A list of 100 things to do in and around Toronto during Spring: March 22 to June 21, 2019.
Delightful Activities during Spring 2019
- Discover High Park with your friends and feel good about it! Join for Discover The 6 scavenger-hunt/race where you can dress in themed costumes while exploring Toronto’s High Park/Roncesvalles neighbourhood! Proceeds from this event will benefit The Heart & Stroke Foundation as well as the Humber College Scholarship Fund.
- Immerse yourselves in a sensory pop-up experience inspired by childhood nostalgia at HideSeek. Covering over 7,000 square feet of floor-to-ceiling installations designed to help rediscover playful activities and bring childlike wonder to life, HideSeek is comprised of 12 multi-dimensional rooms, each made up of installations that will captivate guests on their self-guided tour.
- Bring your best plaid, drink beer, eat some good food, throw axes and more and support all things Canadian at Axes & Ales.
- Enjoy a taste a different cultures without stepping out from Mel Lastman Square during City Mosaic – Toronto’s Urban Adventure.
- Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room – Let’s Survive Forever makes its Canadian debut this spring at Art Gallery of Ontario.
- Join for a Game of Thrones themed fundraiser in support of The Ralph Thornton Community Centre. Unlock your treasury, and acquire the finest art, jewelry, food and drink, and much more to take back to your own abode!
- Get lost in House of Mirrors – a reality-bending, sensory-altering, mind-dizzying experience that has enchanted audiences across the southern hemisphere.
“All things Spring” Activities
- Celebrate spring’s arrival with a visit to High Park and view cherry blossoms.
- Visit Allan Gardens and Centennial Park Conservatory to enjoy multitudes of primula, cineraria, schizanthus, calceolaria and aquile during The 2019 Spring Flower Show and masses of various hydrangeas, Easter lilies and bulbs are in full bloom beginning Palm Sunday for the Easter Flower Show.
- Trek to Oshawa and see multitudes of peony’s at annual Peony Festival at Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens.
- Participate in Easter egg hunts or celebrate Easter in Toronto. Head to Milton for Canada’s largest egg hunt.
- Visit Toronto Zoo to see Spring babies including a baby zebra and Red River Hoglets.
- Visit Tommy Thompson Park for the Spring Bird Festival to learn about the amazing phenomenon of migration and the importance of bird conservation. If need ideas for day trips and weekend getaways like annual Festival of Birds at Point Pelee National Park, see Birding Festivals to Celebrate Spring Migration in Ontario
- The best sign of Spring? The harvesting of Maple Syrup! Taste sweet liquid gold at Maple Syrup Festivals.
See Toronto this Spring
- Enjoy free and rare access to more than and offers an opportunity to see inside more than 150 architecturally, historically, culturally and socially significant buildings across the city and many of which are not always open to the public during Doors Open Toronto or plan a day trip/weekend getaway across Ontario and discover hidden gems for free.
- Explore your city, share stories about your community and connect with your neighbours on any of the hundreds of Jane’s Walks taking place across the GTA.
- Can you conquer the 1,776 stairs of Toronto’s tallest tower? Climb CN Tower steps solo or with a group of neighbours, family and friends in support of WWF.
27 Food & Drink Events and Festivals to attend during Spring 2019
- Dine under the stars in clear frameless geodesic domes with a special menu curated by Chef René Rodriguez during Dinner With A View.
- Taste the world at Lǚkè. Lǚkè transports each guest to a different location by combining flavour, design, style and service for a full globetrotter experience in your very own city.
- Celebrate local gardeners, farmers, restaurants and chefs, featuring fresh, locally grown produce during Soupalicious®.
- Take a bite out of Dundas West and Ossington. Enjoy a diverse range of tastings from selected food establishments. Your guide will take you on a leisurely stroll to explore these culinary highlights.
- Delight in tasting new and established Ontario wines while getting to know the local shops, eateries and bars in Riverside better! Riverside’s Annual Winefest is a week-long celebration of wine paired with local food and shopping.
- The Pancakes & Booze Art Show provides art lovers an opportunity to explore more than 400 pieces of artwork created by some 80+ artists local to Toronto’s unparalleled art scene.
- Get a free ice cream cone on Ben & Jerry Free Cone Day 2019.
- Join for an intimate food and wine pairing experience for health conscious foodies and wine lovers at Centre for Social Innovation – Spadina.
- Celebrating Toronto’s extraordinary coffee & tea culture at Toronto Coffee & Tea Expo at CF Shops at Don Mills.
- Join for Dixonlicious, a culinary celebration & social fundraiser where you’ll experience the vibrancy of Regent Park & help them provide 30,000 meals to those in need.
- Hand selected local and national chefs, restaurants, and artisans will connect, share, and inspire foodies through an unparalleled experience. Join for Tastemaker Toronto, a curated food festival that will take place at Evergreen Brick Works.
- Enjoy a dynamite lineup of Ontario breweries on Victoria day at Evergreen Brick Works.
