It’s festival season, and the streets are brimming with music, art, theatre and other forms of summer revelry. Here, a roundup of the best bets of the month
What it’s all about: A whole month of jazzy tunes capped off by one big street fest. Spread across several east-end parks and, for one weekend, a two-kilometre stretch of Queen Street East, the Beaches Jazz Festival draws 50 bands and 1,000 artists every year to entertain its one million attendees.
Why you need to go: The festival kicks off with a beer garden in Jimmie Simpson Park, followed by Salsa on the Beach, which transforms Woodbine Beach into a dance floor for salsa, merengue and cumbia. The capstone street fest features more than 30 bands across three nights, including Little Magic Sam, Jackson Steinwall, the Quincy Bullen Family Band and plenty more local acts.
Don’t miss: Musical master classes and open jam sessions.
What it’s all about: Fine art in the sunshine. Sixty-four years ago, the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair was little more than a few sculptures scattered around the Four Seasons Motor Hotel’s parking lot. Now, it fills Nathan Phillips Square with more than 400 artists and makers.
Why you need to go: This year’s fair celebrates Canada, with special zones spotlighting artists from Quebec, the Atlantic provinces and the Northwest Territories. Performances, talks by creators, gallery tours, and booths from fine-art collectives and artist-run centres will highlight creators from across the country.
Don’t miss: A selection of large-scale sculptures made for the occasion—and perhaps for an acquisitive attendee’s home.
What it’s all about: Part of a global movement supporting radically creative theatre, the Toronto Fringe Fest is the best way to find new artists who are trying out wild ideas. It’s the largest festival of its kind in these parts.
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Why you need to go: Some Fringe shows, like Ins Choi’s Kim Convenience, go on to strike gold. See them here first.
Don’t miss: Among the many shows this year are Justice for Maurice Henry Carter, in which a chorus serenades two men fighting against wrongful convictions; Have Fun Kids, written in homage to the late Toronto playwright Jordan Mechano; and Siranoush, a one-woman show about a trailblazing Armenian actor.
What it’s all about: A multicultural mashup of sounds and rhythms to ring in Canada Day, set on the scenic North York grounds of the Aga Khan Museum.
Why you need to go: The Indigenous family group Eagleheart Singers and Drummers kicks things off, followed by singer Kayam’s self-described “falafel pop”—an R&B blend of East African, Indian and British influences—and Pakistani pop star Natasha Noorani ending the night. Day two includes tours through Cuban salsa, Persian Indian fusion, Ghanaian jazz and Iraqi Canadian rapper Narcy’s diasporic hip hop.
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Don’t miss: Free admission to the museum for more global treasures.
What it’s all about: Dancing in the streets. The 21st annual celebration of salsa is taking over a multi-block stretch of St. Clair West with Latin American bites and performances.
Why you need to go: Seriously infectious tunes from local staples like Cumbia Power and Samba Squad, spread over 38 events across multiple stages. See pro dancers sashaying to salsa, bachata and calypso as well as traditional stylings from Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela and Brazil. Dedicated dancing areas along the strip provide a haven for those who want to get down. And for revellers in need of fuel, there are street food options galore, including barbecue from Mis Amigos and churros from Pancho’s Bakery.
Don’t miss: An Afro-Brazilian drumming troupe banging out beats on stilts.
What it’s all about: Music in the trees—and all sorts, too. This folk festival draws more than 200 artists to the lush grounds of Scarborough’s Thomson Memorial Park, doing justice to the neighbourhood’s cultural diversity.
Why you need to go: This year’s performances include Shannon Thunderbird, an Indigenous singer and storyteller from Northern BC; Arabic jazz from actor, writer and musician Ahmed Moneka; a combination of Scottish folk and Jamaican reggae from duo Jason Wilson and Ashara; plus music from Ukraine, Brazil, Bangladesh and more.
What it’s all about: The largest free African music festival in North America, with 50 acts spread over three jam-packed days.
Why you need to go: Artists from 16 different Caribbean and African countries are set to perform on the festival’s two stages.
Don’t miss: Awilo Longomba, a pioneer of techno-soukous, the Congolese version of rumba; Tanzanian pop star Ali Kiba; and Ugandan reggae-dancehall artist Beenie Gunter. Karaoke, fashion shows, dance-offs and food will also be on offer—the perfect ingredients for a party in the park.
What it’s all about: Bloordale’s big ol’ block party stretches from Dufferin to Lansdowne on one of the hottest weekends of the year.
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Why you need to go: The theme of this year’s festival is “bizarre,” and it celebrates the neighbourhood’s many wonderful quirks through murals, sculptures and interactive installations by more than 20 local artists. Workshops for clay-making, collaging, poetry, live painting and quilting let visitors express their own brand of weird.
Don’t miss: Oversized challenges like bowling and Jenga, which conjure an Alice in Wonderland meets yard party vibe.
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Anthony Milton is a freelance journalist based in Toronto. He is the regular writer of Toronto Life’s culture section and also contributes Q&As, as-told-tos and other stories for both print and web. He lives in Little Portugal.
