FEATURED ON THE LISTED GUIDE
We hate to be the bearer of bad news but summer is coming to a bittersweet end, meaning there are only a few more weeks to enjoy the warm weather in the city.
To help you make the most of these last few days of summer, we’ve rounded up the hottest events, festivals, and concerts taking place in Toronto during the month of September.
Fan Expo Canada
@darkjedi5/Instagram
What: Fandom at its best. From comics to sci-fi, horror and gaming, all under one massive roof. Guests this year include Jason Momoa (DC Justice League), Michael J. Fox (Back to the Future), Evangeline Lilly (Ant-Man and the Wasp), Joe Keery (Stranger Things), Rob Schneider (Saturday Night Live), and more.
When: Now until September 2
Time: Saturday and Sunday, 10 am to 7 pm; Monday, 10 am to 5 pm
Where: Metro Toronto Convention Centre, 222 Bremner Blvd.
Price: From $25
Canadian National Exhibition (CNE)
What: No summer is complete without a visit to the EX. Get some food, and win some ridiculously large prizes.
When: Now until September 3
Time: The grounds are open daily from 10 am to midnight, but attractions and rides all close at different times
Where: Canadian National Exhibition, 210 Princes’ Boulevard
Price: General admission is $19.99
Buskerfest + Mac & Cheese Fest
What: Mac & Cheese Fest teams up with Buskerfest to take over Woodbine Park over Labour Day weekend and promises “the best and biggest street performer festivals in the universe,” plus “50 of the cheesiest creations made by top chefs.”
When: Now until September 3
Time: Saturday, 11 am to 11 pm; Sunday,11 am to 10 pm; Monday, 11 am to 8 pm
Where: Woodbine Park, 1695 Queen Street East, Toronto
Price: Suggested donation is $5 per person or $10 per family
Toronto Rib, Bacon and BBQ Fest
What: Hogtown is going hog wild. The Toronto Rib, Bacon and BBQ Festival is taking over Downsview Park over Labour Day weekend and is promising a massive Ribfest bolstered by the addition of vendors specializing in bacon and barbecue as well.
When: Now until September 3
Time: Saturday and Sunday, 11 am to 11 pm; Monday, 11 am to 9 pm
Where: Downsview Park, 35 Carl Hall Road, North York
Price: General admission is $5. Kids under 12 are Free
Buffer Festival
Buffer Festival
What: Buffer Festival is an annual showcase of YouTube world premieres, bringing the most acclaimed digital creators and their audiences together. Held from Thursday, September 27 to Sunday, September 30, the festival includes a variety of programming, including a red carpet gala and premiere screenings, showcasing an array of YouTube’s highest quality content.
When: September 27 to 30, 2018
Time: 9 am to 9 pm
Where: St Lawrence Centre for the Arts, 27 Front St E, Toronto,
Price: Available online; individual screening tickets:$25, festival pass: $125
The Art of Banksy
What: A new massive exhibit curated by Steve Lazarides, Banksy’s former manager, is open in Toronto displaying the largest collection of the artist’s works. According to organizers, with over $35 million in art, this is the largest Banksy exhibit ever assembled.
When: Now until September 16
Time: Monday and Tuesday, 11 am to 7 pm; Wednesday, 11 am to 8 pm; Thursday and Friday, 11 am to 10 pm; Saturday, 9 am to 12 am; Sunday, 9 am to 9 pm
Where: 213 Sterling Road, Toronto
Price: Tickets start at $35
Spiders: Fear & Fascination
Robert Whyte/Rom.on.ca
What: This summer, the ROM welcomed a new exhibit, Spiders: Fear & Fascination and trust us, it’s definitely not for the faint of heart. The exhibit explores the hunting, burrowing, and weaving world of these eight-legged creatures and will feature more than 400 live and preserved spiders, cutting-edge interactive experiences, and new scientific discoveries.
When: Now until January 2019
Time: 10 am to 5:30 pm
Where: The Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen’s Park
Price: $32 for adults
Sunnyside 20 – Episode 07 with Dubfire and friends
What: This Saturday, celebrate the 20th season of summer music and events at Sunnyside Pavilion. Come and enjoy an evening filled with good music, people and vibes.
When: September 1
Time: 4 pm to 11 pm
Where: Sunnyside Pavilion, 1755 Lake Shore Boulevard West
Price: $25 to $30
Le Burger Week
What: This year, Le Burger Week has gone national will be taking place across six provinces. In Toronto, there will be nine participating restaurants competing for the title of their city’s best burger, including Holy Chuck, Zeal Burgers, The Broadview Hotel, Allstar W&R Restaurants to name a few.
