From taco fiestas to pickle parties, here are this summer’s can’t-miss food festivals
Eight ways to stuff your face from now through October
For some, summer means packing the car with camping gear, chips, beer, and maybe a kid or two, only to end up stuck in traffic denser than the line at Arthur’s Bagels on a Saturday morning. For others, it means repeatedly googling “What should I do in Toronto this weekend?" But that search ends here.
Related: Nine unique culinary experiences in Ontario worth the road trip
We’ve rounded up the best food festivals in and around Toronto, including rosé-fuelled afternoons, snack-filled street celebrations and pickle-packed parties. Consider your summer social calendar sorted.
Island Eats
Where: Mel Lastman Square When: June 13 and 14 What: A sun-soaked celebration of the Caribbean and Latin American islands, bursting with tropical flavours, vibrant colours and tons of lime. Think steel pans, smoky Jamaican jerk chicken, Trinbagonian doubles dripping with tamarind and pepper sauce, Antiguan fungee, fiery Haitian pikliz, and plenty of straw-speared coconuts to wash it all down with. It’s the closest you’ll get to a tropical vacation without leaving Toronto.
Taco Fest
Where: Port Credit Memorial Park and Fort York When: June 27 and 28 (Port Credit Memorial Park), August 7 to 9 (Fort York) What: Spanning soft shells, hard shells and beyond, this epic celebration of Mexican handhelds (yes, that includes you, tequila shot) brings together 40 vendors, more than 200 types of tacos, 32 kinds of tequila and salsa galore. Come hungry; come thirsty; and prepare to spend the day listening to mariachi music, searching for that sombrero you somehow misplaced and chasing your next perfect bite.
Rosé Picnic
Where: Canadian Film Centre When: July 11 What: Nothing says pink is the new black quite like Rosé Picnic, the summer’s biggest picnic and a celebration that has been championing day-drinking and frou-frou fashion long before LoveShackFancy entered the chat. For the second year in a row, a lineup of fancy Barbie-pink beverages will take over the pristine lawns of the Canadian Film Centre. Once the home of The Great Canadian Baking Show, the venue is now synonymous with blush-toned fashion moments and rosé-fuelled revelry. Alongside a food pavilion, guests can explore a VIP installation curated by Barbados, featuring Bajan bites and cocktails from guest chefs Javon Cummins, Creig Greenidge and Trevon Stoute.
Related: The Incredible Edible Bucket List—365 must-try Toronto dishes
Brewery and the Beast
Where: Henderson Brewing When: July 16 What: This is a live-fire cookout with chefs on-site to represent some of Toronto’s top kitchens, including Azura, Eataly, Enigma Yorkville, Mozy’s, Pai, Rodney’s Oyster House and Taline. Attendees can expect a feast of grilled and smoked proteins alongside craft cocktails, premium wines and Henderson beer. A $150 ticket entitles you to unlimited food and drinks, making this the rare festival where your appetite will tap out before your wallet.
Panamerican Food and Music Festival
Where: Nathan Phillips Square When: July 24 to 26 What: From tamales to tostadas, arepas to empanadas and ceviche to churrasco, the Panamerican Food and Music Festival celebrates the rich diversity of pan-American cuisine during a three-day event dedicated to flavours, traditions and family recipes from over 41 countries. The festival brings together food vendors, chefs, musicians, artisans and dancers from across the Americas. Bring your hunger (and your hips).
Toronto Waterfront Night Market
Where: Hotel X When: August 14 to 16 What: Equal parts music festival and culinary adventure, WNMFest pulls out all the stops for its three-day celebration of Asian culture. Saturday and Sunday nights bring out the 19-plus crowd for floating lanterns, dragon and lion dances, and an all-Asian entertainment lineup with local and international DJs, dance crews, and other live performers. Sunday opens the festivities up for the whole family (translation: all the fun minus the booze). The food lineup is no joke either, including juicy gyoza, Taiwanese barbecue, kimchi rolls and sushi burritos—plus enough bubble tea to keep everyone properly energized.
Toronto Food Truck Festival
Where: Woodbine Park When: July 31 to August 3 What: Once again, for the entirety of the August long weekend, Woodbine Park will be taken over by a cavalcade of restaurants on wheels. The full lineup of vendors is still under wraps, but expect dozens of trucks serving smoked, fried and spit-fired indulgences like burgers, tacos, mini donuts, plenty of street meat, and deeper cuts including takoyaki, elotes and maybe even the occasional sushi pop.
Picklefest
Where: Henderson Brewing When: October 3 and 4 What: Nothing says summer (or, in this case, early October) quite like the slow and sour burn of pickle brine seeping through your pores. This year, alongside a barrage of heavy-hitting producers like Alchemy, Marty’s Pickles, Joanne’s Urban Kitchen and Pickled Canadian, the festival is serving a lineup of surprise pickle-packed creations from local favourites. Newcomer Langley Foods will make a strong first impression with pickle-loaded prawn rolls. Elm Street Deli plans to stack the dills high on a special festival sub. And Bindi’s is bringing a smash burger with an Indian twist. Wash it all down with Solly’s Kosher Dill Lime soda. Now where are the pickle-flavoured Tums?
Erin Hershberg is a freelance writer with nearly two decades of experience in the lifestyle sector. She currently lives in downtown Toronto with her husband and two children.
