35 Toronto food events worth checking out in July
July is peak season for food events in Toronto! From seafood boils and oyster fests to night markets, block parties, and more, you certainly won’t go hungry this month.
Here are all the Toronto food events you need to have on your radar in July.
Toronto Ribfest
Peter Dusek Photography/Toronto Rib Fest
Spend the Canada Day long weekend eating BBQ, riding the midway, and watching live performances at this annual event!
When: June 29 to July 1, 11 am to 10 pm; July 2, 11 am to 8 pm
Where: Centennial Park, 256 Centennial Park Road, Etobicoke
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Agincourt Mall Summer Outdoor Night Market
LMspencer/Shutterstock
If you’re looking for a fun way to spend your Canada Day long weekend, clear your calendar and head to Scarborough’s Agincourt Mall for this unforgettable cultural experience. Festival-goers can choose from an impressive selection of both Asian and international foods from 20 different food vendors.
When: June 29 to July 1
Where: Agincourt Mall, 3850 Sheppard Avenue East, Scarborough
Price: Free admission
Brewer’s Backyard
Brewers Backyard/Facebook
Celebrate Canada Day on July 2 with Lester P. Beerson Day at the Evergreen Brick Works. On tap, look forward to delicious beers flowing from Great Lakes Brewery, Black Oak, St. Mary Axe, Collective Arts, Merit, Bench Brewing, Eastbound Brewing and West Avenue Cider, plus food from Delite Bite, FeasTO, Food Dudes, Fidel Gastro, Heirloom, and the Pop Stand.
When: July 2, 11 am to 5 pm
Where: Evergreen Brick Works, 550 Bayview Avenue, Toronto
Price: Admission is free.
Americana Beer Dinner
@WicksonSocialTO/Facebook
Enjoy a five-course BBQ dinner, paired with Ontario beers showcasing American hops.
When: July 4, 7 pm to 10 pm
Where: The Wickson Social, 5 St Joseph Street, Toronto
Price: $60 per person
Summer Tastings
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This Cajun and Creole restaurant on College Street is teaming up with Beam Suntory Liquor Company this summer for a monthly series featuring complimentary tastings! The July 4 installment features bourbon and while its free to attend, registration is required.
When: July 4, 7 pm to 8:30 pm
Where: Southern Accent, 839 College Street, Toronto
Price: Free with registration.
Taste of Regent Park
Regent Park Community Food Centre/Facebook
This weekly family-friendly event, presented by the Regent Park Community Food Centre, is offered every Wednesday until August 29 in the green space (aka the “Big Park”) and promises an affordable produce market in addition to a pay-what-you-can community meal.
When: Wednesdays from July 4 to August 29, 5 pm to 8 pm
Where: Toronto Regent Park, 203 Sackville Green, Toronto
Price: Pay-what-you-can
Venezuelan Independence Day
@arepacafe/Facebook
Celebrate Venezuelan Independence Day, aka Cinco de Julio, at this communal feast featuring a menu of mini arepas, tuna roll ceviche, and more.
When: July 5, 2018, 7 pm
Where: Arepa Café, 490 Queen Street West, Toronto
Price: $65
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Canada’s Most Imaginative Bartender
@bombaysapphire/Facebook
Ten of the best bartenders from across Canada will flex their creativity at this pop-up bar offering the chance to taste the wildest and most flavourful cocktails in the country. Admission for the 19+ event is $20 and includes complimentary gin cocktails and appetizers throughout the night.
When: July 5, 2018, 7 pm
Where: Ricarda’s Atrium, 134 Peter Street, Toronto
Price: Admission is $20
Giro d’Italia
Ardo Restaurant
Italian Restaurant Week returns to Toronto this summer for 10 days in July. Participating restaurants will each showcase the cuisine of a different region of Italy by offering a four-course prezzo fisso (prix fixe) menu priced at $52.
When: July 5 to 15, 2018
Where: At participating Italian restaurants in Toronto
Price: $52
BurgerMania
Fedorovacz/Shutterstock
Billed as a three-day food extravaganza, this food fest is devoted to the “greatest North American invention of all time, BURGERS.”
When: July 6, noon to 11 pm; July 7 11 am to 11 pm; July 8, 11 am to 9 pm
Where: Ontario Place, 955 Lake Shore Boulevard West, Toronto
Price: Tickets from $10
Markham Rotary Ribfest
Markham Rotary Ribfest
Ribbers, food trucks, a beer garden, live entertainment, and more! Now in its 15th year, this annual event returns to downtown Markham for a weekend of BBQ and beers! Admission is $2 per person.
