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Toronto's Best Food and Drink Festivals Happening This Summer

Rosa Kumar

over 1 year ago

Toronto's Best Food and Drink Festivals Happening This Summer

Put on your shorts (with the elastic band), grab your sunglasses, and get ready for the Toronto summer food festival season! It's finally upon us, weekends full of Toronto's amazing culinary vendors getting together in different parts of the city to feed us. This year we will be back in full swing, with many of our old favourites back after a two-year Covid hiatus (here's looking at you, Taco Fest!).

Toronto

Summerlicious

Summerlicious takes place across the city with over 200 restaurants participating in the culinary extravaganza. These restaurants will offer prix fixe menus at various price points ranging from $20 lunches and $25 dinners to $55 lunches and $75 dinners so people on many different budgets can afford to participate.

955 Lake Shore Blvd W

Waterfront Night Market

A 19+ event, now running for its 13th year, Toronto Waterfront Night Market is an exciting way to spend a hot summer night; the three main anchor sponsors are Pan-Asian Food Festival, BeerCraft Festival, and Illuminasian Floating Lantern & Cultural Showcase.

100 Prince Edward Island Crescent

The Rosé Picnic

This is one for Instagram; a rosé-fueled, pink and white themed picnic with amazing food catered by The Food Dudes, beauty, lifestyle, and travel vendors, and live music. Tickets can be purchased on their website.

100 Garrison Rd

Toronto Vegandale

Vegandale tours North America, hosting its events in major cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami (and now, Toronto!). Vegandale is supposed to be an experience that combines visual art, music, food, and spirits and celebrates cruelty-free vegan cooking. Get tickets here.

Danforth Ave & Pape Ave

Taste of the Danforth

Taste of the Danforth is BACK in Greektown, and Canada's largest street festival has all our old favourites of food, culture, music, and great support for the Danforth BIA. As usual, it's completely free to attend.

179 Enterprise Blvd

Night It Up! - Markham Night Market

An outdoor night festival, Night It Up! is the place to go for Asian street foods and nightly performances inspired by the night market tradition of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and other parts of Asia. Over 111 vendors will be selling street-food, and the event is run by Power Unit Youth Organization, with all on-site proceeds going to the non-profit.

256 Centennial Park Rd

TD Jerk Festival Toronto

The 21st annual International Jerk Food and Music Festival will be taking place at Centennial Park for a hot August weekend with music headliners and amazing jerk food. You can get VIP tickets, Platinum Tickets, Boat Cruise tickets, and general admission here.

1695 Queen St E

Toronto Food Truck Festival

Back for another year at Woodbine Park, the free-admission Food Truck Festival has live-eating challenges, cold beer, and entertainment. There will be 30-50 vendors, and their charitable partner is SickKids Foundation.

7 Queens Quay E

Smorgasburg

Smorgasburg is the largest weekly open-air food market in North America, with markets taking place in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Jersey City, Los Angeles, Miami, and for the first time, right here in Toronto. The New York Times calls this event "The Woodstock of Eating," and Toronto vendors include Little Sister Baking, Parvis Bakery, Butter and Spice, Kiss My Pans, etc.

601 Christie St

Toronto Black Vegan Festival

Toronto Black Vegan Festival celebrates delicious African and Caribbean foods! There will also be health and wellness vendors, vegan food prep and cooking demos, and black farmers directly bringing produce to the community, all cruelty-free.

2102 Lawrence Ave E

Taste of Lawrence

Back for its 18th year, Taste of Lawrence has free admission, multi-cultural food vendors, music and dance performances across 3-days in the Wexford Heights BIA. Scarborough's largest street festival celebrates the diverse community of the GTA.

1536 The Queensway

Toronto Ribfest

Ribfest (a stalwart event since 1999) has the same family atmosphere we've always loved, live music, entertainment shows, children's activity areas and the best rib vendors in Ontario. As usual, entry is free and every rib vendor has fixed prices for the day.

955 Lake Shore Blvd W

Toronto Craft Beer Fest

Coined the "real" beer lover's festival, Toronto Craft Beer Festival is the city's largest celebration of independent craft brewers and is back at Ontario Place for its 5th anniversary. 40+ beer brands will be showcasing their brews, and there will also be live music; get your tickets here.

622 College St Suite #205B

Taste of Little Italy

College Street is set to transform into a piazza straight from Italy with extended patios, spritz available everywhere, and over 20 performances from international and local artists. The epic food scene of Little Italy is enough to bring in crowds, but combined with the free admission and it's going to be tough not to attend!

955 Lake Shore Blvd W

Taco Fest

3 days, 26 tequilas, 35 vendors, and 125 tacos, Taco Fest (run by yours truly) is back with a vengeance. "An electric atmosphere showcasing some of Toronto's best and most celebrated chefs with an authentic Mexican twist. Join us for tacos, guacamole, churros, tequila, hot sauce and everything Mexican!" Limited tickets are remaining; get them here.

300 City Centre Dr

Halal Food Festival

"A comprehensive gathering of Canada's top industry players, Mississauga Halal Food Fest delivers an unbeatable world stage for Halal products and services. During the event, food stalls from various restaurants will be present, originating from the cultures right from the Middle East and South-Asian countries. Performances and entertainment of local artists will be available to experience, along with 50-plus food vendors, clothing, jewelry and local services."