27 Toronto food events worth checking out in October
Cooler temperatures in Toronto fuels our appetites every October.
Sure, winter might be coming, but first: beer fests, haunted harvest parties, numerous ways to nosh, and fundraisers that give good cause to get dressed up before everyone disappears under parkas.
Here are all the Toronto food events happening this October.
Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest/Shutterstock
The beer-fueled festival might be rooted in German tradition but Torontonians are up to celebrate. We’ve rounded up some of the most noteworthy Volks-festivies across Southern Ontario this fall.
When: September and October
Where: Across Ontario
Price: Varies
Apple Fest
Ekaterina Pokrovsky/Shutterstock
The Bayview Leaside BIA presents the second annual festival devoted to this favourite fall orchard fruit. Celebrate with ciders, pies, live music, street art, and more.
When: On until October 1, noon to 5 pm
Where: Bayview Avenue from Soudan to Davisville, Toronto
Price: Admission is free.
Colborne Lodge Harvest Festival
Colborne Lodge/Facebook
Celebrate fall in High Park at this annual Harvest Festival “enhanced for Canada’s Birthday.” On the itinerary: food, music, dance, artisans, family-friendly activities for the whole family, pumpkin carving, apple bobbing, and roasted potatoes.
When: October 1, 11 am to 5 pm
Where: Colborne Lodge Museum, 11 Colborne Lodge Drive, Toronto
Price: Free
Markham Fair
Markham Fair/Facebook
The annual fair in the ‘burbs is on this weekend and promising fireworks, a monster truck show, demolition derby, and more… not to mention, plenty of fabulous food.
When: On until October 1
Where: 10801 McCowan Road, Markham
Price: Admission from $15
National Taco Day – L.A. Style
U-Feast
Fidel Gastro’s Chef, Matt Basile is joined by Chef Wes Avila of the famed L.A. food truck Guerrilla Tacos for this one-night-only event promising tacos and tequila from the city that does them best.
When: October 4
Where: Lisa Marie, 638 Queen Street West, Toronto
Price: $50
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FREE Birthday Burgers at Harry’s
AJ Fernando/Harry’s
Harry’s Charbroiled is about to celebrate its first birthday and in celebration, the diner will be giving away FREE burgers and collecting donations for the Parkdale Community Food Bank.
When: October 5, noon to 4 pm
Where: 160 Springhurst Avenue, Toronto
Thanksgiving-themed Sausage Party
@leftfieldbrewery/Instagram
Thanksgiving-themed fully loaded veggie hotdogs and beer are good reasons to give thanks at this festive event. On the menu, dogs topped with vegan stuffing, mushroom gravy and cranberry sauce, another dressed in mac and cheese, fakin’ bacon and panko crunch, and finally, a weiner loaded with sweet potato casserole with torched marshmallows.
When: October 6, 7 pm
Where: The Steady, 1051 Bloor Street West, Toronto
Price: $7 per weiner
NoshFest
Darryl Brooks/Shutterstock
If you don’t know bubkes about Jewish food then this event is for you! Toronto’s Jewish food fest showcases delicacies like bagels with schmear, gefilte fish, pickles, and more plus cooking demos, a live Klezmer band, and kid-friendly activities.
When: October 9, 10:30 am to 5 pm
Where: Artscape Wychwood Barns, 601 Christie Street, Toronto
Price: $10
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Backyard Foraging & Wild Cocktails
Backyard Forager
Sip dirty daylily martinis and rose hip soup at this botanical bar slinging $5 drinks featuring fresh picked foilage and blooms and stay for a lecture on the art of wildcrafted cocktails.
When: October 12, 7:30 pm to 9 pm
Where: Toronto Botanical Garden, 777 Lawrence Avenue East, North York
Price: $15
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Empty Bowls
Empty Bowls
Now in its 25th year, this charitable initiative to aid the homeless sees potters, potter’s guilds, and students donate more than 400 bowls to be filled throughout the event by soups from some of Ontario’s most eminent chefs. At the end of the event, take home your bowl!
When: October 12, 5 pm to 7 pm
Where: Gardiner Museum
Price: $55
Pasta & Vino
hlphoto/Shutterstock
Carbs and wine! What could be more satisfying in the middle of October than a five-course Italian feast featuring a menu from Chef John Rosal paired with Cusumano wines.
When: October 12, 7 pm
Where: Mangia & Bevi, 260 King Street East, Toronto
Price: $60
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Blank Plate
Blank Plate
This pop-up dinner series features two chefs at each edition cooking with a signature ingredient or style of cooking. Held at a different top secret location each time, the inaugural event will showcase a seven-course truffle tasting menu from Chefs Devan Rajkumar and Joe Friday.
When: October 13
Where: TBA
Price: $150
Evergreen’s Feast On BBQ
Feast On BBQ
Channel your inner lumberjack at this cottage themed feast featuring roaring fires, cold craft beers, axe throwing and AYCE eating from 10 Feast On-certified chefs. Proceeds go to support Evergreen’s mission to build flourishing cities.