- Visit Fork York: Garrison Common on the May long weekend for the sixth annual Spring Sessions of Toronto’s most iconic beer festival, Toronto’s Festival of Beer.
- Grab some BBQ and head over to the one of a kind Craft Beer Market at Rib & Craft Beer Fest held during Victoria Day Weekend!
- Try some of Canada’s best food trucks and over 50 varieties of gourmet poutine during Poutine Fest.
- Food, Live Music, Beer and much more! Burgermania will feature Toronto’s top burger chefs and establishments to serve up their finest patties between the buns in addition to everything else that relates to the burger experience!
- Discover the best of local eateries, browse through artisan markets, join for Culinary demos, workshops, and entertainment with free live music ranging from Samba, Indigenous music, New Orleans-style Jazz, Roots/Rock and Children’s entertainment at Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest.
- The three day Mac ‘n Cheese Festival provides a gourmet twist to everyone’s favourite classic childhood dish.
- Choose from an all-star roster of the most iconic brunch spots in the city and indulge in this festival that celebrates a weekend ritual – Brunch.
- Enjoy this free event showcasing the best that Lakeshore Village has to offer. The Grilled Cheese Challenge features dozens of vendors and exhibitors, food and drink, beer gardens, car show, a midway for the kids, and of course – The Grilled Cheese Challenge!
- Savour every second as 50 of our city’s masters of the culinary arts try to outdo each other for your absolute appreciation. Best of all, you’ll enjoy the satisfaction of helping those in need by supporting Second Harvest’s food rescue program.
- Caledon’s rolling hills and surrounding areas are famous for farming, artisan food producers, and the emerging cider, beer, wine and spirits production. Head to Caledon to taste the best of locally produced spirits with live performances, demonstrations, and a made-local flair.
- Enjoy great BBQ, Live Music, Children’s Area (complete with rides!), BBQ competitions, Grilling Demonstrations, Craft Vendors and of course the Beer and Beverage vendors during Beach BBQ & Brews Festival.
- Enjoy live entertainment and food bonanza from area restaurants during Taste of Little Italy.
- Taste the best of wine, spirits, beer, cider, cocktails, food and live music at Sugar Beach during Wine & Spirit Festival.
- Kids Zone with Midways and Bouncy Houses + thirty of the best Food Trucks, Food Vendors and Artisans Toronto has to offer will get you ready for summer at Foodalicious!
- Indulge in the Toronto’s best and most celebrated chefs created food with an authentic Mexican twist at Taco Fest.
Arts & Cultural and Other Toronto Activities during Spring 2019
- Celebrate Victoria Day and enjoy fireworks.
- Celebrate Mom and Dad!
- Enjoy a broadway show/ballet/theatre.
- Rock out with famous artists visiting Toronto.
- Meet and take a photo with your favourite Canadian stars, see some amazing animals from Hands on Exotics and dance the day away as DJ plays today’s best music during Family Fan Day.
- Cheer Blue Jays during Opening Weekend as Blue Jays face Detroit Tigers on March 28, 2019.
- Visit Aga Khan Museum to see the exhibition, The moon: A voyage through time. Highlight of the exhibition is a giant sculpture connecting the Museum’s first and second floors.
- Join for Art Hunt, a scavenger hunt is back this year at 401 Richmond! Folks will be given a series of clues, taking them around the basement and first floor of the building to discover the secret locations of hidden one-of-a-kind art treasures made out of wooden eggs!
- Discover every conceivable type of vintage printed material, all under one roof. Collectors and dealers in old paper, ephemera and vintage books get together for the biggest one-day vintage-print sale of the year at Artscape Wychwood Barns on Sunday, March 31 | 10:00 AM – 04:00 PM
- Cheer Toronto FC as they kickoff their 2019 home season. At home, TFC will play seven matches on Saturdays, four on Sundays and three on both Wednesdays and Fridays.
- Discover the best in Canadian Handmade at One of a Kind Show and Sale on March 27 to 31
- See B-The Underwater Bubble Show at Sony Centre. Inspired by childhood standards like Alice in Wonderland, The Little Mermaid and Peter Pan, B-The Underwater Bubble Show is a modern fairy tale with one major twist.
- Want to know more about Blockchain? Blockchain Revolution Global will be in Toronto April 24-25 for the first truly worldwide conference for blockchain in enterprise.
- Packed with provocative and avant-garde designs, Fashion Art Toronto 2019 stretches the boundaries of Canadian fashion, art and photography. April 24 to 28 @ Daniels Spectrum.
- Enjoy a free movie screening during National Canadian Film Day at select locations on April 17.
- See solo bagpipe , solo drumming and pipe band competitions at the Toronto Indoor Games Saturday, April 20, 2019
- Dust off your Wolfpack jerseys, the Pack are Back! Come cheer on the boys as they #DefendtheDen in the Home Opener against Swinton Lions.
- Honour the 206th anniversary of the Battle of York fought on April 27, 1813 and visit Fort York National Historic Site on April 27 and 28, 2019. The fort comes alive with musket firing demonstrations, Georgian cooking in the Officers’ Quarters kitchen, site tours and period animation. Kids can try “falling-in” for 1812-era soldiering drill!
