Festivals and Events

Leslieville celebrates the 20th Wanderlust along Queen Street East, from Jimmie Simpson Park to Vancouver Avenue, with shop promotions, a live DJ and hot cider at Queen and Pape, and Santa's Village in Leslie Grove Park with trackless train rides, fire pits and a tree lighting at sunset. Saturday, November 21, 2026, from noon to 6 p.m. Free to attend.

Rosedale Main Street kicks off the holiday season with its annual Cavalcade of Lights, an afternoon and evening of festive activities for all ages along Yonge Street between Woodlawn Avenue and Crescent Road. Saturday, November 14, 2026, from 2 to 8 p.m. Free to attend; check the BIA's events page for the full program.

The east end's own Santa Claus parade rolls through the Beaches on Sunday, November 15, 2026, at 1 p.m. It starts at Victoria Park Avenue and Kingston Road and ends at Community Centre 55 on Main Street for a post parade celebration. Free to watch from the sidewalk; arrive early for a good spot.

The York University Gospel Choir performs Roots and Rhythms as part of the Canadian Opera Company's Free Concert Series. Tuesday, January 19, 2027, at noon in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre at the Four Seasons Centre. Free; registering in advance is recommended, and unclaimed spots go to a standby line 15 minutes before the start.

JUNO Award winning pianist Hilario Durán plays a solo concert of jazz standards, Afro Cuban jazz, traditional Cuban music and his own compositions, part of the Canadian Opera Company's Free Concert Series. Friday, January 8, 2027, at noon in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre. Free; registering in advance is recommended, and unclaimed spots go to a standby line 15 minutes before the start.

On the longest night of the year, thousands of people walk together through the lantern lit streets of Kensington Market in a community celebration of light returning after darkness, now in its 37th year. The parade is on Monday, December 21, 2026, with related solstice events from December 12 to 21. It takes place on public streets and is open to everyone; check the organiser's page for the start time and route.

The Italian Cultural Institute of Toronto presents Migrantes, a concert by Italian musicians Mauro Sigura and Andrea Manzoni at the Aga Khan Museum. Friday, November 20, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free, but registration is required; the reservation link will be posted on the institute's event page.

Canada's national Remembrance Day ceremony, organised by the Royal Canadian Legion, with the Veterans' March, the Last Post, two minutes of silence at 11 am, a 21 gun salute and the laying of wreaths. It takes place Wednesday, November 11, 2026 at the National War Memorial, starting at about 10:45 am. Spectators are welcome with no tickets; arrive early and expect road closures around Confederation Square.

More than 100 exhibitors fill the Grand Hall and salons of the Canadian Museum of History with handmade gifts, holiday décor, woodwork, jewellery, gourmet foods and works by Indigenous artisans. Open November 26 and 27, 2026 from 11 am to 8 pm, and November 28 and 29 from 9 am to 5 pm. Admission to the market is free and no ticket is needed, with a free coat check.

A festive winter village at Lansdowne Park with more than 60 local vendors, twinkling lights, live entertainment, holiday treats and Santa's Village. It runs on weekends from November 20 to December 20, 2026: Fridays 5 to 10 pm, Saturdays 10 am to 10 pm and Sundays 10 am to 8 pm. Entry is free; food, drinks and shopping are extra.

Abenaki artist Diane Obomsawin, a pioneer of underground comics in Québec and an award winning animation filmmaker, screens several of her animated films and explains how her dreams shape her creative process. Part of the 15th Salon du livre des Premières Nations with Kwahiatonhk!. Saturday November 21, 2026 at 2 PM, about one hour, in French, for teens and adults. Free; reservation required.

Émile Gauthier and Sébastien Lévesque of Distorsion, the podcast about strange stories of the digital age, explain how they research their podcast, TV series and books, talk about their new project on conspiracy theories and share unheard anecdotes. Friday November 20, 2026 at 7 PM, about 75 minutes, in French, for teens and adults. Free; reservation required.