Weekend need-to-know: Do West Fest, Ride to Conquer Cancer and the 2nd weekend of Pride

With the air quality expected to start improving by the weekend, there are lots of events still on the schedule over the next three days. The annual Do West Fest will be on all weekend and it’s the second weekend of Pride Month with lots of events to celebrate.

Here’s what’s going on across Toronto on June 10 to 11:

Do West Fest

The annual Do West Fest will shut down Dundas West from Shaw Street to Lansdowne Avenue for the annual celebration of music, arts, food, and community in Little Portugal. There will be live music, extended patios, local food trucks and vendors and artisan and craft vendors spread across 16 blocks.

It kicks off at 6 p.m. on Friday night and runs from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

The annual festival used to be called Dundas West Fest but was recently changed in light of city council’s decision to rename Dundas Street which is named for Henry Dundas who is infamous for playing a pivotal role in delaying the abolition of the British Empire’s transatlantic slave trade.

Liberty Village Art Crawl

There will be lots of opportunities to pick up some new art across the city this weekend.

It’s the 10-year anniversary of the Liberty Village Art Crawl this weekend in which over 120 artists will take over the Bentway for a day art and design. There will also be live music, interactive demos and delicious food.

The event is on from 11 p.m. to 6 p.m. on June 10 to shop unique, one-of-a-kind products directly from the hands of artists.

If you couldn’t get enough art on Saturday, there will also be the annual Toronto Artisan Market in Trinity Bellwoods Park on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Ride to Conquer Cancer

The annual Ride to Conquer Cancer will be taking place this weekend to raise money for the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Riders will take part in a two-day over 200-km bike ride from Toronto to Niagara Falls.

Thousands of cyclists are expected to participate in the ride.

Pride Events

Here are just some of the events happening during the second weekend of Pride Month.

Til’ Sunset Beach Party: Pride Toronto will be hosting a Beach Party on Saturday, June 10 for the first time at Cherry Beach. It will feature a lineup of artists from the Black 2SlGBTQI+ artists.

Body Pride: A clothing-option bike ride will be taking place at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 10 that is part celebration, part political demo. Organizers say the event will be a mashup of creative expression and body-centric politics challenging body phobia, fatphobia, racism, queer/transphobia. It’ll start at Church and Wellesley Streets, beside the 519.

Sunday Drag Brunch: “Canada’s longest running drag brunch” is happening every Sunday through July at Glad Day Bookshop. The brunch, which features a different performer each week, has spots at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., with the shows starting at 11:30 a.m. and 2:20 p.m., respectively.

TTC closures

Line 2 Broadview and Woodbine full weekend closure

On Saturday and Sunday, there will be no subway service on Line 2 Bloor-Danforth between Broadview and Woodbine stations due to track work.

Line 2 shuttle buses will operate, stopping at all subway stations. Regular subway service will resume at approximately 6 a.m. on Monday.

Line 2 St. George and Broadview late start

On Sunday, subway service on Line 2 between St. George and Broadview stations will not begin until 11 a.m. due to beam replacement on the Prince Edward Viaduct.

Line 2 shuttle buses will operate, stopping at all subway stations along Danforth Avenue.

Road Closures

Event closures

• Dundas Street West will be closed between Shaw Street and Lansdowne Avenues on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for Do West Fest
• The following closures will be in effect in Toronto for the Ride to Conquer Cancer
  • Exhibition Place – 5:00am – 10:00am
    • Ontario Dr closed to all traffic between Princes’ Blvd & Lake Shore Blvd W
    • Prince Edward Island Cres closed to all traffic between Ontario Dr & Princes’ Blvd
  • Lake Shore Blvd W – 8:00am – 10:30am
  • • Westbound lanes closed to all traffic from Strachan Ave to Windermere Ave
  • Windermere Ave – 8:00am – 10:30am
  • • Northbound lanes closed to all traffic from Lake Shore Blvd W to The Queensway

Ongoing closures

• Queen Street is fully closed to traffic between Bay and Victoria streets to accommodate work on a new station for the Ontario Line subway. The closure is scheduled to last for at least four and-a-half years, until 2027.
• Lake Shore Boulevard West, from Rees Street to Spadina Avenue, is reduced to two lanes until May 31, 2024, for Enwave construction.
• Bathurst Street is down to a single lane each way at Laurelcrest Avenue for construction until the middle of August.
• Military Trail is closed from Ellesmere Road to Highcastle Road for road rehabilitation and slope stabilization. The project completion date has been delayed to the summer.
• Keele Street is reduced to a single lane about 100 metres north of Langstaff in Vaughan. Construction work is scheduled to finish this spring.
• Eastbound Queen Street, east of Bay street, has the right lane blocked for construction until September.
• Northbound Yonge Street is reduced to one lane between Wellington and King Streets for TTC construction. The project is scheduled to continue into 2024.