Head to a block party
Get out on a the street this summer! Street festivals take over the city every summer, with cultural celebrations, food fests, block parties and more. Whether you’re partying along Church Street for Pride, eating your way across the globe at the Waterfront Night Market or bringing the whole family for a day at Leslieville’s Tree Festival, there’s fun to be had outside.
Get outdoorsWhen the weather’s nice, soak up the sun at one of the city’s many parks. High Park and Trinity Bellwoods are always popular, thanks to their gardens, space for picnics, or just relaxing in the grass. If you’d rather get active, there’s lots of hiking trails throughout the parks and the rest of the city! Grab a bottle of water and a map (if you need it) and spend a day exploring.
Hit the beachCottage country isn’t the only option for a day at the shore. Woodbine Beach is perfect for a day of volleyball, Frisbee, walking the shoreline, swimming or building sand castles. There are also trails along Centre Island for hikes or bike rides (you can bring your bike over on the ferry). Ferries leave from the docks at 9 Queen’s Quay West, located south of Queen’s Quay between Yonge St. and Bay St.
See a major exhibition for cheap
The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is free Wednesdays from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and is a popular night time activity for Torontonians. While exploring the AGO collections is always a treat, take advantage of the reduced rate and see their newest exhibition, Picturing the Americas. The exhibit has over 100 landscape paintings from ten countries of the Americas – a fitting exhibit for our Pan Am obsessed summer.
Take the kids to a zoo
Let the kids see the animals for free at the High Park Petting Zoo, which is home to bison, deer, llamas, peacocks and more. The historic zoo has been around for over a hundred years and is open from 7 a.m. until dusk. There’s also Riverdale Farm in Cabbagetown, where kids can visit with the animals around the property and talk with the farmers. The Farm is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Go swimming
The city of Toronto has drop-in swimming sessions at most of our public pools. Each session is $2 for adults, $1 for kids and children 18 months and younger are free. Check their official website to see the hours and locations of each pool.Public Pools in Toronto
Outdoor yoga
There are a few free outdoor yoga meetups around the city but Flow-active’s Yoga in High Park seems to be getting the most attention. The free classes run every Sunday at 10 a.m. between June 28 and Sept. 6. Routines vary every week and even include some barre work but the event page makes sure to mention that the routines will always accommodate beginners.
BuskerFest
Take in some street performances for a good cause. The festival runs from Aug. 27 to 30 throughout the downtown core between Yonge Street from Queen to College Streets. Admission is a pay-what-you-can donation but the proceeds go to the festival and Epilepsy Toronto. Last year’s performances included a man jumping through a hoop of knives and fire.
Free movies
Sail-In Cinema
Watching movies outdoors is a hallmark of summer but Sail-In Cinema has their two-sided screen floating in the water so you can watch from a boat or from land. They also have 80s movies. Admission is free. Screenings at Sugar Beach will be held between Aug. 20 and 22.
Visit Toronto Museums during Free or Pay What You Can Time
Entry to the Permanent Collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario is free from 6 pm – 8:30 pm on Wednesdays.
At the Bata Shoe Museum, every Thursday evening between 5 and 8 pm, admission is pay-what-you-can, with a suggested donation of $5.
Admission to the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (MOCCA) is pay-what-you-can at all times.
The Market Gallery at St. Lawrence Market explores Toronto history and culture and is always free.
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