When: September 1 to 7
Time: Hours vary by location
Where: Restaurants throughout the city
Price: Varies by location
Femme Fatale 2.0
What: The second Femme Fatale showcase will celebrate the unique and inspiring women in Toronto’s music community. There will be performances from Karis, Effie Sky and Jessie Jean.
When: September 1
Time: 7 pm to 10:30 pm
Where: Supermarket, 268 Augusta Avenue
Price: $10 at the door
Promise Cherry Beach 2018
What: Come and enjoy an unmissable chance to take in the best of Toronto’s underground music scene surrounded by sun and fun at the beach.
When: September 2
Time: 3 pm to 11 pm
Where: Cherry Beach, Cherry Street just south of Unwin Avenue
Price: $20
Shakespeare in High Park
laurenmarias/Instagram
What: Toronto’s annual Shakespeare in High Park concludes this evening with a performance of its frolicking comedy of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The longest-running outdoor theatre event is celebrating its 36th year this summer.
When: September 2
Time: 8 pm
Where: High Park Amphitheatre
Price: Pay what you can
Labour of Love
What: Toronto’s popular Labour Day weekend music festival returns! Ontario’s own Deadmau5 is spinning alongside Monstergetdown and Mazone & Strong.
When: September 2
Time: 10 pm to 3 am
Where: Rebel, 11 Polson Street
Price: $88.93 (includes taxes)
Electric Island 2018
What: Get your sunglasses and dancing shoes ready, Toronto’s favourite summer concert and picnic series is wrapping up its season with an epic two-day bash at Hanlan’s Point.
When: September 2 and 3
Time: 2 pm to 11 pm
Where: Hanlan’s Point, Toronto Island
Price: Tickets start at $50.84
Labour Day Lunch Cruise
What: Soak up the last long weekend of summer in true Toronto style — out on the water with spectacular views of the skyline and delicious eats prepared by executive chef Andrew Capone, formerly of The Drake, Thuet and The Harbord Room. Perfect summer cocktails are also available for purchase.
When: September 3
Time: Boat begins boarding at 1 pm, cruise ends at 4 pm
Where: Mariposa Cruises
Price: $59.95
Promise Cherry Beach 2018 Summer Finale
What: You can say farewell to summer and this year’s run of Promise Cherry Beach that this finale party. Come and enjoy a lineup of new faces and lifelong favourites and a mix of sunny electro, house, and techno music.
When: September 3
Time: 3 pm to 11 pm
Where: Cherry Beach, Cherry Street just south of Unwin Avenue
Price: $20
Style Plate
Renata Kaveh
What: Taking place September 4 to 6, the new collaboration will see chefs and mixologists from participating restaurants paired up with select designers to create a unique dish or cocktail inspired by the designer’s collections showing at Toronto Fashion Week.
When: September 4 to 6
Time: Varies by the restaurant
Where: Participating restaurant in Toronto
Price: Pay for what you order
Toronto Fashion Week
What: This year, in collaboration with RE\SET, Toronto Fashion Week will include fashion, film, photography and culture enthusiasts, as it takes over Yorkville Village from September 4 to 6. Over 20 shows and events will be celebrating the best in Canadian design talent during Fashion Week, showcasing Spring/Summer 2019 season.
When: September 4 to 6
Time: Varies by day
Where: Yorkville Village, 136 Yorkville Ave
Price: Varies by show
Toronto Vegan Social Pop-Up Event
What: Vegan Social Events is back this month with its 3rd Annual Vegan Social Pop-Up, an exclusive food and drink tasting and private shopping event. Swag Bags valued at $100+ are guaranteed to the first 80 guests who purchase tickets.
When: September 6
Time: 7:30 pm to 10 pm
Where: 918 Bathurst Street
Price: $25
September First Thursday: Back to Basics
What: Kick off the start of September at the AGO’s annual first Thursday of the month party. Partygoers can expect work from local and contemporary artists across disciplines, and as always, delicious food and drinks in the AGO’s Night Market along with a special selection of works from Out of the Vaults.
When: September 6
Time: 7 pm to 11:30 pm
Where: The AGO, 317 Dundas Street West
Price: $13 or $16 at the door
Toronto International Film Festival
What: The 43rd-annual Toronto International Film Festival descends on Toronto this month! The 10-day festival, which kicks off on September 6, will feature moving, influential and star power-packed films from both home and abroad.
