Toronto, the capital of the province of Ontario, is a major Canadian city along Lake Ontario’s sprawling freshwater shore. It’s a dynamic metropolis with a core of soaring skyscrapers, all dwarfed by the iconic, free-standing CN Tower, surrounded by the most diverse and multicultural communities in the world.
The city has countless green spaces, from the orderly oval of Queen’s Park to 400-acre High Park and its trails, massive Stadiums, Hockey Arenas, international food markets,
1. Pride Toronto
Founded in 1981, Pride Toronto continues a legacy that is deeply intertwined with the rich, progressive history of Toronto’s queer community. From a small gathering of dedicated activists fighting for their right to love and be seen, to clashes with the government and police, to the vibrant celebration we know today, Pride has been a long time in the making and has grown into one of the largest celebrations of Gay Pride in the World!
2. Caribana / Carnival
The Toronto Caribbean Carnival, formerly and previously called Caribana (1967-2006), is a festival of Caribbean culture and traditions held each summer in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is a Caribbean Carnival event, that has been billed as North America’s largest street festival, frequented by over 1.3 million visitors each year for the festival’s final parade and an overall attendance of 2 million.
The festival was introduced to Canada by immigrants from the Caribbean. It follows a Carnival format, particularly following the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, but also influenced by the street dancing and masquerading in costume found on every Caribbean island such as John Canoe in Jamaica, Crop Over in Barbados, and other similar festivals in Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. This event is very important for preserving and expressing their Caribbean identity, and has been a cornerstone of Summer in Toronto for generations.
3. Taste of Danforth
Taste of the Danforth is one of Canada’s largest Street Festival, welcoming approximately 1.6 million attendees over 3 days. The Festival is organized by the GreekTown on the Danforth BIA, a not-for-profit organization, run by a volunteer Board of prominent Greek community leaders.
4. Nuit Blanche
Toronto’s Nuit Blanche sunset to sunrise celebration is the largest contemporary art event in North America. Since it’s inaugural year in 2006, Nuit Blanche has featured more than 1,400 official art installations created by over 4,900 artists and has generated more than $311 million for the cities cultural scene. The all night event will typically have museums, private and public art galleries, and other cultural institutions open and free of charge, with the centre of the city itself being turned into a de facto art gallery, providing space for art installations, performances (music, film, dance, performance art), themed social gatherings, and other activities.
5. Kensington Market Pedestrian Sundays
The streets of Kensington Market are yours and open in celebration on throughout the market. Human beings feel at their best in vibrant, human scale, friendly environments. Pedestrian Sundays allows us to taste the amazing cultures of Toronto, dance with strangers, and celebrate community, culture, and ecology. While Pedestrian Sundays don’t permanently change the streets, they will forever change the way you perceive them!
6. Doors Open Toronto
Explore Toronto’s Buildings Since its inception in 2000, Doors Open Toronto has attracted more than two million visits to nearly 700 unique locations. It is Canada’s largest Doors Open event and one of the three largest in the world. Doors Open is a 100% free an invites the public to explore and discover Toronto’s buildings of architectural, historic and cultural significance. During the last weekend of May, visitors can participate in walking tours, special activities, and explore more than 150 properties that are either not usually open to the public, or would normally charge an entrance fee.Expand AllDoors Open Toronto accordion panelsCollapse AllDoors Open Toronto accordion panels
7. NXNE (Music Festival)
NXNE has been discovering new music and new ideas since 1995. Over 200,000 attend the Festival every June in Toronto. In addition to presenting great, emerging musicians, NXNE also features: eSports, comedy and much more over 10 hot days every summer.
Celebrating 25 years of live music, NXNE is the longest running music festival in Toronto. As a partner to Austin’s SXSW, NXNE has brought big names like The Flaming Lips and The National to Yonge and Dundas Square for free shows, while filling the clubs with live music from local bands. Not just an audio festival, NXNE’s lineup often includes film, art and gaming programs.
8. Canadian National Exhibition
While technically more of a fair than a festival, The Ex, as its known by locals, is a beloved tradition for Torontonians at the end of every summer. It’s the local carnival you went to in your small town growing up – times ten. The food creations regularly make the news and remain a main attraction for many who dare to try a mac and cheese popsicle or a spaghetti donut ball. The carnival rides and games are as epic as they were when you were a kid, and multiple stages are filled with live music and circus entertainment.
9. TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival)
The Toronto International Film Festival is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permanent destination for film culture operating out of the TIFF Bell Lightbox, located in Downtown Toronto.
10. Beaches Jazz Fesitval
The Beaches (also known as “The Beach“) is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that, as the name suggests, is fronted with an expansive sun loving beach. The Jazz festival began in 1989, when local jazz artists were booked to perform at the Kew Gardens Bandshell in the beaches.
Now celebrating her 32nd anniversary, the festival has blossomed into a month long mid-summer event that attracts thousands of fans and makes a major contribution to promoting Canadian jazz excellence locally and on the world stage.
NOMAD SKETCHBOOK 