Let’s dance, jazz it up, and celebrate the weekend in Toronto

By Patricia D'Cunha and Samantha Knight

“You should be dancing, yeah.” Dance in the streets and at a public square this weekend – some of the many enjoyable things to do in the city during the summer. You can move to the beat as you watch other dancers in action on stage, or as you listen to live music under the summer sun.

If you are not into dancing, there are other events taking place to keep you amused.

Subway work continues this weekend, this time on Line 1 (Yonge-University-Spadina), so keep that in mind as you make your plans.


Events

Toronto International Youth Dance Festival
Dances of all ages will take over Nathan Phillips Square for three days, showing off their moves and thrilling the crowd with energetic performances. The event, which started in 2014, celebrates multiculturalism and diversity through dance. Last summer, more than 600 local and international dancers performed at the festival. A portion of the revenue from this year’s event will be donated to the Hospital for Sick Children.

MexFest
Celebrate and experience the richness of Mexico at this year’s MexFest at Yonge-Dundas Square. The cultural event takes over the square from noon to 10 p.m. on Sunday. It showcases Mexican art, music and of course, cuisine.

Last weekend of jazz in the Beach
The Beaches International Jazz Festival takes to the streets starting Thursday and until Saturday. A portion of Queen Street East will be closed for the three-day StreetFest. Jazz musicians will also perform at Woodbine Park stage from Friday to Sunday, the last day of the festival. There is a also a fun run taking place on the boardwalk from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

HorseCapades
With the CNE right around the corner, HorseCapades is back, offering programming for the next two weeks leading up to The Ex. The interactive event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. from Thursday until Aug. 17 in the Horse Palace. It features horse education, free pony rides for kids, guessing a horse’s weight, petting horses, and learning about grooming and shoeing. During the CNE, elements of HorseCapades will move to the farm in the Better Living Centre’s west side.

Canadian Open
Pro-golfers from the around the world – including Canadians Mike Weir, Jared du Toit, Nick Taylor and David Hearn – are teeing off at the Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville. The tournament started Thursday with the final round on Sunday, featuring hockey boards on the first hole and volunteers wearing referee shirts. A Canadian hasn’t won the Open since Pat Fletcher in 1954. Jack Nicklaus opened the Canadian Open during an outdoor ceremony at Glen Abbey on Tuesday.

 

Toronto’s Festival of Beer
There will be no shortage of beer this weekend at Blandshell Park, Exhibition Place. It’s all for Toronto’s Festival of Beer, which runs Friday through Sunday. The massive pavilion showcases 416 brews and culinary delights from regions across Canada. The festival also includes musical entertainment, with Juno award-winning band Sloan headlining on Saturday night. Guests can also celebrate all things Canadian at the #Canada150 Pavilion.

Pedestrian Sundays
Another edition of the pedestrian-friendly festival takes place this Sunday, from noon to 7 p.m. The event, which is in its 14th year, features live music and dancing, street vendors and an outdoor art fair. The next one is on Aug. 27.

TTC and road closures

Partial Line 1 shutdown
A heads up if you’ll be navigating the city this weekend: there will be no subway service on the TTC’s Line 1 from Sheppard West to St. George stations. The closure is because of signal upgrades. Shuttle buses will run between Sheppard West and Lawrence West stations, but anyone wishing to travel beyond that is encouraged to use existing bus and streetcar routes. Additional service is being added during the shutdown and parking will also be restricted on Bathurst between Bloor and Barton for better bus service. Regular service is set to resume Monday at 6 a.m.

Road closures
Beaches International Jazz Festival StreetFest: Queen Street East from Woodbine to Beech avenues will be closed nightly from 6 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on July 27-29. The 501 Queen replacement bus will turn back at Queen Street East and Kingston Road, and the 64 Main buses will be on diversion.

With files from Sportsnet (regarding the Canadian Open)

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