Events in Toronto – August 7 – 9, 2015

1. Para Pan Am Games

Parapan Am Games will host more than 1,600 athletes who will compete in 15 sports at 11 different competition venues, which have been designed to operate and deliver accessible options for both athletes and spectators. The Parapan Am Games will officially open when the cauldron is lit at the new CIBC Pan Am/Parapan Am Athletics Stadium on August 7.

2. Panamania

PANAMANIA, presented by CIBC, is a 35-day TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games arts and culture festival. Unprecedented in scale, PANAMANIA will feature more than 1,300 artists in 250 performances and exhibitions across Toronto from July 10 to August 15. The festival will showcase the diverse cultures and artistic excellence of Ontario, Canada and the Americas through music, theatre, dance and more!

3. Cultural Village

Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation Cultural Village – Constructed at Fort York, the village will have the feel, sights and sounds of a traditional Mississauga nation village. Visitors will journey back through time to experience a working round house. Dressed in traditional clothing, workers will show how life was lived with authentic artifacts. Artisans will teach basket weaving, braiding and other crafts.

4. Ontario’s Celebration Zone

Experience 38 days of the BEST of Ontario during the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games. The Best of Ontario. All in One Place. One Epic Celebration. Events include 38 nightly concerts,live Games coverage, 40 ft. rock climbing wall and adrenaline jump, weekly farmer’s market,culinary experiences, Ontario craft beers and award winning wines and more. Details

1. Free Concerts across GTA

Sunday Serenades at Mel Lastman Square

Danny’s 11: @ Barry Zukerman Amphitheatre in Earl Bales Park, Toronto on Tuesday, August 4 | 07:00 PM (Earl Bales Summer Entertainment Series).

Concert @ College Park Courtyard, 777 Bay Street, Toronto on Wednesday, August 5 | 12:00 PM (Play the Parks).

The Young Novelists @ Trinity Square, Distillery District on Wednesday, August 5 | 6:00 PM (Music City Summer Series)

Motown Mania @ York Hill District Park, 501 Clark Avenue, Thornhill on Wednesday, August 5 | 07:30 PM (Vaughan Celebrates Concerts in the Park).

Concert @ Trinity Park on Thursday, August 6 | 12:00 PM – 01:00 PM (Play the Parks).

St. Royals @ Roy Thomson Hall Patio, Toronto on Wednesday & Thursday, August 5-6 | 05:00 PM (Live on the Patio).

Concert @ McGill Parkette, 415 Yonge St, Toronto on Thursday, August 6 | 05:00 PM (Play the Parks).

Dream Girls Tribute Band @ Mill Pond Park Gazebo, Richmond Hill on Thursday, August 6 | 07:00 PM (Concert in the Park).

Jane Bunnett and Hilario Duran @ St James Park, Toronto on Thursday, August 6 | 07:00 PM (Music in St. James Park).

Flavia Nascimento @ Toronto Botanical Garden on Thursday, August 6 | 07:00 PM (The Edwards Summer Music Series).

Kim & Company (Pop, R&B) @ Millennium Square, Beachfront Park, Pickering on on Thursday, August 6 | 7:00 PM – 09:00 PM (Waterfront Concert Series).

Johannes Linstead – Mediterranean Latin Classical @ Unionville’s Millennium Bandstand, Markham on Thursday, August 6 | 7:30 PM – 09:00 PM (Thursday Nights at the Bandstand).

Busty and The Bass Quintet @ Village of Yorkville Park on Friday, August 6 | 11:30 AM – 02:30 PM (Bloor Yorkville Summer Music).

The Shakedown @ Garden Square, Brampton on Friday, August 7, 2015 | 07:00 PM (Friday Night Artist Spotlight).

Fast Romantics @ Yonge-Dundas Square on Friday, August 7 | 08:30 PM (Indie Fridays).

Busty and The Bass Quintet @ Village of Yorkville Park on Saturday, August 08 | 1:30 PM – 04:30 PM (Bloor Yorkville Summer Music).

Choro: Brazilian Soul Music @ Toronto Music Garden, 475 Queens Quay West on Sunday, August 9 | 04:00 PM (Music in the Garden).

Casablanca Orchestra @ Mel Lastman Square, Toronto on Sunday, August 9 | 07:30 PM (Sunday Serenades).

