Weekend need to know: Toronto summer festivals, TTC/road closures and more

There’s a lot to do this weekend in the GTA, from enjoying live music in the Beaches, participating in a Caribbean-inspired run, or trying new food outdoors.

CityNews is also updating you on what you need to know about gas prices in Ontario.

Road and public transit closures are also expected this weekend which could affect those travelling around the city. Scroll below for details.

Here’s what’s happening this weekend:

Gas prices

Roger McKnight, Chief Petroleum Analyst at En-Pro, tells CityNews the price at the pumps is expected to fall six cents to 168.9 cent(s)/litre at most GTA gas stations at midnight.

This is the cheapest price for gas in the province since April.

You can visit CityNews for updated daily gas prices across the GTA.

Top events

Beaches International Jazz Festival

The 34th annual Beaches International Jazz Festival will have more than 150 artists perform different genres of music on selected Queen Street East street corners, balconies and patios.

Performances will take place from Thursday to Saturday along Queen East from Woodbine to Beech avenues from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.

TTC
Streetcars will divert around Queen Street East during road closures. Modified bus service will be maintained on Woodbine Avenue and Main Street.

Transit riders can either take:

• 92 Woodbine South bus from Woodbine subway station
• 22 Coxwell bus from Coxwell subway station
• 501 Queen Street bus east from Queen or Osgoode subway stations

(Photo credit: beachesjazz.com)

Toronto Carnival Run

The Toronto Carnival Run is a Caribbean-inspired run to encourage health, wellness, and active living.

Participants can choose to race in either a 1K Kids run, 5K run/walk or 10K run/walk.

The event will take place at Sir Casimir Gzowski Park on Saturday, one week before the Toronto Caribbean Carnival.

TTC
Transit riders can take the 80 Queensway bus from Keele subway station.

The Toronto Carnival Run in 2019 (Photo credit: Facebook @TOcarnivalrun)

RibFest Richmond Hill

RibFest in Richmond Hill is a three-day outdoor festival at Richmond Green Park.

The event will have rib teams called “ribbers” who cook and compete for various best titles. The festival will also include live entertainment and local craft beers.

RibFest hours:

• Friday from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

(Photo credit: City of Richmond Hill Facebook)

Fun Philippines Toronto Street Festival

The Fun Philippines Toronto Street Festival will take place at various venues along Bathurst Street starting on Saturday.

The street festival is along a one-kilometre stretch of Bathurst Street between Laurelcrest and Wilson avenues. Road closures are in effect from Saturday at 12 a.m. to Sunday at 9 p.m.

The event will kick off on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m until Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

TTC
The closest subway stations are Wilson or York Mills, with bus routes available near each station.

(Photo credit: funphilippinestoronto.com)

Taste of the Middle East Festival

Toronto’s fifth annual Taste of the Middle East Festival is returning to Nathan Phillips Square this weekend.

The event will include celebrity headliners alongside dozens of local musicians and food vendors.

Event hours:

• Friday from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.
• Saturday from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m.
• Sunday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.

TTC
Transit riders can get off at Queen subway station.

(Photo credit: Facebook @tasteofthemiddleeasttoronto)

Road closures

Events

• To accommodate the Toronto Triathlon Festival, the Gardiner Expressway (eastbound lanes only), from the Humber River to the Don Valley Parkway, and the Don Valley Parkway (northbound lanes only), from the Gardiner Expressway to Eglinton Avenue East, will be closed to vehicle traffic from 2 a.m. until 12 p.m. on Sunday.
• To accommodate the Fun Philippines Toronto Street Festival, Bathurst Street will close fully from Laurelcrest Avenue to Wilson Avenue for two days, from Saturday at 12 a.m. to Sunday at 9 p.m.
• To accommodate the Beaches International Jazz Festival, Queen Street East will be fully closed in both directions from Woodbine Avenue to Beech Avenue from Thursday to Saturday from 6 p.m. and 12 a.m. Kenilworth Avenue, Kippendavie Avenue, Hambley Avenue, Hartford Avenue, and Herbert Avenue will be changed to two-way streets during the event road closure times.
• To accommodate OssFest, Ossington Avenue, from Dundas Street West to Queen Street West, will be closed to vehicle traffic from 6 a.m. on Saturday until 2 a.m. on Sunday for OssFest.
• To accommodate the Festival of South Asia, Gerrard Street East, between Coxwell and Glenside Avenues, will be closed to vehicle traffic from 6 a.m. on Saturday until 2 a.m. on Sunday.
• For Youth Day, Yonge Street, from Dundas Street to Queen Street, and Dundas Square, between Yonge Street and O’Keefe Lane, will be closed to vehicle traffic from 8 a.m. until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday.
• Market Street continues to be closed from Front Street East to The Esplanade, for I Heart Market Street activities.

ActiveTO

• Bayview Avenue, from Rosedale Valley Road to Lawren Harris Square, and River Street, between Bayview Avenue and Spruce Street, will be closed to vehicle traffic for ActiveTO from 7 a.m. on Saturday until 7 p.m. on Sunday.
• Roads within High Park will also be closed to vehicle traffic during the weekend. Limited street parking is available on Bloor Street.

Construction

• The Wellington Street East and Church Street intersection is closed until Monday, August 1, for streetcar track replacement.
• The Overlea Boulevard Bridge over the Don River is reduced to one lane in each direction for bridge rehabilitation.
• Travel lanes on The Queensway between Parkside Drive and Roncesvalles Avenue are reduced to a minimum of one shared travel lane in each direction for King-Queen-Queensway-Roncesvalles TTC track replacement and road reconstruction work. King Street West is also closed at this intersection, and eastbound left turns are not permitted from The Queensway to Glendale Avenue.
• The westbound Gardiner on-ramp at York Street will be closed overnight, from 12:01 a.m. until 5 a.m., on both Friday and Saturday to facilitate concrete chipping work underneath the Gardiner Expressway.
• Westbound Lake Shore Boulevard East, between Parliament and Lower Sherbourne Streets, will be reduced to a single lane from 7 a.m. on Friday until 9 p.m. on Saturday, August 13, to facilitate gas main installation work.
• Westbound Lake Shore Boulevard East, between Cherry and Parliament Streets, is currently reduced to one lane until Sunday, July 31.

TTC closures

Line 1 weekend closure
There will be no subway service on Line 1 between Sheppard-Yonge and St Clair stations on Saturday and Sunday to accommodate work on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT construction project. Shuttle buses will operate.

Line 2 late opening on Sunday
Subway service on Line 2 between St. George and Broadview stations will start by 12 p.m. on Sunday for Prince Edward Viaduct beam replacement. Shuttle buses will operate.

Metrolinx closures

Starting late on Friday until Sunday, there will be changes to the Lake Shore East train schedule, including some cancellations, in the late evenings and mornings.

Thirty-minute service will be in place for the remainder of the weekend on the line; however, schedules on both the Lake Shore East and West lines will be adjusted on Saturday afternoon and evening before the TFC game.