The long weekend is finally here and we’re celebrating in a big way here in the city. From fireworks to free carnivals, music festivals, and new immersive experiences, you’ll get a bit of everything on Canada Day weekend in Toronto this year. Round up the squad because things are about to get wild in our city, in the best way possible! Here are 15 of the best things to do in Toronto this weekend.
Have yourselves a good one, friends!
Canada Day at Downsview Park
The annual July 1st celebration is returning to Downsview Park, with entertainment, games for kids, inflatables, vendors, food trucks, and of course, fireworks! Grab a blanket and your best pals for a free Canada Day celebration and light show.
Where: Downsview Park
When: July 1, 2022, 4 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Toronto Outdoor Picture Show
The season of movies under the stars is back, and this Canada Day weekend, you can catch a free screening of A League of Their Own at Christie Pits Film Festival.
The Toronto Outdoor Picture Show (TOPS) has made a comeback for the summer with a new series of programming called Curtains Up!. The films will pay tribute to all of the performing artists we’ve missed seeing live during the pandemic, from dancers to circus acts to musicians and more.
Where: Christie Pits Park
When: July 3, 2022
Electric Island Long Weekend Festival
Electric Island is a fully-licensed concert and picnic series at Toronto’s West Island festival space at Ontario Place, and it’s celebrating its 10-year anniversary season this year. This Canada Day weekend, festival-goers will be treated to back-to-back performances on three separate stages.
Where: West Island, Lake Shore Blvd & Ontario Dr
When: July 1 & 2, 2022
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Lavazza IncluCity Festival
Calling all film buffs! Toronto’s historic Distillery District will be transformed into a giant open-air cinema village under the stars this summer, and on Canada Day, you can catch an award-winning, coming-of-age Canadian movie called Drinkwater.
“Outdoor theatres and patios will line Distillery’s Trinity Street and a new innovative theatre space will offer a magical vantage point for festival goers,” the description says. Some venues will have comfy couch seating and large digital screens for an upgraded experience.
Where: Young Center for the Performing Arts, 50 Tank House Lane
When: July 1, 2022
Backstreet Boys: DNA World Tour
If you’d rather skip the traditional Canada Day celebrations this year, you can get a big dose of early 2000s nostalgia at the Backstreet Boys concert instead. The iconic boy band will be hitting Budweiser Stage for two back-to-back shows this Canada Day weekend.
Where: Budweiser Stage
When: July 1 & 2, 2022
Sponsored Pick: Canada Day Weekend in Niagara Falls
Celebrate our great country at Canada’s natural wonder, Niagara Falls, by exploring beautiful parks, trails, gardens and outdoor adventures. Cap off our nation’s birthday with a special Canada-themed Falls Illumination and an extended fireworks show over the Falls.
Where: See events and activities here
When: July 1-3, 2022
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Free Access at The ROM
In celebration of Canada Day, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is making all of its exhibitions and galleries free for the whole day.
Visitors will get free access to the ROM and its most popular attractions, including Great Whales: Up Close and Personal and the newly-opened Fantastic Beasts™: The Wonder of Nature, which “explores the links between the magical creatures of the wizarding world and the remarkable animals in our natural world.” Get your free tickets on The ROM’s website to secure your spot!
Where: 100 Queen’s Park
When: July 1, 2022, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Toronto Bob Marley One Love Experience
A new immersive experience opens in Toronto this Canada Day and it’s a celebration of art, culture, and the pioneer of reggae himself, Bob Marley. Toronto’s Bob Marley experience will feature never-before-seen memorabilia and an experience that transports you to the Jamaican forest.
Described as a “unique multi-room exhibit,” the Bob Marley experience will feature six massive distinct spaces, each of which is dedicated to a different chapter of the musician’s life and legacy.
Where: 1 Yonge St
When: Opens July 1, 2022
Unidos Festival
Toronto’s most colourful patio RendezViews is hosting a block party this Canada Day weekend that’ll make you feel like you’re partying on the shores of South Beach, Miami. The event, called Unidos Festival, is a one-day music fest featuring local and international Latin artists. Organizers promise that Unidos Festival will “bring all cultures together for a fun and exciting tropical vibe in the heart of the city we love.”
When: July 1, 2022
Where: 229 Richmond St West
Canada Day Weekend at Ontario Place
There is so much going on for the long weekend at Ontario Place. You can catch free movies at the IMAX Cinesphere, have some fun at the massive new inflatable water park, catch live music and yoga at Trillium Park, play some beach volleyball, explore outdoor art installations, and more.
Where: Ontario Place
When: July 1-3, 2022
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Sponsored Pick: Check out the new “Tunnel” experience at Niagara Falls
This new experience is opening on July 1st and it promises to be an exciting one. 180 ft underneath the power station’s hall now runs a 2,200-ft long tunnel that opens onto a new observation deck right on the edge of the Niagara River. Visitors can expect a glass elevator giving off a view of the gigantic machinery and a lit tunnel that cuts through the water and leads out onto the observation deck. For those who haven’t already caught the new immersive show, we suggest you snag tickets to that as well and make a day out of it.
When: Opens July 1, 2022
Where: Niagara Parks Power Station, 7005 Niagara Pkwy
Tickets: Get yours here
Celebration Canada at Canada’s Wonderland
Canada’s premier amusement park is hosting a massive celebration for our nation’s birthday, showcasing live music, authentic Canadian food (a.k.a. peameal bacon and poutine galore), street performers, and an epic fireworks show. Ride the epic coasters, splash around in the water park, and celebrate Canada Day all at the same time.
Where: Canada’s Wonderland
When: July 1-17, 2022
Canada Day at Mel Lastman Square
This free Canada Day festival in North York will feature live music, dance performances, and fun activities, followed by spectacular fireworks at 10 p.m. The outdoor amphitheater will host a lineup of concerts, and there will also be several multicultural pop-up shows to see.
Where: Mel Lastman Square
When: July 1, 2022, 10 p.m.
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TD Toronto Jazz Festival
Jazz-lovers, listen up! The 10-day event celebrating your fave music and musicians is here for its 35th year. The impressive lineup this year includes major names like Smokey Robinson, Gregory Porter, and Michael Kaeschammer.
When: Until July 3, 2022
Where: See schedule here
Sponsored Pick: Get some “Mouth waterin’, finger lickin’, belly rubbin’ good BBQ” at the Northern Heat Rib Fest
The Northern Heat Rib Series is back and better than ever after a 2-year-long break, and they’ve got games, live music, delightful eats, cold beers & bevvies and of course, tons and tons of ribs on deck! So why not go on a little road trip this long weekend, get out of the city and into Limeridge Mall in Hamilton for some juicy BBQ?
And if you miss them, no worries – they’ve got another 9 Ribfest stops throughout Southern Ontario until September.
When: July 1-3, 2022
Where: Limeridge Mall, 999 Upper Wentworth St, Hamilton
Cost: Free entrance!
