Gear up for some serious eats this summer! Toronto favourites are back for another season, and new festivals are coming to town this year that are sure to speak to the foodie in all of us! Jamie Oliver’s The Big Feastival is on the roster, promising a weekend of great local food for everyone, and the annual mainstays like Taste of the Danforth and Summerlicious are scheduled too. Here are the best bets for food festivals in Toronto this summer! [Photo credit: Taste of the Danforth by Jennifer D’Agostino]
Toronto's top summer food festivals
Kampai Festival of Sake
The biggest sake festival of its kind in Canada, the Kampai Festival is back this year! The annual celebration showcases over 150 sakes from around the world that will be paired with some of the best in Japanese cuisine in the city. The 2017 festival sees the introduction of an outdoor market, which will focus on Japan’s sake culture.
- When: June 1, 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm
- Where: Fermenting Cellar
- Price: $30 to $110
- Buy tickets
- More information
Adelaide Eats
Formerly Front Street Foods, this massive food market has some of the most diverse options in the city. Showcasing the best in Toronto’s restaurants, vendors include Little Fin, Tacos 101, Wahlburgers and Momofuku.
- When: June 1 to July 28, Monday to Wednesday: 11 am to 3 pm, Thursday to Friday: 11 am to 9 pm
- Where: Second floor terrace of Adelaide Place
- More Information
Appleseed Cider Festival
The Appleseed Cider Festival is one of the biggest cider festivals in Ontario. Featuring the best in Ontario Craft Cider, there will be tastings, pairings and cider-related products. Session one is family friendly, while session two is reserved for 19 and older.
- When: June 3, 3 pm to 11 pm
- Where: Artscape Wychwood Barns
- Price: $25 to $30
- Buy Tickets
- More Information
BBQ Eats Festival
The inaugural BBQ Eats Festival is promising to be filled with the best barbecue Toronto has to offer. There will be barbecue challenges, tastings and craft brews all weekend long. Participating chefs include Ivana Raca, Sherry Papa, Aleem Syed and more.
- When: June 9 to 1, Friday: 7 pm to 12 am, Saturday: 1 pm to 12 am, Sunday: 1 pm to 7 pm
- Where: Ontario Place
- More Information
Foodalicious
The first Foodalicious is a weekend-long festival filled with food and entertainment. The top food trucks, including Mustache Burger, Crazy Burrito, and Buster's Sea Cove, will be there. There are carnival games, midway rides, live music, giveaways and more.
- When: June 10 to 11, Saturday: 11 am to 11 pm, Sunday: 11 am to 8 pm
- Where: Downsview Park
- Price: $5
- Buy Tickets
- More Information
Griffin Session Toronto
The eighth annual Griffin Session Toronto kicks off Ontario Craft Beer Week with a day filled with craft beer, food and live music! Participating breweries include Big Rock, Muskoka Brewery, Sawdusk Brewing Co. and more. Liberty Commons and Heirloom will provide the food.
- When: June 10, 11 am to 9 pm
- Where: Yonge Dundas Square
- Price: $40 to $100
- Buy Tickets
- More information
Taco Fest
The Taco Fest is back this year, and it’s bigger than ever. They promise an eclectic mix of Toronto’s chefs offering their take on tacos, guacamole, churros, tequila and more! Plus, the daring can try their luck at riding the bucking taco – think mechanical bull, but instead of a bull, it’s a taco.
- When: June 16 to 18, Friday & Saturday: 11 am to 10 pm, Sunday: 11 am to 7 pm
- Where: Ontario Place
- Price: $9.95
- Buy Tickets
- More Information
Beach BBQ & Brews Festival
For nine years the Beach BBQ & Brews Festival has been the number one Father’s Day destination. The festival showcases the best barbecue in Canada, a new craft beer market, wine and spirits area, life-sized board games and a Kids Zone.
- When: June 16 to 18, Friday: 4 pm to 11 pm, Saturday: 11 am to 11 pm, Sunday: 11 am to 7 pm
- Where: Woodbine Park
- More Information
Wine & Spirits Festival
Returning to Sugar Beach this year, the Wine & Spirits Festival celebrates the best in wine and spirits in Toronto. Enjoy wine, spirits, beer, cider, cocktail and more. A portion of ticket sales will be donated to The Music Therapy Trust Fund.
- When: June 16 to 17, Friday: 5 pm to 10 pm, Saturday: 2 pm to 10 pm
- Where: Sugar Beach
- Price: $25
- Buy Tickets
- More Information
Toronto Craft Beer Festival
The Toronto Craft Beer Festival is taking over Ontario Place this year with all the best craft breweries this province has to offer in attendance. The focus will be on independent craft breweries with samples of award-winning beer and ciders for everyone. There will also be loads of activities and live music.
- When: June 23 to 24, Friday: 3:30 pm to 10 pm, Saturday: 1 pm to 10 pm
- Where: Ontario Place
- Price: $10 - $55
- Buy Tickets
- More Information
Doughnut Festival
Toronto Life is showing off the top doughnuts in the city with a Doughnut Festival! Doughnuts from Tori’s Bakeshop, Glory Hole, SanRemo, The Rolling Pin, Von Doughnuts and more will be on display for attendees to sample!
