First!, Short Cuts Canada and  Canadian Open Vault programmes. TIFF receives more than 4,000 submissions and screens more than 300 films annually. It has many programmes in which films from 65 countries are screened. TIFF also presents two public screenings of virtually every invited film and at least one screening for press and industry.

With more than 1,000 internationally accredited media, this festival attracts thousands of Canadian and international industry delegates.

As one of the world's most important cultural events, the Festival consistently strives to set the standard for excellence in film programming. Audiences are exposed to the work of emerging talent and masters of the cinema craft from around the world.

The Festival also serves as a platform for this country's artists to share their stories. Audacious in its selection and supported by the strength and intelligence of its international audience, the Festival has become the landmark destination for the moving image - and is forging ahead, seeking new ways to engineer creative and cultural discovery through film.

One of North America's premier film events. The Toronto International Film Festival attracts worldwide attention and many of the ‘movers and shakers' in the movie industry. The festival is held at a variety of venues throughout the city. Internationally renowned, this film festival shows between 300 and 400 films at approximately 23 screens in downtown Toronto each year. First formed in 1976, the TIFF features blockbuster Hollywood hits, as well as independent works from Canada and around the world.

More information: www.tiff.net

More information: www.importfest.com

Celebrate reading, writing, and literacy at Canada's largest book and magazine festival: The Word on the Street. Visit any of the 250 book, magazine, and literacy exhibitor booths to discover new writers, new publications, and new talent. Take in readings, ask questions, and get your books signed by almost 200 authors, performers, and storytellers. Enjoy great programming all day at any one of 18 performance venues, which include a Bestsellers Stage, Children's Activity Tent, and the Wordshop: The Place for Writers. Last year more than 200,000 people enjoyed The Word on the Street; come see what all the type is about!

More information: www.thewordonthestreet.ca

Creativ Festival is trend spotting, inspiration, new products, spectacular shopping, hands-on conference workshops, industry experts, how-tos, make ‘n takes, seminars, fashion, style & trunk shows, exquisite displays, meet and greets (tv hosts, authors, designer and artist), door pizes and more. It's where you go to get the insider tips, trade secrets and stay-in-the know on what's hot, what's new and what's next in the world of sewing, knitting, beading, quilting, needlework, paper crafts and more!

Cited as "one of the best" in the July/August ‘03 issue of Vogue Patterns, the Creative Sewing and Needlework Festival was established in 1988. Here you can learn how to put your own one-of-a-kind stamp on everything from clothes and curtains to greeting cards and accessories. From embellishing off-the-rack-items to constructing custom clothing and jewellery, the Festival is known all over the world as the premier consumer show for creative individuals who craft-it or create-it themselves.

More information: www.csnf.com

Toronto's Chocolate Festival 2010 is back for its fifth year. 

As a Toronto city-wide event, the Toronto Chocolate Festival is back for its 5th year. This is the event where CHOCOLATE is featured in all its magnificent and tasty forms. Toronto Chocolate Festival will present several delectable, delicious and simply decadent events. Included is the world-famous Chocolate Ball Gala, Chocolicious, 911 Chocolate Relay, Dinner with the ChocElite, Luxury Chocolate Tours, Hot Cha Cha Chocolate Nights, High Tea and Chocolate and the all new Luxury Chocolate Show at Roy Thomson Hall.

More information: www.torontochocolatefestival.com

Conveniently located in the heart of the theatre district at King and Simcoe Streets with underground parking available. Up to 50 exhibitors will occupy more than 50,000 square feet in the Rotunda of the luxuriously appointed Roy Thomson Hall. This is where you will meet up with top chocolatiers and pastry chefs under one roof.

The 3 Grand Entries in the POW WOW are the spectacular highlight of the Canadian Aboriginal Festival. The entire family will enjoy the visually stunning display as nearly 1000 native dancers and drum singing groups from across North America join together on the floor of the Copps Coliseum.

Each of the Pow Wow ceremonies begins with the Grand Entry, when all dancers enter the Dance Circle for the first time. The pageantry and drama of the Grand Entry make it one of the most beautiful traditional Aboriginal ceremonies and a must see for anyone interested in native culture and customs.