When: July 6 to 8, 2018
Where: 179 Enterprise Boulevard, East Parking Lot, Markham
Summerlicious
Ufficio
When: July 6 to July 22
Where: Restaurants across Toronto
Price: Lunch menus priced at $23, $28, and $33 and dinner is $33, $43, and $53
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Taste of Lawrence
Wexford Heights Business Improvement Area/Facebook
This three-day food and cultural festival is hosted by the Wexford Heights BIA and is billed as Scarborough’s largest street festival.
When: July 6, 6 pm to 11 pm; July 7, 11 am to 11 pm; July 8, 11 am to 7 pm
Where: Wexford Heights, Lawrence Avenue East from Warden Avenue to Birchmount Road.
Price: Admission is free.
The Foodie Festival
@thefoodiefestival/Facebook
Not only is admission FREE for this food fest but so are the samples from a selection of local restaurants and vendors.
When: July 6, 4 pm to 8 pm
Where: Albion Library, 1515 Albion Road, Etobicoke
Price: Admission is free.
Junction Night Market
Junction Farmers Market/Flickr
Billed as a community food festival benefiting programs that promote access to local food, this event promises an abundance of food and brews all priced for $5 per serving.
When: July 7, 2018, 7 pm to 11 pm
Where: Pacific Avenue, North of Dundas Street, Toronto
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Toronto Veggie Parade
Yaron Eini
Give peas a chance! The eighth annual Veggie Parade celebrates vegan, vegetarian, and veg-loving lifestyles in Toronto.
When: July 7, noon to 3 pm
Where: Parade route details available online
Price: Free to attend.
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Passport to Argentina
U-Feast
Explore the Euro-Latin culture of Argentina at this two-night ticketed dinner featuring empanadas, ceviche, Argentinian parrilla, and more. Tickets include all food, 12 Argentinian wines, and gratuity.
When: July 10 and 11, 2018
Where: Ama, 930 Queen Street West, Toronto
Price: $95
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BurgerFest
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From July 13 to 15, Toronto’s historic Campbell House Museum will transform into a backyard BBQ where burger connoisseurs can enjoy the city’s best burgers, live music, a beer garden, and games and activities the entire family can enjoy.
When: July 13, 11 am to 10 pm; July 14, 11 am to 10 pm; July 15, 11 am to 7 pm
Where: Campbell House Museum, 160 Queen Street West
Price: Single-day passes cost $10 and full weekend passes are $20
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Night It Up!
Night It Up!/Facebook
The annual night market returns to Markham Civic Centre over the second weekend in July and is bringing together more than 100 booths dishing out everything from ramen burgers and matcha shaved ice all the way to deep fried ice cream.
When: July 13, 7 pm to midnight; July 14, 2 pm to midnight; July 15, 2 pm to 8 pm
Where: Markham Civic Centre, 101 Town Centre Boulevard, Markham
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Vaughan Pizza Fest
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Pizza, music, and beer! The triple threat is the premise for this massive food festival taking place just north of Toronto this summer. Vaughan Pizza Fest, happening mid-July, promises to be the epic pizza party ever… even bigger and better than last year.
When: July 13 to 15, 2018
Where: Interchange Park, 1 Commerce Street, Vaughan
Price: General admission is $15 online
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Fun Food Festival
The Fun Food Fest/Facebook
A brand new circus-themed food festival is set to debut at the Woodbridge Fair Grounds this July. Taking place just north of the city, from July 13 to 15, the event is simply titled the Fun Food Festival and as its name suggests, the three-day festival is billing all-ages fun and street food!
When: July 13 to 15, 2018
Where: Woodbridge Fair Grounds, 100 Porter Avenue, Vaughan
Price: Admission is $10
Ontario Oyster Festival
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Taking place at the Oyster Garden (aka patio) at Rodney’s Oyster House, this all-day event takes place on Sunday, July 15 and will feature $5 drinks and oysters (served five at a time), along with lobster ($25 each) and other delicious seafood-centric foods price for $10 or less.
When: July 15, 1 pm to 10 pm
Where: Rodney’s Oyster House, 469 King Street West, Toronto
Price: General admission is $35 in advance, $45 at the gates.
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Seafood Sundays
The Drake Hotel/Flickr
Want to eat a huge pot of seafood including PEI mussels, clams, shrimp, lobster, corn, butter, and more butter? The family-style feast takes place on the Sky Yard at The Drake Hotel every other week.