When: September 6 to 10
Time: Screenings and event times vary by day
Where: Venues throughout the city
Price: Varies by screening
Magical Wizards Festival
Shutterstock
What: The Waterloo Central Railway in St. Jacobs is hosting the Magical Wizards Festival this month with a Harry Potter inspired train ride, and it’s only a quick 1.5-hour drive from Toronto. Harry Potter fans will get the chance to ride on a 94-year-old steam engine for a 2-hour interactive experience where you will become a part of the story.
When: September 8 and 9
Time: Various times throughout the day
Where: St. Jacobs Museum Station, 50 Isabella St. St. Jacobs Ont.
Tickets: Available online starting at $14.99
Childish Gambino
What: The This is America singer and actor Childish Gambino, aka Donald Glover, is heading back on the road, bringing his North American tour to Toronto this month.
When: September 10
Time: 7:30 pm
Where: Scotiabank Arena, 40 Bay Street
Price: From $109
Toronto Beer Week
What: Just because the warm days of summer are behind us doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy one last beer festival before fall officially kicks off. Celebrating local craft brew, this week-long festival of beer features dozens of different breweries, bars and restaurants around the city.
When: Sept 14 to 22
Time: Varies by location
Where: Participating breweries, bars, and restaurants in Toronto
Price: Pay for what you order
Fairland Funhouse
What: A magical world of art, music, and discovery is about to debut in Toronto’s Kensington Market! Fairland Funhouse is taking over the namesake 1950s grocery store and letting local artists loose to transform it into an experiential art maze.
When: September 14 to October 31
Time: Varies by day
Where: 241 Augusta Avenue, Toronto
Price: From $20
Toronto HempFest
What: There’s a massive cannabis expo coming to Toronto this September with exhibitors, engaging demonstrations, and something for every kind of cannabis enthusiast. HempFest is honoured to bring David Bienenstock as its headlining speaker.
When: September 15 and 16
Time: Saturday, 12 pm to 6 pm; Sunday, 12 pm to 5 pm
Where: Exhibition Place, Queen Elizabeth Building -100 Princes’ Boulevard
Price: $15 to $35
JFL42 Toronto
Late Night With Seth Meyers/Facebook
What: Get ready to get your laugh on, JFL42 is coming to Toronto this month. Torontonians can look forward to an impressive lineup that includes late-night funnyman Seth Meyers, alongside hilarious stand-up king Hannibal Buress, and the ever-so-talented Wanda Sykes.
When: September 20 to 29
Time: Varies by day
Where: Various locations throughout the city
Price: Individual headliner tickets start at $32.50
Beau’s Oktoberfest 10th Edition
What: While this one is a day-trip from Toronto, it’s well worth the drive. East Coast rocker Joel Plaskett and The Emergency headline the main stage on Friday followed by Canadian power-pop legends Sloan headlining Saturday, plus loads of supporting acts, beer (of course), food, and more
When: September 21 and 22
Time: 4 pm
Where: 10 Terry Fox Drive, Vankleek Hill
Price: From $32
Elevate Toronto Festival
What: Elevate Toronto is a three-day tech festival that will showcase the best of the Canadian innovation ecosystem and welcome the world to our city. The event features inspiring keynotes, topical content streams, experiential programming, and epic socials. Speakers include Al Gore, Whitney Wolfe Herd (Founder & CEO, Bumble), Sarah Friar (CFO, Square), Julie Rice, (Chief Brand Officer, WeWork), and many more.
When: September 21 to 27
Time: 6 pm to 11 pm
Where: Various venues throughout the city
Price: $550 for full festival pass
Octo-berfest at the Aquarium
What: Raise your stein for an evening of live music and entertainment by Matt Lebar Ensemble and craft beer from ten local breweries. Prost! Plus find food and drink for sale.
When: September 27
Time: 8 pm to midnight
Where: Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada
Price: Tickets are $30
Toronto Oktoberfest 2018
Don your finest lederhosen and dirndls under a massive Bavarian-style Festhalle tent in the Ontario Place parking lot. Modelled after the original Munich event, this volks fest, presented by ERDINGER, promises food, beer, a 20-piece brass band, and a fun fair!
When: September 27 to 29
Time: Thursday and Friday, 6 pm to 11:30 pm; Saturday, 12 pm to 4:30 pm; Sunday, 6 pm to 11:30 pm
Where: Ontario Place East Parking Lot
Price: Online from $20.
See also
Follow Channels and Categories