For those not familiar with Pow Wows, it is one of the oldest, most important and colourful Aboriginal ceremonies.

Pow Wows traditionally have been dedicated to warriors and a way of giving thanks to the Creator for all that Mother Earth provides for Her people. In short a "Thanksgiving" ceremony. The Pow Wow is the center piece of the Canadian Aboriginal Festival with visitors from all parts of Canada and around the world gathered in Hamilton at the Copps Coliseum to witness this most beautiful traditional ceremony. All peoples of all races and creeds are invited. 

Other highlights of the festival are:The Canadian Aboriginal Awards, Market Place, Fashion Show, Lacrosse Competition, Traditional Teachings and  Workshops.

More information: www.canab.com

Take the blahs out of winter with this 14-day festival. Body shaking concerts, exceptional skating shows and other performances . A high spot of the festival is the sparkling cool beauty of the ice sculptures. www.toronto.ca/special_events

Celebrate! Explore! Savour!

The WinterCity Festival wouldn't be complete without Toronto's favourite winter gastronomic celebration. Now in its eighth delicious year, Winterlicious again offers two popular programs for you to savour.

Winterlicious Culinary Events
10 mouth-watering culinary events featuring some of Toronto's diverse cuisine and notable chefs.

Some restrictions apply. Reservations recommended.

*Lunch and dinner menus include starter, entrée and dessert. Beverages, taxes and gratuity additional.

Please remember... You MUST cancel your reservation at least 48 hours in advance if you cannot keep it.

Vietnamese Association, Toronto (VAT) in partnership with Thoi Bao Community Fund is organizing the 24th Annual Lunar New Year Festival (Tet Festival 2011) - the Year of Ox

www.minhchauproduction.com

Buddies In Bad Times Theatre presents an exciting line-up of new, original, contemporary theatre, performance and dance for our Rhubarb Festival.

The public can explore and celebrate the heritage, traditions and culture of African-Canadians in music, comedy, dance, food, film, panel discussions, spoken word, visual arts, family activities and more.

Harbourfront Centre celebrates African Heritage Month with two weekends full of lively entertainment. Most events are free.

Toronto's innovative and vibrant grassroots all day festival of Jewish learning and culture.

Choose your own adventure from over 35 sessions led by some of Toronto's most dynamic Jewish educators, performers and teachers. This year, you can study Torah, liturgy, and Jewish history, go green with a panel on eco-Judaism, learn to write your family memoir, sing along with an instant choir, speak your Jewish experience in poetry, and much more! The cost for the day includes underground parking on site and a kosher dairy lunch. Free programs for children ages 5-12.

Register now at www.limmud.ca or call 647-838-7004.

All Canadian Music Fest shows are 19 and over – unless stated all ages. The schedule will be updated frequently - so check the site often for up-to-the-minute information and announcements. www.canadianmusicfest.com

All Shows: Evenings at 8pm • Saturday matinée at 2:30pm

More information: www.alumnaetheatre.com/ideas.html

Seminars by artists, designers & TV hosts, industry expert how-to demos, mini hands-on workshops, make 'n take projects, interactive in-booth activities, creative industry trends, jewellery making & embellishment tips, fashion & couture sewing techniques, scrapbooking & paper arts how-to's, decorating & design ideas, dazzling & inspiring displays, and a chance to win exciting door prizes… and extraordinary shopping!

Visit: www.creativfestival.ca

The Toronto Jewish Film Festival showcases feature drama and comedy, documentaries and shorts from Canada and all around the globe, often pairing screenings with the filmmakers for up-close and personal audience participation, interviews and Q&As.

Visit: www.tjff.com

It&'s Canada&'s largest celebration of home cooking and eating. The Festival is all about food and LOTS of it! Explore what&'s new in the world of ethnic cuisine, gourmet fare, natural foods, cooking ingredients, and expert advice.

