Weekend need-to-know: Grey Cup fever, film festivals, and the holiday season gets into full swing

Movie buffs will have their pick of the litter as several film festivals are happening this weekend across the city and pet owners will have a chance to get a photo with Santa at the Toronto Christmas Pet Show as the holiday season gets into full swing.

The jolly old elf will also arrive at the Eaton Centre in downtown Toronto on Friday afternoon. The Distillery District Winter Village kicked off on Thursday and runs until Jan. 7, and WinterFest begins at Canada’s Wonderland.

There is also a full weekend closure on the TTC to keep in mind as you travel through the city.

Here’s what’s going on this weekend.

Events

Grey Cup at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton

The Grey Cup happens this weekend at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, featuring an electrifying performance from Green Day. The match-up will see the Winnipeg Blue Bombers take on the Montreal Alouettes to find out who will hoist the Grey Cup.

Sadly, the Toronto Argonauts did not have a chance to defend their 2022 title after their semifinal loss to the Alouettes 38-17.

The game kicks off at 6 p.m. Sunday.

Film festivals across Toronto

If you are a film junkie, there are endless possibilities for you to check out some film festivals this weekend.

The Reel Asian Film Festival finishes their 10 day-run this weekend at various locations. The festival is unique showcase of contemporary Asian cinema and work from the Asian diaspora from Asian-identifying artists in Canada, the U.S., Asia and all over the world. A full list of films and the schedule can be found here.

The European Union Film Festival kicks off on Saturday featuring 27 unique films from 27 countries at the Spadina Theatre. General Admission tickets are free, first-come-first-serve or you can reserve online for $10. The full slate of films can be found here.

And finally, the annual Water Docs Film Festival, focused on feature and short water and climate-themed films happens this weekend only. Starting Friday and running until Sunday, films will be held at the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) auditorium along with filmmaker Q&A’s and panel discussions. It’s also free to attend.

Toronto Christmas Pet Show

Do you want your pet to have a photo with Santa this Christmas? Well then, look no further than the Toronto Christmas Pet Show. The weekend-long event will also feature a nine-ring dog show, visit with Santa, a TICA (The International Cat Association) Cat Show, creative grooming demos, celebrity pets and a pet-focused marketplace.

It’s being held at the International Centre in Mississauga from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.Tickets can be found here.

Santa Claus Parades

The Beaches Santa Claus Parade makes its return this weekend. The parade begins at 1 p.m. Sunday Nov. 19 at Kingston Road and Victoria Park Avenue.

A number of other parades are taking place in the GTA and surrounding area this weekend, including in Brampton, Georgetown, Orangeville, Oshawa, Uxbridge Barrie, Alliston and Collingwood.

The 119th annual Toronto Santa Claus Parade goes next Sunday (Nov. 26).

Niagara Falls Winter Festival of Lights

The annual Winter Festival of Lights is Canada’s largest free outdoor light festival with 51 nights of twinkling lights, 26 nights of fireworks and new interactive displays. The American and Canadian Horseshoe Falls come to life every evening with an illumination light show called “Sparkling Winter Lights” starting at 6:00 pm, 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm each evening between November 18, 2023 and January 7, 2024.

TTC/GO closures

Line 1 weekend closure

On Saturday and Sunday, there will be no subway service on Line 1 between St. Andrew and St. George stations due to track work. Shuttle buses will not be running because of ongoing construction.

The TTC recommends those travelling downtown to use the Yonge Side of Line 1 or take the 510 Spadina streetcar and transfer to a connecting eastbound streetcar route. Extra streetcars will be running in the downtown core.

Regular service will resume on Monday at 6 a.m.

Road Closures

Ongoing closures

• The intersection of Adelaide and York Streets will be fully closed to traffic for TTC construction until mid-December.
• Southbound Bayview Avenue is closed from Rosedale Valley Road to River Street from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly until early January.
• In Brampton, northbound Main Street is closed from Queen Street to Nelson Street until December for watermain replacement.
• Southbound on Broadview Avenue remains closed from south of Danforth Avenue to Gerrard Street until the end of November.
• Dufferin Street Bridge has a full emergency closure for repair work and it’s expected to last into the fall.
• Broadview Avenue, between Gerrard Street East and Danforth Avenue, will be closed to southbound traffic and reduced to one northbound lane until November to replace TTC streetcar tracks.
• Teston Road in Vaughan will be closed between Pine Valley Drive and Weston Road until the end of the year for road reconstruction and bridge work.
• 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.
• Military Trail is closed from Ellesmere Road to Highcastle Road for road rehabilitation and slope stabilization. The project completion date has been delayed until further notice.
• Keele Street is reduced to a single lane about 100 metres north of Langstaff in Vaughan. Construction work is scheduled to finish later this year.
• Northbound Yonge Street is reduced to one lane between Wellington and King Streets for TTC construction. The project is scheduled to continue into 2024.