The weather is shaping up to be a stunner for the last full weekend of summer with temperatures in the high 20s and not a drop of rain in sight — perfect conditions for checking out the last weekend of the 49th annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), enjoying an outdoor festival, or taking in a Toronto Blue Jays game.
Scroll below for a selection of events taking place this weekend, as well as TTC and road closures to keep in mind as you navigate around the city.
Events
Toronto Waterfront Festival
The festival returns to Sugar Beach this weekend, featuring a Canine Watersports Canada competition, cruises and cultural activities. Organizers say the festival is free to attend, but attendees are encouraged to pay what they can to help keep the event free for upcoming years.
CaribbeanTales International Film Festival
The festival returns for its 19th year and is held at The Hub on Dundas Street West. It celebrates established and new filmmakers of Caribbean and African heritage. This year, the festival explores “self-care, healing and preserving of the Caribbean traditions through the lens of home and sanctuary.”
It runs until Sunday. Click here for the film schedule and ticket information.
Toronto Ukrainian Festival
The festival, which takes place in Bloor West Village, is billed as North America’s largest Ukrainian street festival. It features traditional folk songs, authentic cuisine, vendors, children’s activities, and a parade.
The event runs from Friday to Sunday.
Roncesvalles Polish Festival
Now in its 17th year, the festival takes place in the city’s Roncesvalles neighbourhood and features cuisine from around the world, local art and music, as well as Indigenous programming and family-friendly fun.
It takes place on Saturday and Sunday.
Art Walk in the Square
Dozens of painters, sculptors, and photographers will be showing their work at Shops of the Don Mills this weekend. Organizers say the three-day celebration of fine art is one of Toronto’s top outdoor juried art fairs. The exhibition features established and new artists selected through a jury process in its ninth year.
The event, which is free to the public, kicks off on Friday and runs until Sunday.
TTC closures
Line 1 partial closure
Subways won’t be running on Line 1 between St. Clair West and Sheppard West stations on Saturday and Sunday due to reduced speed zone work. Shuttle buses will be running. The stations will remain open for customers for Presto purchases and to connect to surface routes.
Weekend service adjustments
Due to a road closure in place for the Ukranian Festival on Bloor Street West, several TTC routes will redirect including 26 Dupont, 55 Warren Park, 71 Runnymede, 77 Swansea, 76 Scarlett Road, 189 Stockyards, and 300 Bloor-Danforth Night from Friday to Sunday.
A road closure is also in effect for the Roncesvalles Polish Festival on Roncesvalles Avenue. On Saturday and Sunday, the 504A King and 304 King Night will divert both ways via Bathurst Street, Dundas Street West, and Roncesvalles Avenue. There will also be a bus replacement service.
Due to the Pape Village Block Party on Saturday and Sunday, the 72 Pape bus will divert from Pape Ave both ways via Mortimer Avenue, Broadview Avenue, and O’Connor Drive.
Road closures
Ongoing Gardiner closures
As part of the long-term construction plan on the Gardiner Expressway, one westbound lane and one eastbound lane are closed between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue. The eastbound on-ramp from Lake Shore Boulevard at Jameson Avenue is also closed.
Temporary road closures: road work
Bayview Avenue
From 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14, two southbound lanes and one northbound lane on Bayview Avenue between Eglinton Avenue East and Parkhurst Boulevard will be closed for the safe removal of a tower crane.
Bayview Avenue on-ramp to Lawrence Avenue
From 8 p.m. on Friday until 1 a.m. on Monday, the westbound on-ramp from Bayview Avenue to Lawrence Avenue East will be closed for watermain replacement and road resurfacing.
Temporary road closures: events
Pape Village Block Party
From 6 a.m. on Friday to 10 p.m. on Sunday, Pape Avenue will be closed between Mortimer and Gamble Avenues.
Ukrainian Festival
From 9 a.m. on Friday to 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Bloor Street West will be closed between Jane Street and Glendonwynne Road.
Roncesvalles Polish Festival
From 5 a.m. on Saturday to 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Roncesvalles Avenue will be closed between Queen Street West and Dundas Street West.
Nagar Kirtan parade
From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, intermittent single-lane closures will be in effect on Steeles Avenue, Middlefield Road, McNicoll Avenue and McCowan Road around Milliken Muirlands Parks in Scarborough.
Other new and ongoing city closures
- From 11 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 15, to 11 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 15, eastbound Lake Shore Boulevard East will be reduced from two lanes to one lane between Logan and Carlaw Avenues due to road reconstruction on Lake Shore Boulevard East as part of the Port Lands Flood Protection project. Drivers will not be able to right turn onto Carlaw Avenue from Lake Shore. A detour will be in place via Logan Avenue and Commissioner Street.
- Park Lawn Road is down to a single lane from north of Lake Shore Boulevard to the Gardiner Expressway due to the construction of a proposed GO station in the area.
- Spadina Avenue streetcars have been replaced by buses between Spadina Station and Queens Quay, and until the end of the year, there will be no 510 service between Spadina Station and Union Station. Commuters wishing to travel onwards to Union from Queens Quay will need to transfer to a 509 streetcar.
- O’Connor Drive is down to a single lane each way between Bermondsey and Sandra for road reconstruction and sewer and watermain installation until the summer of 2024.
- The Yonge and Bloor intersection will be reduced to a single lane until 2025 for condo construction and sewer installation.
- University Avenue will be reduced to a single lane in both directions between College Street and Queen Street West to complete several infrastructure projects for the next several months.
- Queen Street is fully closed to traffic between Bay and Victoria Streets to accommodate work on a new station for the Ontario Line subway. The closure is scheduled to last until 2027, at least four-and-a-half years.
- Northbound Yonge Street is reduced to one lane between Wellington and King Streets for TTC construction, which is scheduled to continue into 2024.
- Two northbound lanes of Yonge Street from King Street to Wellington Street are closed for TTC construction until Sept. 30, 2024.
- Finch Avenue West is reduced to a single lane in both directions from Dufferin to Wilmington until October 2024 for sewer installation.
- Eglinton Avenue West is reduced to a single lane east of Islington and west of Scarlett Road due to tunnelling work related to the multi-year Eglinton Crosstown West Extension project.
- Lane restrictions on Bayview Avenue between Roehampton Avenue and Armistice Drive while the city completes road resurfacing, curb and sidewalk replacement, and traffic signal and pedestrian upgrades. One northbound lane is currently closed on Bayview Avenue between Kilgour Road and Roehampton Avenue.
- Cherry Street remains closed south of Polson Pier due to maintenance on the Ship Channel Lift Bridge (Strauss Trunnion Bascule Bridge). Road users are able to access the Port of Toronto and Cherry Beach via Unwin Avenue.
- From Friday, July 12, the Progress Avenue bridge over McCowan Road and the ramp at Busby Drive to northbound McCowan Road will be permanently closed for demolition as part of construction on the Scarborough Centre subway station. Demolition is scheduled for completion in early September. Sidewalk access will be maintained.
- The eastbound lanes of Huntingwood Drive will be closed between Birchmount and Kennedy Roads for rehabilitation and improving bike lanes until Sept. 15. Westbound lanes will remain open.
With files from Fil Martino and Jaime Pulfer, 680News Radio Toronto