You&'ll find all the right ingredients:

• Over 150 free cooking lessons, food talks and demonstrations
• Six non-stop stages serve up an abundance of good food advice to help you revitalize your meal repertoire
• Hundreds of FREE food and drink samples to taste
• Oodles of expert advice
• Thousands of new and unique products, meal solutions and recipe ideas
• The Festival is a great place to buy to take home-at fabulous Festival prices

Visit: www.goodfoodfestival.com

Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival is North America's largest documentary festival. Each year, the festival presents a selection of more than 100 cutting-edge documentaries from Canada and around the globe. Through its industry programmes, the Festival also provides a full range of professional development, market and networking opportunities for documentary professionals.

More information: www.hotdocs.ca

CONTACT: TORONTO PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVAL
Various Locations

CONTACT is an annual month long festival of photography with over 500 local, national and international artists at more than 200 venues across the Greater Toronto Area in May. Founded as a not-for-profit organization 12 years ago, CONTACT is devoted to celebrating, and fostering an appreciation of the art and profession of photography. As the largest photography event in the world, and a premiere cultural event in Toronto, CONTACT stimulates excitement and discussion among a diverse audience that has grown to over 1,000,000 and is focused on cultivating even greater interest and participation this year's memories.

Since the beginning, Inside Out's mission has been the promotion and exhibition of film and video by or about Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGBT) people. And now, through a variety of initiatives, they are committed to nurturing and supporting new and established artists while providing opportunities for audiences to view the best and most diverse work of interest to the LGBT communities.

More information: /www.insideout.on.ca/festival/

• The Nuts and Bolts of Energy - Forms and Functions
• Energy Conservation and You – At Home and in our City
• Renewable Energy – Sun, Wind, Water, and Biomass Power
• Energy Cycles and Climate Change – How Humans Use Energy

The Kids' World of Energy Festival brings together over 4000 students from across the GTA to explore the relationship of energy to our lives and life on the planet.  The festival offers children the unique opportunity to discover the science and manifestations of energy in an urban environment.

Doors Open Toronto is an annual event held in the City of Toronto, Canada, that showcases many of the city's unique and historically significant buildings to the public. Among the buildings included are offices, places of worship, and historical landmarks (such as the house of William Lyon Mackenzie, first mayor of Toronto).

Every year the Worldwide Short Film Festival produces a compilation CD of independent Canadian music by Canadian musicians. The compilation CD is an innovative way for filmmakers and musicians to collaborate creatively and form working partnerships. The CD is distributed to over 400 festival delegates.

More information: www.worldwideshortfilmfest.com

June

The premise is simple: continually maintain the high standard established since year one of The Distillery Blues Festival. They're confident that they've hit the mark with the outstanding 2010 Waterfront Blues line-up of well-established acts and emerging talent. And remember this first-rate entertainment is FREE!

More information: www.waterfrontblues.ca

Now in its third year, Luminato is an annual ten-day celebration of the arts where Toronto's stages, streets, and public spaces are infused with theatre, dance, classical and contemporary music, film, literature, visual arts, and design.

Luminato embraces three key programming principles: collaboration, accessibility, and diversity.

• Luminato embraces artistic collaboration - creating unforgettable moments by bringing together artists from different cultures and genres. The festival encourages local, national, and international artists to discover unprecedented creative expressions through unexpected partnerships. The Luminato staff, led by CEO Janice Price, partners with the Luminato Artistic Committee, as well as the arts leadership of the City of Toronto, to shape the programming offered at the Festival.
• Luminato's hallmarks include free widely accessible events, and "accidental encounters with art." Festival-goers are invited to participate, explore, and celebrate their own creative spirit.
• Luminato embraces and celebrates Toronto's cultural diversity, and recognizes that creativity flourishes when cultures join together in a spirit of tolerance and respect.

Luminato is designed to showcase Toronto's bustling downtown core and the cultural renaissance transforming the city's renowned concert halls, galleries, museum collections, and performing arts companies. Luminato brings Toronto's light to the world, and the world's light to Toronto.

More information: www.luminato.com

Woofstock is the largest outdoor festival for dogs in all of North America. Quirky and fun, Woofstock is a free admission non-stop party that takes place at our hip, newly expanded location, the historic St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood, home to the world-famous food market as well as the dog-friendly Sunday Antique Market.

