Easter weekend: what’s open/closed, road closures, events

The last long weekend was in February, so everyone has been looking forward to this three-day stretch.

Although it will be a weekend of relaxation, many will also be marking a holy time. For those of the Jewish faith, Passover starts on Friday evening and ends the following week, on the evening of April 27. This is a Holy Week for Christians, with culminates with Good Friday and Holy Saturday — the day before Easter Sunday.

As you plan your Easter gatherings or head around town, scroll below for a list of what’s open and closed on Friday and Sunday. There are also road closures to keep in mind.

And if you are looking for something to do this weekend, below are some event suggestions — some of which include Easter-egg-bunny fun.

What’s open and closed

Transit
The TTC is running on holiday service on Good Friday and Sunday service on Easter Sunday.

GO Transit is on a Sunday schedule on Good Friday and a weekend schedule on Easter Sunday.

Government offices and other services
Government offices, including municipal buildings like Toronto City Hall, are closed from Friday to Easter Monday. Also, mail won’t be delivered on Good Friday and Monday.

Banks will be closed on Good Friday and for the branches that are open on Sunday, they will be closed on Easter Sunday.

All Toronto Public Library branches will be closed Friday, Sunday and Monday, but are open on Saturday.

In Toronto, daytime curbside residential collection will take place on Good Friday and Easter Monday. Click here for more details.

Food and drink
All LCBO and Beer Store locations will be closed on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

Most grocery stores will be closed on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, but some are open. Call ahead for hours.

Shopping centres
Most malls will be closed on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Below is a list of the open ones:

• Eaton Centre: Open on Good Friday (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.) and Easter Sunday (noon to 5 p.m.)
• Promenade: Open on Good Friday (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and closed Easter Sunday
• Toronto Premium Outlets: Open on Good Friday (9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.) and Easter Sunday (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
• Upper Canada Mall: Open on Good Friday (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and closed Easter Sunday

Tourist attractions
Several tourist attractions will be open over the Easter weekend, including the Art Gallery of Ontario, Casa Loma, CN Tower, Hockey Hall of Fame, Ontario Science Centre, Ripley’s Aquarium, Royal Ontario Museum, and the Toronto Zoo.

Events

Easter EGGstravaganza
Hop on over to Centreville Amusement Park this long weekend for the annual Easter EGGstravaganza. The egg-citing pre-season event includes Beasley Bear and his special guest the Easter Bunny, face painting, farm animals, and of course an Easter egg hunt! The brightly coloured eggs can be redeemed for prizes, and if you find an exclusive Pokémon Detective Pikachu egg, you will win passes to see the movie, or a movie prize pack. Several of the amusement park’s rides will be open during the event, including Rockin Ferry, Mine Coaster, Antique Carousel and Kermitt’s Bouncing Bog. The EGGstravaganza runs Friday through Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Toronto Beaches Easter Events
The Beaches neighbourhood will be the place to be this weekend, with a Good Friday Easter Egg Hunt and the Toronto Beaches Lions Easter Parade, on Easter Sunday. The second annual Easter egg hunt will be held in Kew Gardens, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., offering three dedicated hunt zones, organized by age group. Each child is asked to bring their own basket, find three eggs and bring them to the redemption tent to receive a special Easter treat. The parade will hit the streets Sunday afternoon, beginning at 2 p.m. on Queen Street at Munro Park. It runs about two hours and will end at Woodbine Avenue.

Easter at the Toronto Zoo
The Toronto Zoo is getting into the Easter spirit, with special programming running throughout the long weekend. The Easter Bunny will be making appearances on Friday and Saturday at the zoo’s Special Events Centre, where families can plant a spring flower and decorate cookies. There will be special African Penguin Chick viewings, and Easter-themed enrichment treats for the animals. In addition to the Easter events, the zoo will also be celebrating Earth Day all weekend, with fun earth facts at its Meet the Keeper Talks.

International Fan Festival
The International Fan Festival is coming to the city this weekend. The show is being held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre — it kicks off on Friday and wraps up on Sunday. The Japanese focused event celebrates anime, music, comics, gaming and novels. There will be various special guests, including Canadian Sugar Lyn Beard, who has voiced several roles, like Mini Moon in the Cloverway adaptation of Sailor Moon, Wish Bear in the Care Bears movies and Ming Ming in Beyblade G-Revolution.

Canadian Pet Expo
Spend your Easter weekend with some bunnies and other furry friends at the Canadian Pet Expo. The event is taking over the International Centre from Friday to Sunday, with over 300 vendor booths that are all about pets. Guests are encouraged to bring their pets to join in on the fun, just make sure you bring your waiver. Some of the highlights of the weekend include the WoofJocks Xtreme show, AquaDogs dock diving competition, a bird zone and grooming demonstrations.

Road closures

Good Friday procession: A portion of College and Dundas streets, as well as other roads will be closed on Friday, from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday for the procession. Streetcars on College and buses on Dundas will be on diversion. Click here for full details on the closures and diversions.

Raptors and Leafs tailgates and viewing parties: Bremner Boulevard, from Lakeshore Boulevard West to the east side of 25 York St., will be closed from 7 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Sunday.

Environment Days: The south curb lane on Carlton Street from Jarvis to Sherbourne street will be closed from 6 p.m. Friday until 5 p.m. Saturday.

Toronto Beaches Lions Easter Parade: Queen Street East between Fallingbrook Road and Woodbine Avenue, and Nursewood Road between Queen Street East and 24 Nursewood Rd. will have full and rolling road closures from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. Woodbine Avenue/Lake Shore Boulevard East will be closed from Queen Street East to Coxwell Avenue from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.