Honda Indy one of several weekend events in Toronto

Do you have a need for speed? If so, the Honda Indy is the place to be this weekend as high-speed machines zoom across Lake Shore Boulevard.

If the Indy is not your thing, there are several other events taking place across the city, including the Junior Carnival and two South East Asian festivals.

And the TTC subway closures return this weekend after a break over the Canada Day long weekend. This weekend, TTC riders will face a partial subway shutdown on Line 4 (Sheppard-Yonge).

Also, a reminder that road closures are in effect on a portion of Lake Shore Boulevard and Strachan Avenue for the Indy, and for other road and TTC work.

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Honda Indy
Toronto has embraced the Honda Indy for the past 30 years, and once again this weekend, the city will be revved up for the annual event.

The race takes over the streets surrounding Exhibition Place from Friday until Sunday. Aside from watching world-class racing, attendees can also hang out at the beer gardens, take part in interactive games, check out some live entertainment, and be on the lookout for celebrities. Click here for the festival checklist.

 

Ahead of the big race on Sunday, there are practice and qualifying sessions taking place earlier in the weekend. Click here for the schedule.

The price of general admission tickets starts at $40. Children under 12 can attend for free when accompanied by an adult with a ticket. Admission is free on Fan Friday with a suggested donation to Make-A-Wish Canada.

Junior Carnival
Children will be in colourful and festive costumes Saturday for the annual Junior Carnival, part of the annual Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Festival.

It’s a chance to see the “pint-sized” version of one of the city’s most popular events, with the Grand Parade set for July 30.

 

The parade will gather at the Malvern Community Centre at 10 a.m. and will move west along McLevin Avenue to Neilson Road. It goes north on Neilson and the parade disperses at Neilson Park. Click here for the parade route.

Festival of India
The sights and sounds of India will colour the city this weekend during the Festival of India, which is now in its 44th year.

The two-day party starts with a parade on Saturday, which begins at Yonge Street and Yorkville Avenue at 11 a.m., continues along on towards the lake and ends at Queens Quay and Freeland Street at 2 p.m. Three ornately decorated 40-foot tall floats will dazzle the parade, pulled manually by participants as they sing, drum and dance along the route.

 

The celebration then moves to Centre Island, where around 40,000 people are expected to gather for some more music and dance, a bazaar, outdoor yoga, cultural exhibits and a scrumptious (and free) vegetarian spread.

Admission to the event is also free. You just need to pay for the ferry ride to the island.

Barbecue at Honest Ed’s
The farewell to Honest Ed’s, which closes at the end of the year, continues. One of Canada’s best known DJs Skratch Bastid hosts his annual barbecue with headliner DJ Jazzy Jeff.

 

The party is taking place between 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Sunday in the parking lot of the iconic store at the corner of Bloor and Bathurst streets. Tickets are available here.

Festival of South Asia
Gerrard Street will be shut down this weekend between Glenside and Coxwell avenues for the TD Festival of South Asia.

Tasty food from the region will be available, with a South Asian Fashion Show and live music from Indian, Afghani, Pakistani, Bengali and Sri Lankan cultures.

Oyster fest
A festival in Toronto this Sunday honours one of the world’s most polarizing foods. But those who love oysters, love them a lot, and that will be on full display at the 29th annual Ontario Oyster Festival.

 

Along with a shucking competition, there will be live music and thousands of oysters. The event starts at 1 p.m. on Sunday in the laneway besides Rodney’s Oyster House on King Street West.

Road and TTC closures

Line 4 closure
On Saturday and Sunday, subways won’t be running on Line 4 between Sheppard-Yonge and Bayview stations on Saturday and Sunday due to track work. Shuttle buses will run between Sheppard-Yonge and Don Mills stations.

Next Sunday, track work will force a partial closure of Line 2 (Bloor-Danforth) from Broadview and Main Street stations. Subway service will also start at 10 a.m. on Line 2, George to Broadview stations, due to bridge work on the Prince Edward Viaduct. Shuttle buses will stop at all stations.

Road closures due to events

Honda Indy: Southbound Strachan Avenue from Fleet Street to Lake Shore Boulevard West, and Lake Shore Boulevard West from Strachan Avenue to British Columbia Drive, are closed until 11 p.m. on Sunday. Shuttle buses on the 511 Bathurst route, the 29 Dufferin bus, the 509 Harbourfront and 510 Spadina streetcars will be diverting in the area.

Junior Carnival: On Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., McLevin Avenue will be closed from Sewells to Neilson roads, and Neilson will be closed from McLevin to Finch Avenue.

Festival of South Asia: Gerrard Street between Glenside and Coxwell avenues will be closed from 10 a.m. on Saturday to 2 a.m. on Monday. The 506 Carlton shuttle buses will divert in the area.

Bloor West Village BIA Festival: Windermere Avenue will be closed from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday, while closures will be in effect on Beresford Avenue, Glendonwynne Road, Armadale Avenue, Durie Street and Kennedy Avenue from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Fusion of Taste: Islington Avenue between Albion Road and Wardlaw Crescent will be closed from 6 a.m. on Sunday to 1 a.m. on Monday. The 37 Islington bus will be on diversion.

Road work

New

Yonge Street, which has been reduced to one lane in either direction at the Richmond Street intersection, will reopen earlier than expected following watermain work at Richmond. The closure was expected to last until July 24, but is scheduled to reopen at 6 p.m. on Friday.

Then, starting at 7 a.m. on Monday, Bay Street will be reduced to one lane in both directions between Queen and Adelaide streets for similar work. The lanes on Bay are scheduled to reopen around 6 p.m. on July 23.

Ongoing work

Richmond Street West is reduced to one lane of traffic between Church and York streets until Nov. 30 for TTC track work, watermain replacement, and road and sidewalk repairs.

Queen Street West between Spadina Avenue and Bathurst Street is reduced to one lane in either direction for watermain replacement and and reconstruction work. The construction is expected to last until Oct. 8.

Gerrard Street, from Yonge to Church streets, is closed until the end of July for watermain replacement, road resurfacing and bike lane and sidewalk upgrades.

Westbound Lake Shore Boulevard, from York Street to Rees Street, will be reduced to one lane except from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays when two lanes will be open. The closure, which is for Toronto Hydro work, is expected to be completed on July 27.

Below is a map of the ongoing road closures in Toronto due to construction. Click here for a mobile-friendly link.