When: July 15, 6 pm
Where: 1150 Queen Street West, Toronto
Price: $39
Budweiser County Fair
@budweisercountyfair/Instagram
Yee-haw! Country boys and girls can look forward to line dancing, a mechanical bull, pie-eating contests, carnival games, a southern BBQ, classical carnival eats, and Muskoka’s famous Weber’s burgers when this county fair returns to Toronto this summer.
When: July 20, 3 pm to 11 pm; July 21, noon to 11 pm
Where: Fort York Historic Site, 250 Fort York Blvd
Price: Tickets are available now and start at $9.99 for single day passes
Pizza Fest
@thepizzafest/Instagram
From the same folks behind Taco Fest and Brunch Fest in Toronto, this festival deals in cheesy triangles from heaven. Expect a wide spectrum of Italian eats ranging from pasta and meatballs and beyond… not to mention cocktails and wine.
When: July 20 to 22, 2018
Where: Ontario Place, 955 Lake Shore Boulevard West, Toronto
Que by Chef Aleem
Chef Aleem Syed/Facebook
Chef Aleem hosts this new seasonal pop-up that kicks off with this tailgate party featuring a brand new BBQ menu. Ticket prices include a half pound of beef brisket, a half pound of pulled chicken, hot links, mac and cheese, baked beans, coleslaw, a cheddar japaleno cornbread muffin and Chef Aleem’s signature brown boy lemonade.
When: July 21, 1 pm to 7 pm
Where: 70 Karachi Drive, Toronto
Price: $35
Bastid’s BBQ Toronto
Skratch Bastid/Facebook
This parking lot party boasts food and music all day! Bastid’s BBQ returns for its 8th year of summer good times.
When: July 22, 2 pm to 10 pm
Where: 525 King Street West, Toronto
Price: From $30
Toronto Caesar Challenge
Thompson Diner
The iconic Canadian cocktail is at the centre of this food fest where ticket-holders can taste 10 different Caesars while a panel of judges crowns Toronto’s Best Caesar.
When: July 7, 4 pm to 10 pm
Where: Carrot Common Rooftop, 348 Danforth Avenue, Toronto
Price: Tickets are $20
Toronto’s Festival of Beer
Toronto’s Festival of Beer/Facebook
Toronto’s Festival of Beer is back for a weekend full of beers, bands, and food in 2018 and in addition to hundreds of brews, seriously good eats, and plenty of #BeerLove, look forward to Ludacris headlining the marquee Friday night during the festival.
When: July 26 to 28
Where: Bandshell Park, Exhibition Place, Toronto
Price: Tickets on sale now from $35
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Harold’s Fish Festival
Lobster/Shutterstock
Toronto’s newest food festival is a celebration of coastal living! Harold’s Fish Festival is coming to Toronto’s Ontario Place for three days in July and promises a “fusion of fish and seafood dishes with a perfect blend of wines, beers, and signature cocktails, bringing you a fish event like no other.”
When: July 27, 5 pm to 11 pm; July 28, 11 am to 11 pm, July 29, 11 am to 7 pm
Where: Ontario Place, 955 Lake Shore Boulevard West, Toronto
Price: Tickets from $9
Thornhill Rib Fest
Northern Heat Rib Series/Facebook
Bringing the heat to the city above Toronto, this edition of the Northern Heat Rib Series promises a weekend full of food, fun, and entertainment.
When: July 27 to 29, 2018
Where: Dufferin and Clark Community Centre
Richmond Hill Ribfest
Northern Heat Rib Series/Fcebook
Admission is free to this three-day outdoor event that features pro rib teams cooking and competing for various “Best” titles. Joining the fun, look forward to live entertainment, a marketplace, beer garden, and midway.
When: July 27 to 29, 2018
Where: Richmond Green Sports Centre and Park
Hop Chow Block Party
Hop Chow/Facebook
Craft beers served with carefully curated food pairings are the main attraction at this outdoor event happening on Wade Avenue outside Propeller Coffee in July. Here, chefs and brewers will buddy-up to collaborate on a menu.
When: July 28, noon to 8 pm
Where: 50 Wade Avenue, Toronto
Price: $10 to $25
Momo Crawl TO
Students for a Free Tibet Canada/Facebook
The annual one-day event is promoted through the sale of a passport and entitles participants to 10 meat or veg momos from local Tibetan and Nepalese restaurants in the neighbourhood.
Where: Participating restaurants in Parkdale
Fusion of Taste Festival
@AlbionIslington/Instagram
The Albion Islington Square Business Improvement Area hosts this multicultural festival featuring food and art all day long.
When: July 29, noon to 9:30 pm
Where: Albion Islington Square, 925 Albion Road, Etobicoke
Price: Admission is free.