One of Toronto’s more popular street festivals is being paused as organizers look to “reimagine” its future.
The Kensington Market BIA announced Friday that the May 25 edition of Pedestrian Sundays will not take place following extensive community feedback on the direction of the festival.
Pedestrian Sundays see the bustling streets of Kensington Market closed off to traffic on the last Sunday of each month from May to October.
“The pause reflects a shared desire among residents, businesses, and the BIA Board to reimagine PSK as an event that celebrates Kensington Market’s cultural diversity in a safe, inclusive, and community-rooted way,” read a statement from the BIA.
Organizers cited overcrowding, disrupted pedestrian flow and complicated event logistics among the reasons for the pause, noting that while many vendors bring enthusiasm, the lack of coordination with BIA staff makes safe and consistent planning difficult.
The BIA also noted that the car-free, family-friendly event, which began as a celebration of art, music, dance, play and community, has taken on a more commercial tone, which “no longer reflects the values that originally shaped it.”
“While we understand that festivals naturally evolve, we believe it’s time to realign with the spirit that made PSK special in the first place,” said organizers.
Organizers also point to future funding of the event, noting they will be exploring options with the City and other grant programs to the meet the financial demands of the community-focused festival.
Mayor Olivia Chow recently unveiled a list of 64 festivals that will receive grants as part of the City’s $2.5 million Cultural Festivals Funding Program (CFFP). Pedestrian Sundays were not on the inaugural list unveiled last month.
The City is also working on a policy to determine when to turn streets into pedestrian-only walkways, which could also impact the future of street festivals.
Festivals are also facing increased security costs in the wake of the car-ramming incident at Vancouver’s Lapu Lapu Day block party last month that killed 11 people and injured dozens more.
A community survey is being held to determine the future of the remaining PSK weekends.