- Celebrate Earth Day at Downsview Park. This year, the Park is excited to celebrate another Earth Day with a day-long event that promises to be bigger and better than ever!
- Relive the magic of your favourite wizard in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix™ in Concert— in Concert at Sony Centre.
- Fish Ontario Licence Free on Mother’s day and Father’s Day Weekends.
- Delight in Alberta Ballet’s All Of Us. Featuring music from Canada’s most beloved rock band, The Tragically Hip, All of Us tells the story of two warring clans who battle to inherit the earth to redesign its future anew.
- More than 800 promising young artists and designers are exhibiting at OCAD University’s 104th GradEx! Get to OCAD University on May 1 to 5, 2019.
- Get free comics from participating comic book shops on May 4, 2019
- North America’s biggest opera party returns on May 16, 2019 when the Canadian Opera Company hosts its 15th annual Operanation. Operanation is equal parts party and performance, combining art and music in a way that is both innovative and accessible.
- Experience Ivan Reitman’s two-time Oscar® and two-time Golden Globe-nominated film, screened live as an orchestra performs Elmer Bernstein’s Grammy-nominated score and Ray Parker Jr.’s Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping theme song, “Ghostbusters.”
- Celebrate science during Science Rendezvous events across GTA on May 11, 2019.
- Enjoy Toronto’s Music Concert Series – The fully licensed concert and picnic series returns with world class talent on Sunday, May 19th.
- Celebrating painting, photography, sculpture, fine craft, live music and more from Canada’s top artists at Distillery Historic District in downtown Toronto during Victoria day Weekend!
- Take part in the 1.4km sidewalk sale, visit 5+ markets including the 10,000 sqft outdoor Night Market showcasing Parkdale’s eclectic food and chefs, a 10,000 sqft Kids Zone and the Zero Waste Fair!
- Celebrate anime, manga, music, games and all other forms of Japanese Culture during Anime North.
- Ride, Run or Walk traffic-free Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway in support of Heart & Stroke Foundation and be part of the Anniversary Becel Heart&Stroke Ride for Heart on June 2, 2019.
- Join for Divas Half Marathon & 5K Series, a fun and glam women’s half marathon series in Canada on Sunday, June 9 at Toronto Islands.
- Walk along the red carpet to get up close with some of the best examples of automotive design from around the world during Yorkville Exotic Car Show on June 16
Participate in one of the festivals happening during spring in and around Toronto
- Water Docs Film Festival on March 20 to 24, 2019 @ Various Venues, Toronto
- Human Rights Watch Festival on April 3 to 10, 2019 @ TIFF Bell Lightbox
- Silent Film Festival on April 5 to 8, 2019 @ Various Venues, Toronto
- Spring of Horror and Fantasy Film Festival on April 5-7, 2019 @ Imagine Cinemas Carlton
- International Fan Festival Toronto on April 5-7, 2019 @ Metro Toronto Convention Centre
- Images Festival on April 11-18, 2019 @ Multiple venues, Toronto
- Canadian Music Week on May 6 to 12, 2019 @ Various Venues, Toronto
- Digifest on April 25 to 29, 2019 @ Corus Quay, 25 Dockside Drive,Toronto
- Hot Docs Film Festival on April 25 to May 5, 2019 @ Downtown Toronto
- Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival during May 2019 @ Various Venues
- Toronto Jewish Film Festival on May 2 – 12, 2019 @ Downtown Toronto
- The Toronto Comic Arts Festival on May 11 to 12, 2019 @ Toronto Reference Library
- WeeFestival on May 11 to 20, 2019 @ Various venues, Toronto
- Jewish Music Week on May 26 – June 2, 2019 @ Various Venues, Toronto
- SING! Vocal Arts Festival in May @ Various Venues, Toronto
- Paprika Festival on May 20 to 26, 2019 @ Aki Studio, 250-585 Dundas Street East Toronto
- InspiraTO Festival on May 30 to June 9, 2019 @ Alumnae Theatre
- Cosmo MusicFEST & EXPO on Saturday, June 01, 2019 @ Cosmo Music – The Musical Instrument Superstore – 10 Via Renzo Drive, Richmond Hill
- Dundas West Fest on June 7 & 8, 2019 @ Dundas Street West between Ossington Avenue & Lansdowne Avenue, Toronto
- Luminato Festival on June 7 to 23, 2019 @ Various Venues
- NXNE on June 7 to 16, 2019 @ Various Venues, Downtown Toronto
- Open Tuning on June 8 | 12:00 PM – 11:00 PM @ Various Venues, Seaton Village
- Roncy Rocks Music & Arts Fest on Saturday, June 8 | 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM @ Dundas Street West and Roncesvalles Avenue, Toronto
- Desifest on June 9, 2019 @ Yonge Dundas Square
- Toronto Tango Festival on June 13 to 16, 2019 @ Lithuanian Hall
- Dragon Boat Race Festival on June 15 & 16, 2019 @ Toronto Islands