Summer may be winding down but Toronto’s festivals are still going strong with several neighbourhoods celebrating their heritage and culture this weekend, including the Polish Festival in Roncesvalles and the Ukrainian Festival in Bloor West Village.
Road closures will be in effect for the various fests and events as well as for the RBC Race for the Kids taking place in North York and there are some GO Transit service adjustments to keep in mind due to planned construction.
Roncesvalles Polish Festival
Billed as North America’s largest celebration of Polish culture, the Roncesvalles Polish Festival is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
The festival will run on Roncesvalles Avenue between Dundas and Queen Streets. It features popular fan favourites, including polish music and food like polka and pierogis, plus local musicians and artists.
There will also be four stages hosting 40 performances, plus 90 participating vendors and 150 local shops, boutiques and merchants. In addition, two family zones will feature amusements rides and other activities for the kids.
The festival kicks off on Saturday, Sept. 19, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and will continue on Sunday, Sept. 20, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Toronto Ukrainian Festival
The Toronto Ukrainian Festival returns for its 31st year, taking over Bloor West Village with music, food and community activities.
One of the main attractions at the festival is the lineup of renowned Ukrainian artists and bands playing both traditional Ukrainian folk songs and contemporary music. For the foodies, borscht, kebabs and pierogis will be on offer along with numerous other Ukrainian delicacies. Visitors can also indulge in some shopping at numerous vendors selling traditional Ukrainian crafts including as embroidery, woodcarving, and pottery, with many offering interactive demonstrations.
The festival will run on Bloor Street, between Jane Street and Kennedy Park Road and kicks off at 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 18, running until 11 p.m. It continues on Saturday, Sept. 19 from 9:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 20, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
2026 CAMH Pow Wow presented by Shkaabe Makwa
The 2026 CAMH Pow Wow presented by Shkaabe Makwa takes place at TD Commons on Friday, Sept. 18, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The traditional Indigenous event will features Indigenous music and dancing as well as food and art vendors.
The event is free to attend and open to the public.
Pape Village Block Party
The Pape Village Block Party is taking over a section of Pape Avenue from Mortimer to Cosburn avenues this weekend.
The festival “celebrates and unites the Pape Village community through family-friendly entertainment.” It features live bands, singers and DJs, food vendors, arts and crafts booths and a kids fun zone.
It is free to attend and runs on Saturday, Sept. 18 from 12 p.m. to 9 pm. and Sunday, Sept. 19, from 12 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Public Pier
Public Pier is a new cultural festival kicks off on Friday, Sept. 18 and is taking over Marina Quay West (539 Queens Quay West) on Toronto’s Waterfront.
The pier will be transformed into a “vibrant day-to-night destination” featuring food, live DJs and dance workshops as well as public art and immersive projections on the iconic Canada Malting Silos.
It is free to attend and will run on Fridays from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. until Oct. 3.
Treasures Sale 2026
The Toronto Reference Library is holding its annual Treasures Sale, supported by Friends of Toronto Public Library, South Chapter.
Book lovers can find thousands of rare and special books including first editions, signed copies and other collectibles. prices
The sale runs for three days at the Beeton Hall at the Toronto Reference Library. On Sept. 17, it is open from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and entry is $3. Admission is free of Sept. 18 (9 a.m. to 7 p.m.) and Sept. 19 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
Queen West Art Crawl
The Queen West Art Crawl – a two-day multidisciplinary arts festival that stretches along Queen Street West from Bathurst to Roncesvalles in Trinity Bellwoods Park – will take place on Sept. 19 and 20 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The centrepiece of the festival is an outdoor art exhibition featuring hundreds of established and upcoming artists in all mediums from sculpture to visual art to jewellery.
There will also be a main stage featuring various musical and dance performances, children’s entertainment and food vendors.
TTC/GO changes and closures
Line 1 closure
There will be no subway service between College and St. Clair stations on Line 1 on Sept. 19 and 20 for planned track work. Shuttle buses will replace the subway.
Summerhill and Rosedale stations will be closed and the Dundonald Street entrance at Wellesley Station will be closed. All other TTC subway stations will remain open for customers to purchase or load a PRESTO card, PRESTO Ticket and connect to surface routes.
Bus route changes
There are numerous bus route changes and diversions due to the Polish Festival, Ukrainian Festival, RBC Race for the Kids, Run through the Heights 5K and Pape Village Block Party.
Click here for a full list of chages to bus routes during the various events.
Barrie Line service adjustments
There will be no GO Transit service between Downsview Park GO and Union Station on Sept. 19 and 20 due to planned construction.
GO trains will run as scheduled between Allandale Waterfront/Aurora and Downsview Park GO.
Road closures
RBC Race for the Kids
The RBC Race for the Kids will take place on Saturday, Sept. 19 between 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. The race will consist of a 5 km run, which will begin and end in the Mel Lastman Square area.
There will be various road closures along the race route which runs along Beecroft Road, North York Boulevard, Yonge Street, Sheppard West Avenue and Harlandale Avenue.
Motorists can expect delays from 5:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.
Constantine Yorkville 5 KM Run
The Constantine Yorkville 5 KM Run will take place on Sunday, Sept. 20, at 9 a.m.
Numerous road closures are expected on Bay Street, College Street, Spadina Avenue and Bloor Street West.
TTC Track Work – Yonge and College Street Intersection and Carlton/College Streets
As part of ongoing work to replace a sewer and TTC tracks, College Street will be reduced to one eastbound lane from Bay Street to Yonge Street until December 2026. No westbound travel or left turns will be permitted.
Ongoing road closures
Gardiner Expressway long-term closure
As part of the long-term construction plan on the Gardiner Expressway, a stretch of the westbound Gardiner has been reduced from four lanes to three. The westbound lane closure will stretch from Park Lawn Road to Grand Avenue in southern Etobicoke. The eastbound lanes along the same stretch will be narrowed, but with no lane reductions, from April 2025 to December 2026.
For full traffic and closure updates, click here for the latest information from 680 NewsRadio Toronto.
Add CityNews Toronto as a trusted source on Google to see more local stories from us.