See Free Summer concerts in GTA

2. Oakville Jazz Festival

2015 TD Downtown Oakville Jazz Festival -Listen to some of the finest artists and legends from all the roots and branches of Jazz including, Acid, Latin, Dixeland, Smooth, World Music, Ragtime, Swing, Blues, Fusion and much more. You will find music appealing to every member of the family, with plenty of opportunities to tap your feet and move to the vibe.

3. Summer Music Festival

Classical Music Festival. This year we pay homage to the PanAm Games and explore the rise to pre-eminence of American culture in the 20th century. The amalgam of traditions brought by successive waves of Europeans and Africans, fused with indigenous Amerindian heritage, produced a dizzying multitude of genres and styles of music across North and South America.

1. Performing Arts Events

Performing Arts & Theatre in August

Events this weekend include

Obeah Opera @ Baillie Theatre, The Distillery District

Dusk Dances @ Withrow Park, Toronto

Best of Second City @ The Second City Theatre

Kinky Boots @ Royal Alexandra Theatre

Newsies @ Ed Mirvish Theatre

The Comedy of Errors & Julius Caesar. – Shakespeare in High Park @ High Park Amphitheatre

Shakespeare in the Square @ Ken Whillans Square, Brampton

On Golden Pond @ Rose Theatre, Brampton

Romeo & Juliet @ Greek Theatre, Guild Park, Scarborough

Chinese Acrobats @ Canada’s Wonderland

Bard in Berczy: Love’s Labour Lost @ Berczy Park, Toronto

2. Free Movies

SpaceJam @ Garden Square, Brampton on Tuesday, August 4 | 09:00 PM ( Throwback Flicks).

Viva Las Vegas @Yonge-Dundas Square, Toronto on Tuesday, August 4 | 09:00 PM (City Cinema).

Boy @ WestJet Stage, 235 Queens Quay West, Toronto on Wednesday, August 5 | 09:00 PM (Free Flicks Harbourfront Centre)

The Kings Speech @ David Pecaut Square, 215 King St W, Toronto on Wednesday, August 5 | 09:00 PM (TIFF in the Park).

Cinderella @ Mississauga Celebration Square on Thursday, August 6 | 08:00 PM (Movie Nights).

Family Movie @ Barry Zukerman Amphitheatre in Earl Bales Park, Toronto on Thursday, August 6 | 09:00 PM (Earl Bales Summer Entertainment Series).

Beyond the Lights @ Maidavale Park, 1021 Birchmount Road, Toronto on Friday August 7, 2015 | 9:00 PM – (TIFF in your Park).

How to Train Your Dragon 2 @ Garden Square, Brampton on Saturday, August 8, 2015 | 09:00 PM ( Movies Under the Stars)

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? @ Christie Pitts Park, 779 Crawford St, Toronto on Sunday, August 9 (Christie Pits Film Festival – PWYC – Suggested $10)

See more Free Summer Movies in GTA

3. Summer Works Performance Festival

Theatre, Dance, Music, and Live Art. 11 days of Canada’s most innovative and original performance, the latest and greatest in performance making and breaking.

4. Toronto Queer West Film Festival

From shorts, documentaries and full length features, we aim to showcase the very best of Canadian and international queer cinema from both emerging and established directors.We aim not only to celebrate and entertain but to highlight the issues that continue to affect our community at home and around the world. We’re Toronto’s second largest LGBTQ film festival. Details

5. MISAFF

MISAFF features the best of new South Asian and select Middle Eastern film titles for our Mississauga and region cinephiles. MISAFF features ground-breaking and award-winning films, carefully curated for their cinematic excellence and social consciousness.

6. Salsa Days at Casa Loma

Join us at Casa Loma for a Latin American dance celebration in honour of the Pan Am Games. Over five weekends in July and August we are welcoming ten of the GTA’s best Latin dance schools to showcase their talents and offer introductory lessons to our visitors. Details

1. Rogers Cup

Women’s Tennis Tournament

2. Toronto FC

vs Orlando City SC on Wednesday, August 5 | 08:00 PM

3. Toronto Argonauts

vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders

1. RoundHouse Craft Beer Festival

Roundhouse Craft Beer Festival was created to provide beer lovers the opportunity to sample Ontario’s finest craft brews and delicious eats from Toronto’s best Food Trucks, all in a pleasant park setting. Bring down a picnic blanket and stay a while!

2. Sandcastles Festival

Join us for Burlington’s 8th Sandcastles Festival. Be creative and have fun building your very own sculpture on the beach.

