Toronto thrives in the summer, with waterfront festivals, outdoor films and whimsical playgrounds luring Torontonians out of their air-conditioned homes.
This year, however, some of us are looking closer at our budgets before embarking on day trips or summer vacations. A TD survey found that more than one in three Canadians plan to spend less this summer amid an ongoing cost-of-living crunch.
To help Torontonians enjoy a budget-friendly summer, we put together a guide of memorable outdoor and indoor activities you’ll want to bookmark during these hazy months.
From basketball trees to froyo at Stackt
When Lara Bozabalian, a 50-year-old mother and English teacher, considers how to spend a sunny afternoon with her family, she often chooses the free option of visiting the new Biidaasige Park. Near Cherry and Commissioners streets, the newly designed playground and park “has reinvented the space to be welcoming to people of all ages,” Bozabalian says.
Her family especially loves the new “basketball tree” sculpture, titled “Orange Functional” and designed by Cuban-born artist Alexandre Arrechea. “Orange” branches flower into functional basketball hoops, layering it with a “Dr. Seuss feel,” Bozabalian says, “giving anyone the chance to score a bucket, no matter their skill level.”
Stackt Market near Front and Bathurst streets is another summer attraction for Bozabalian and her family. “In the evening especially, it’s both relaxed and lively, and it feels like everyone from across the city is visiting,” she says. “And we can’t not go there without walking around the area with frozen yogurt from Haydn’s, where we pile on all the toppings.”
For Ken Greenberg, co-author of “Exploring Toronto,” families looking for an inexpensive day should head to the Toronto Islands. “You can bike across the islands within a few hours, and if you don’t want to spend money on the food there, bringing a picnic is a great idea,” he says. A round-trip ferry ride cost $9.57 for adults and $4.51 for kids younger than 15.
It wouldn’t be summer in Toronto without Pedestrian Sundays in Kensington Market. Free to attend (but watch the wallet creep when you decide to buy a handful of delicious goodies throughout the day), Pedestrian Sundays closes the market to vehicle traffic on the last Sunday of each month from noon to 7 p.m. and invites a wide array of artists to perform. Past events have featured ska bands, magicians, storytellers and life-sized chess.
Artistic expression in parks and on porches
Why watch movies indoors (at a high ticket price) when you can take in your favourite film free in a park? Christie Pits has become a go-to hub for the Toronto Outdoor Picture Show, running from June 26 to Aug. 23. Films slated to show on the massive projection screen near the park’s slope include “Titanic,” “The Muppet Movie,” “Arrival” and the Canadian breakout hit “Nirvanna the Band The Show The Movie.”
One of the more underrated outdoor festivals is Porch View Dances, where dancers perform on actual house porches and lawns in styles ranging from contemporary to African. Performances run from July 1 to 5 beginning at 7 p.m. (on July 5 it starts at 2 p.m.) in the Seaton Village area and it’s pay what you can.
For a different dance flavour, head to Harbourfront Centre on July 18 for a free all-day event called Unity Fest. This hip-hop festival for youth produced by Toronto’s Unity Charity will feature breakdancing competitions, live performances, food vendors and workshops for all ages.
Speaking of flavours, North York is getting some African culinary love thanks to the Taste of Ghana Festival, a free event taking over Earl Bales Park on June 28. Expect a hefty range of jollof rice dishes and sweet kelewele as well as cooking demos and Afrobeats bands.
For car lovers, the free Yorkville Exotic Car Show on June 21 curates an impressive selection of rare, vintage and stunning cars. Available for your IG photo gallery this year is a 1959 Jaguar D-Type, the iconic 1965 Shelby Cobra Daytona and a hand-built 1963 Aston Martin DB4 Series 5. It’s also Father’s Day, so bring the rad dad in your life who digs cool cars. A $2 donation is suggested.
Head indoors for psychedelic fun and indie theatre
Rainy summer days call for visiting the ROM. Tickets are free between 4 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month (advance tickets are required). Open now and running till December, a new exhibit on psychedelics showcases the history and current scientific research on mind-expanding substances that have increasingly been shown to have therapeutic value. Look for a particularly immersive room where “a large pillar displays video graphics of whirling fractals, zooming tunnels, and beams of light that make the walls look like they’re breathing,” according to a statement shared by the ROM.
For the theatrically minded, The Toronto Fringe Festival (June 30 to July 12) returns with a discounted ticket price ($14) for a select mélange of shows (the general ticket price is $19 and less depending on age). This year, you can watch clowns perform Shakespeare, a musical called “Galen’s Grocer,” a shadow-puppet play for kids, and a psychological thriller from talented playwright Hannah Moscovitch (best known for her touring play “Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes”).
Looking for consistently hilarious comedy to cool you down on summer evenings? Head to Comedy Bar on Bloor Street West for their Friday night Catch23 improv competition through to July 31. If you never experienced the improv comedy talent in Toronto, consider Catch23 your primer lesson, for just $25 at the door ($23 online).
Now in its 20th year, the Luminato Festival is programming an impressive variety of shows, installations and films from now until June 28, with many free events included. From June 24 to 27, visit the Toronto City Archives with a $20 ticket to experience The 52 Live, where 24 Canadian playwrights have written work about female pioneers, artists, leaders and changemakers. The festival promises no two shows will be alike.
