The federal government will be joining the Ontario government and City of Toronto in helping to fund the return of Taste of the Danforth, the Greektown on the Danforth Business Improvement Area announced Wednesday.
Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture Marc Miller announced funding of up to $100,000 through the Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program.
It comes just days before the beloved festival is set to begin after a two-year hiatus.
The province and municipal governments announced back in June they would be contributing $200,000 each to support the long-running festival.
“For the first time in the Festival’s history, all three orders of government are standing together behind an event that has grown from a neighbourhood initiative created by Greek immigrants into Canada’s largest street Festival and one of the country’s most iconic cultural celebrations,” read the press release.
It was in 2023 when BIA officials announced they were cancelling the long-standing annual event as of 2024, citing financial pressures and a potential increase of BIA levies to business owners. At the time, they said the 2023 event resulted in a $257,000 loss.
The festival was suspended in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19-related restrictions. In 2022, BIA members cited streetscape challenges, issues adapting to CaféTO patio installations and bike lanes in their decision to suspend that year’s event.
The organization reported that past festivals have attracted up to 1.6 million people throughout the weekend the Taste of the Danforth is held. The first event was held in 1994.
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