3. Jerk Fest

JerkFest celebrates the world renown jerk cuisine. Its a fusion of jerk food, pulsating music, family friendly entertainment and good vibes – all under the throbbing Toronto sun.

4. Planet IndigenUS

350 artists. 10 days. A global exploration of contemporary Indigenous civilizations. Since 2004, Planet IndigenUS has been raising public awareness, breaking stereotypes and fostering a cross-cultural dialogue between Canadians. Enjoy music, art, food and ideas from First Nations communities across Canada and Indigenous peoples around the world.

5. Woodbridge Rib Fest

Great entertainment, world-class ribs and food vendors, rides, and games.

6. Taste of the Danforth

The Krinos Taste of the Danforth is Canada’s largest street Festival, welcoming 1.6 million attendees annually. As we enter our 22nd year, the Festival is set to be bigger and better than ever before with dozens of free activities for visitors of all ages – and of course Food, Food and more Food!

7. Stouville Country Rib Fest

Featuring some of Canada’s great Rock and Country acts with the mouth watering Ribs and chicken, ReMax Hot Air Balloon Rides, Kids’ Zone with amusements and inflatables, Great musical acts, Merchandise vendors’ row and more!

8. Pickering Food Truck Festival

Come Join Us at The Esplanade Park For Great Food! Cold Beer! Live Music! And Children’s Village!

9. Ultimate Thrills Circus

Come one, come all! This August, International Showplace will be taken over by Ultimate Thrills Circus! Never a dull moment, this circus will amaze guests of all ages with edge-of-seat thrills. Watch in astonishment as these performers balance and ride the Motorcycle Highwire above your head, the Acrobats perform the Swinging Trapeze and Wheel of Destiny, while Renaldo the Clown will keep you entertained until the final minute. Details

10. Bollywood Monster Mashup

The 5th annual Bollywood Monster Mashup is coming back bigger and better! This year includes special Pan American fusion acts, a bigger KidsZone, more singers and musicians, more dancers, and Dandiya and Bollywood dance lessons. Enjoy the tastiest foods in town and unique shopping at the Bollywood Monster Marketplace. Join thousands of #BollywoodMonster Nation at the 5th annual Bollywood Monster Mashup, while brilliant musicians and dancers perform your favourite songs from early talkies to modern club hits.

11. KULTURA Filipino Arts Festival

KULTURA is Canada’s only multi-disciplinary Filipino Arts Festival; Featuring a visual art exhibit, theatre readings, film screenings, a Philippine culinary competition, live music stage, and a marketplace of Filipino artists and entrepreneurs.

12. The First World War Comes to Life

Don’t miss this exciting travelling exhibit showcasing the largest operational collection of First World War vehicles in Canada including cars, trucks, ambulances and motorcycles. The dynamic and interactive display will include characters to bring the First World War to life.

13. Toronto Vegan Food Festival

An all vegan experience featuring comfort food, craft brews, wine and spirits.

14. Lovin’ Local Food Fest

Join us at the inaugural Lovin’ Local Food Fest – a celebration of local and sustainable food and drink in the heart of downtown Toronto. Innovative foodies, restaurants, celebrity chefs, chef competitions, live music, kids’ activities and more – a full day of fun, food and celebration. Kids can enjoy face painting, arts and crafts, music and more while the adults are partaking in some of the best local food and drink Toronto has to offer!

15. North York Festival

Stilt Walkers, Kids playground, live entertainment, magic shows and more!

16. Annual Antique & Classic Car Show

Join us as Exhibitors from across southern Ontario display their prized antique & classic cars. Enjoy all this family event has to offer, including our new Tiny Seedlings’ Kids Zone, heritage activities in scenic Vandorf Park, live entertainment from Howard Ross and the Full Count Blues Band, and delicious food from Kruizin Kuizine, Belfiore Foods and Mister Softie Treats Ice Cream!

17. Leathertown Festival

The festival features a wide variety of vendors, exhibitors, crafters, food, and artists, and car shows.

18. Toronto Tours

Explore Toronto through speciality guided tours!

1. Tasty Tours: Tasty Tours offers a variety of Sweets Tours along Toronto’s eclectic multicultural neighbourhoods.

2. Toronto Photo Tours : Capture the beauty of Toronto – From historic architecture to colourful and eclectic markets.

3. Toronto Ghost Walks: Join for an evening walk on and around the University of Toronto’s St. George campus and hear the stories, myths and legends surrounding those who haunt the halls of some of Toronto’s oldest buildings.

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