More information: www.woofstock.ca

Now in its 16th year, North by Northeast Music Festival and Conference (NXNE) has become the Canadian festival destination for new and emerging talent -- unsigned bands, indie favourites, and major-label headlining artists alike. Seen as the most anticipated summer music event in Canada, NXNE has cemented itself as an essential showcaseopportunity for the best in new music.

For five days and nights the NXNE Music Festival offers the hottest music and the freshest music-related ideas -- all within a few km of each other. NXNE 2009 presented over 600 international, national and local acts at 50 official festival stages in downtown Toronto's famous club district. More than 250,000 music fans attended the festival, with thousands of industry professionals taking part in conference sessions and thousands more fans at the concurrent NXNE Film Festival. Many performers have played NXNE on their way to major worldwide breakthroughs. Hotly tipped buzz bands and soon-to-be-discovered gems join international touring acts, making NXNE eclectic and exciting.

More information: www.nxne.com

The Toronto Wine & Spirit Festival pops the cork on June 17th for its 2nd year in the Distillery District. The city's only outdoor wine and spirit sampling event will once again deliver a taste of summer!

From tastings in the original Fermenting Cellar of the former Gooderham and Worts distillery, to the Nicaraguan Rum and Cigar Lounge Experience on the brick lined path of Distillery Lane, this truly is a unique setting for the kick off to summer … a summer solstice. Enjoy the romantic ambiance and beautiful architecture of the Distillery District while enjoying live music from local indie groups like the Hoa Hoa's and Julie Fader from the Great Lake Swimmers on the Colio Lake & River Wines stage.

The "Conscious Food" feature makes its debut on Trinity Lane with Andrew's Scenic Acres, providing locally grown strawberries for delicious fresh daiquiris, next to divine local wines from Prince Edward County, while Chef Rodney Bowers cooks up culinary delights made from local ingredients to satisfy guests' hunger. Also on Trinity Lane... the launch of the New Svedka Vodka from Sweden. The Wine & Spirit School will be educating and pleasuring palates in the Fermenting Cellar with a variety of delicious seminars including Veuve Champagne, an array of Wines and a beer and cheese tasting.

"Whether you produce wine, import wine, retail wine or just simply enjoy wine, the Toronto Wine and Spirit Festival is about discovery, refinement, and tickling your taste buds" said Scott Rondeau, Festival Co-founder..."This show promotes lifestyle. Obviously the backyard drink and the dinner wine are a big part of this, but people have to come out and see what else is in store, because we have some great things planned."

Thousands of people are anticipated to make their way to Toronto's pedestrian- only village with one common goal, to try something new! Experience a world of class and fine entertainment while sampling from hundreds of products from all over Canada and the world.

This event is rain or shine as all pavilions are tented. Advance tickets are $22 and include an official Toronto Wine & Spirit sampling glass and five food/drink vouchers. Admission tickets can also be purchased on-site for $30 (subject to availability). Entrance and ticket sales are located at the South door of the Fermenting Cellar, just west of Trinity Square.

For a complete vendor list or to obtain tickets, please visit: www.wineandspiritfestival.ca. 

College Street between Bathurst and Shaw Streets Little Italy is one of Toronto’s most popular entertainment areas with a great variety of Italian restaurants, trattorias, bars and cafés. Other cultures have also made culinary inroads and you'll find Japanese, Mexican, and Portuguese eateries as well. Come enjoy this kick off to Summer with world music bands performing on street corners, and tasting tables offering samples of their menus for $1-$5.

More information: www.tasteoflittleitaly.ca

June

Pride Week in Toronto is one of Canada's premier arts and cultural festivals and one of the largest Pride celebrations in the world. 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.

More information: www.pridetoronto.com

A two-day fun-filled event that brings sports, team spirit and community spirit to Toronto Centre Island. The Festival, which started in 1989, entered the international arena in 1993. From the humble beginning of only 27 teams participating in the first festival back in 1989, it has evolved to a much bigger operation over the past two decades. Organized by the Toronto Chinese Business Association and the Toronto International Dragon Boat Race Festival, the Festival in 2011 will once again expect 180 to 200 teams with 5,000 athletes. Paddlers of different backgrounds from all over the world will take part in the ancient Chinese tradition and friendly competition.

