TIFF to glitz up the weekend, but be ready for road and TTC closures

By Amber LeBlanc and Patricia D'Cunha

There is so much going in the city this weekend, from the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and several community events, to road closures, streetcar diversions and a partial subway shutdown on Line 1 (Yonge-University-Spadina).

With all this going on, we’ve put together a handy guide to help you plan your fantastic weekend.


Events

TIFF
The glitz and glamour returns to the city for the Toronto International Film Festival, which started Thursday and runs until Sept. 17. About 340 films will be screened at this year’s fest. Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, Drake, Emma Stone, Jennifer Lawrence and Idris Elba are among the celebrities expected to hit the red carpet. A portion of King Street has been turned into a pedestrian promenade until early Monday morning.

 

Festival of Praise
The annual Jesus in the City parade takes over Toronto streets on Saturday. The parade starts at noon at Queen’s Park Crescent, heads to Bloor, Yonge and College streets, and then back to Queen’s Park. From 6 a.m. until 6 p.m., the northbound lanes of Queen’s Park Crescent will be closed between College to Bloor streets. The northbound lanes from Wellesley to College streets will be closed from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Taste of the Kingsway
The annual late summer event features amazing food, live music, vendors, a dog show and an ice cream eating contest. Taste of the Kingsway starts Friday and runs until Sunday. Admission is free. Bloor Street West will be closed between Prince Edward Drive and Montgomery Road, and there will also be closures in the surrounding areas.

 

Cabbagetown Festival
Cabbagetown is in the spotlight this weekend for the annual Cabbagetown Festival. There will be music, entertainment, food, a children’s fun zone, and even a three-kilometre run on Sunday morning. Parliament Street will be shut down between Gerrard and Wellesley streets, and Carlton Street will be closed between Parliament and Berkeley streets from 6 a.m. Saturday until 9 p.m. Sunday.

Kerrfest
This free outdoor street festival in Oakville keeps growing with live music at Westwood Park (featuring Loverboy and Jully Black), a car show and local merchants in Kerr Village offering all kinds of food, drink and merchandise.

Veg Food Fest
Take Meatless Mondays and add a couple of days. You can sample the best vegetarian and vegan fare at the Harbourfront Centre Friday through Sunday.

Yorkville 5K Charity Fun Run/Walk
One of the last runs of the summer, which organizers dub Canada’s premier 5K road race, takes over Yorkville on Sunday. The run will see closures in the area of Davenport Road, University Avenue, Queens Park, Avenue Road, Dundas Street West and Bay Street between 8 a.m. and noon.

The Toronto 5K
A fun run for a great cause. Organizers say running this 5K run on Saturday gives you “bragging rights” for supporting “Canada’s world-class children’s hospital.” Roads bordered by St. Clair Avenue West, Christie Street, Davenport Road and Russell Hill Road will be closed from 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Click here for the run route.

 

AIDS Walk Toronto
Join thousands of people in this year’s event taking place at Barbara Hall Park on Sunday. This year’s theme is “Together Towards Zero,” as organizers say the 2017 event marks the 29th year walking towards a Toronto with zero new HIV infections, zero AIDS-related deaths, and zero HIV-related stigma. Click here to register.

Traffic and TTC info

Partial Line 1 closure
Getting around the city by TTC will be a bit tricky this weekend. On top of a partial subway closure, streetcar service will also be affected on King Street West for TIFF.

Subways won’t be running on Line 1 between Sheppard West and Lawrence West stations due to track work. Shuttle buses will be running, and Wheel-Trans service is available upon request. Regular subway service resumes at 6 a.m. on Monday.

Road closures
TIFF: King Street West, from University Avenue to Peter Street, is closed until 5 a.m. on Monday for Festival Street programming. John Street between King and Wellington streets will also be closed during that time. The King and Cherry streetcar routes will be affected. Click here for route details.

Other events: Road closures will also be in effect for several other events. Click here for a full list.

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