When: October 14, 7 pm to midnight
Where: Evergreen Brickworks, 550 Bayview Avenue, Toronto
Price: $150
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Haunted Harvest Party
Alexkich/Shutterstock
This October, Foodies on Foot and Rancourt Winery are hosting a Haunted Harvest Party in a vineyard in NOTL and it’s being billed as an ambulatory feast featuring the fall harvest and Dracula-themed food stations.
When: October 14, 7 pm
Where: Rancourt Winery, 1829 Concession 4 Road, Niagara-On-The-Lake
Price: $40 for tickets via phone: 905-468-2882 or email: [email protected]
The Pancakes and Booze Art Show
Shutterstock
Exactly what its name suggests, this event promises works from 100 emerging artists in a Warhol-esque warehouse featuring live music, body painting, multimedia displays, and FREE pancakes!
When: October 14, 8 pm to 2 am
Where: The Opera House, 735 Queen Street East, Toronto
Price: $15 admission at the door.
World Poutine Eating Championship
Smoke’s Poutinerie/Facebook
When: October 14, 10 am to 4 pm
Where: Yonge-Dundas Square
Price: Admission is free.
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Toronto Catering Showcase
Kiss the Cook Catering/Facebook
Planning a wedding or party in the near future? Admission to The Toronto Catering Show is like an unlimited pass to sample the wares from top caterers in the GTA.
When: October 15, noon to 4 pm
Where: The Bram & Bluma Appel Salon, Asquith Avenue, Toronto
Price: $65
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NOSH
NOSH
Happening in Hamilton, Ontario, NOSH offers a full week of culinary adventures and events in this October. The city-wide food fest returns in 2017 for its sophomore year with the intent of outdoing the 53 food events held during the festival’s inaugural event.
When: October 16 to 22
Where: Restaurants and event venues in Hamilton
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Eat to the Beat
Eat to the Beat
Now in its 22nd year, the fundraiser event will feature 60 food stations serving sweet and savoury dishes created exclusively by 60 of Ontario’s top female chefs, along with wine, beer, non-alcoholic libations from 20 beverage purveyors.
When: October 17, 7 pm to 10 pm
Where: Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St, Toronto
Price: $189
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Fresh Hop Fest
Hetman Bohdan/Shutterstock
Local hop farmers and our local breweries team up this October for Ontario’s first ever Wet Hop beer experience presented by Drink Inc. Expect an “evening of live entertainment, delicious food, and most importantly, great “specialty” wet hop beers.”
When: October 18, 6 pm to 10 pm
Where: Berkeley Church, 315 Queen Street East, Toronto
Price: $35
Restaurants for Change
Restaurants for Change
Dine out. Do good. That’s the motto for Restaurants for Change, a Canada-wide event taking place at 92 restaurants in 19 cities. In Toronto, 37 restaurants are participating this year, each donating proceeds from their dinner service on October 18 towards supporting “Community Food Centres Canada and community food programs across Canada…”
When: October 18
Where: Restaurants across Canada
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French Campagne Barbecue
Sébastien Daouze offers a taste of the French countryside with a menu featuring meaty delights like terrines and rillettes, ribs, chops, and more. Wine pairings included!
When: October 19, 7 pm
Where: Coq of the Walk, 488 College Street West, Toronto
Price: $70
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Cask Days
Cask Days
Cask Days Beer Festival is on over three days this October and is billing 400+ cask-conditioned ales, epic eats, raw beats and art over three days. Now in its 13th year, the festival “celebrates the love for cask ale: unpasteurized, unfiltered and naturally carbonated beer that is served direct from a cask barrel.”
When: October 20 to 22
Where: Evergreen Brickworks, 550 Bayview Avenue, Toronto
Price: Admission from $35.
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Fall Harvest Feast
U-Feast
When: October 28
Where: The Tempered Room, 1374 Queen Street West, Toronto
Price: $75
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Canada’s Baking & Sweets Show
Canada’s Baking and Sweets Show
Billed as “North America’s first and biggest baking and sweets event,” this event is the ultimate bake sale. Shop, sample, and snack your way through this tradeshow showcasing the hottest trends in the world of baking and beyond.
When: October 28 to 29
Where: International Centre, 6900 Airport Road, Mississauga
Price: Single day admission is $13 per person.
The Dinner Party
Judy Chicago, The Dinner Party
Happening in Toronto this October this feminist feast draws inspiration from Judy Chicago’s pioneering artwork. Chef Alex Feswick helms an esteemed list of fellow female chefs for a collaborative seven-course menu.
When: October 29
Where: Drake Commissary,128 Sterling Road, Toronto
Price: $150, available online
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2017 Taste Canada Awards
Taste Canada Awards/Facebook
Celebrating the best of Canadian food writing and publishing, the winners of this award will be announced at the Award Ceremony and Gala Reception. Rub shoulders with your favourite authors all while sipping wine and nibbling on cheese.
When: October 30, 5:30 pm
Where: Ritz-Carlton Hotel, 181 Wellington Street West, Toronto
Price: Tickets from $80
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See also
- The HIT list: 10 of Toronto’s hottest restaurants to check out this fall
- The RIP List: 36 Toronto restaurants that didn't make it through summer 2017
- Where to get Thanksgiving Dinner to-go in Toronto 2017
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