More information: www.dragonboats.com

The TD Toronto Jazz Festival has become known as one of North America's premier jazz festivals produced annually by Toronto Downtown Jazz, a Canadian registered charity.What began in 1987 as an eight day showcase of jazz now attracts in excess of 500,000 loyal patrons annually over 10 days. Attractions include more than 350 performances with over 1,500 musicians performing at approximately 40 locations around Toronto. The heart of the Festival is located at Nathan Phillips Square with an impressive 1,200 seat fully-licensed Mainstage Concert Theatre and outdoor stage, and where many extraordinary events are offered free to the public.

More information: www.torontojazz.com

Toronto Ribfest, the largest Canada Day celebration, is held over the long weekend at Centennial Park in Etobicoke. Make Ribfest your family destination – there's fun and excitement for all! In its 11th year, this popular event put on by the Rotary Club of Etobicoke attracts over 100,000 visitors who come to enjoy live music, succulent ribs and the beer tents. Children are delighted with candy floss, carnival rides, the climbing wall and pony rides. On Canada Day, a lively fireworks display celebrates Canada's birthday at dusk.

More information: www.torontoribfest.com

"TORONTO'S THEATRE FESTIVAL"

The Fringe is Toronto's largest theatre festival. Last year it hosted over 150 theatre companies from around the globe - most from right here in Toronto! With over 29 different venues and 800+ artists, the Fringe of Toronto Theatre Festival is Toronto's largest theatre festival.

Join the excitement and beat the economic blues with 59,000 other Fringers as you sit back and see Broadways' next hit, or something wild and wacky - all for under $10. Productions range from dramas to musical extravaganzas to improv and take place in local theatres as well as in unusual spots: playgrounds, parking lots and more. A FringeKids! venue hosts eight plays exclusively for children and families. The festival also hosts a beer tent, two outdoor patios and a free nightly Cabaret. unjuried, unexpected, unforgettable

More information: www.fringetoronto.com

CARIBANA PARADE - July 31
Exhibition Place + Lakeshore Blvd.

Scotiabank Caribana Festival is an exciting two-week cultural explosion of Caribbean music, cuisine, revelry as well as visual and performing arts. In its 43nd year it has become a major international event and the largest cultural festival of its kind in North America. As Carnival is an international cultural phenomenon, the great metropolis of Toronto and its environs will come alive as the city explodes with the pulsating rhythms and melodies of Calypso, Soca, Reggae, Hip Hop, Chutney, Steel Pan and Brass Bands. This colourful exhibition and display of genius is truly a musical panorama that is certain to bring a pleasing smile to the ancestral titans of Pan and Calypso music. 

The Caribana Festival is an expression of Toronto's multicultural and multiracial society. An increasing number of attendees and participants come from the US and overseas. The events are planned months in advance. The costumes and mas band displays are elaborate and oh so delicately worn and designed for movement. Move they do, in a breath-taking spectrum of colours that is best refl ected in the King and Queen Showcase on Parade Day. No Scotiabank Caribana Festival is complete without African Drumming along with the Arts and Crafts displays celebrating "Things Caribbean"! 

More information: www.caribanafestival.com

The 9th annual TD IRIE Music Festival is a multi-media extravaganzafeaturing dance, visual art, spoken word and of course great music from theCaribbean, Latin America, Africa and North America. Conveniently located in the heart of downtown Toronto, taking place in three great locations: Queen's Park, Nathan Phillips Square and Yonge Dundas Square.

More information: www.iriemusicfestival.com

Grab parrots, hooks, and eye patches and get ready to walk the plank ye scurvy dogs. Thar she blows! Landlubbers, sea cap'ns and all who share the heart of a pirate be welcome. The village stages will be filled from morning ‘til evening with family friendly shows. There be buxom beauties and wenches on hand, music and comedy, feats of skill and bravery, sword fighting, and buried treasure to hunt.

More information: www.thepiratefestival.com