- When: June 25, 12 pm to 4 pm
- Where: Dufferin Mall
- Price: $5 to $30
- Buy Tickets
- More Information
Toronto Rib Fest
The Toronto Rib Fest celebrates Canada’s 150th this summer with even more barbecue goodness than previous years! All your favourites will be there from Billy Bones to Texas Rangers to Uncle Sam’s! There’s also loads of activities for the kids!
- When: June 30 to July 3
- Where: Centennial Park
- More Information
Summerlicious
Definitely one of the most anticipated summer food events in Toronto, Summerlicious sees gourmet restaurants offer delicious three-course prix-fixe meals, often at a discount! More than 200 of Toronto’s top restaurant participate, so you’ll want to make your reservations quick! Reservations start June 22.
- When: July 7 to 23
- Where: Various locations across Toronto
- More Information
Off-the-Island Lady Beer
The Island is flooded, but that’s not going to stop the Ladies That Drink Beer from hosting one of the biggest beer festivals in the city!
- When: July 8, 1 pm to 10:30 pm
- Where: Henderson Brewery
- Price: $35 to $75
- Buy tickets
- More Information
Summer Craft Beer Fest
The Summer Craft Beer Fest features some of the best local and international craft breweries alongside some of the best local food! Taste, learn and discover trends, flavours and microbreweries at this one-day festival!
- When: July 13, 6 pm to 10 pm
- Where: Liberty Market Building
- Price: $22.50
- Buy Tickets
- More Information
Halal Food Festival
From samples to shops to seminars, learn and discover the latest in Halal cuisine. A fast-growing niche on the culinary scene, the Halal Food Festival features the best in the industry, and includes an outdoor street fest!
- When: July 15 to July 16, Thursday: 10 am to 10 pm, Friday: 10 am to 8 pm
- Where: The International Centre
- Price: $5
- Buy Tickets
- More Information
Toronto Food Truck Festival
August long weekend is the perfect time to check out Toronto’s food trucks! The cream of the crop will be gathered in Woodbine Park the entire long weekend, and there will be fun activities for the kids and live-eating challenges!
- When: August 4 to 7, Friday: 5 pm to 10 pm, Saturday: 12 pm to 10 pm, Sunday & Monday: 12 pm to 8 pm
- Where: Woodbine Park
- More information
Taste of the Danforth
Taste of the Danforth is Toronto’s largest celebration of Greek food! Taking place in the Danforth neighbourhood, restaurants along the famous street open their doors for some of the best Greek cuisine in the city. There will also be live performances and a midway for the kids!
- When: August 11 to 13
- Where: Danforth BIA
- More information
Pan American Food & Music Festival
Chefs from across the Americas gather at Yonge-Dundas Square for the Pan American Food & Music Festival! Featuring dishes by chefs like Rich Francis, Brock Shepard and Lorena Ramos, there will be lots to eat all weekend long!
- When: August 12 to13
- Where: Yonge-Dundas Square
- More information
The Big Feastival
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver opened his first international restaurant right here in Toronto, and now he is bringing his famous The Big Feastival to the GTA this year! The weekend is packed with chefs, food vendors, cooking lessons and glamping, promising to be the biggest food festival of the year!
- When: August 18 to 20
- Where: Burl’s Creek Event Grounds
- Price: $45 to $435
- Buy Tickets
- More Information
Toronto Vegan Food & Drink Festival
The Toronto Vegan Food & Drink Festival showcases the best in vegan cuisine! This year’s vendors include Doomies, Yam Chops, Sweets From Earth, Bunner’s and more.
- When: August 19, 11 am to 7 pm
- Where: Fort York
- Price: $10
- Buy Tickets
- More Information
Toronto Cider Festival
The Toronto Cider Festival is celebrating Canada’s 150 this year with some of the country’s best ciders! This year’s lineup includes Reinhart’s Red Apple, Calvado Boulard, The Great Canadian Cider Company, Ernest Cider and more.
- When: August 26, 11:30 am to 10:30 pm
- Where: Sherbourne Common
- Price: $30 to $60
- Buy Tickets
- More information
Coconut Festival
Canada’s fourth annual Coconut Festival is back again this year, and includes everything about coconuts, health and fitness! Celebrate the tropical fruit (or nut), in this all-day event, which includes guest speakers, samples and the trendiest coconut products on the market!
- When: August 25, 10 am to 7 pm
- Where: David Pecaut Square
- More Information
Taste of Little Italy
One of the biggest events of the year Taste of Little Italy is back and promising more food and live entertainment than ever before! Taste some of the best Italian eats in the city as restaurants open their doors all weekend long! There will also be live music and activities for all ages!
- When: June 16 to 18, Friday: 6:30 pm to 1 am, Saturday: 11 am to 1 am, Sunday: 11 am to 10 pm
- Where: Little Italy BIA
- More information
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