‘It’s an expensive event’: GreekTown BIA pursuing other options to save Taste of the Danforth

The head of the GreekTown on the Danforth BIA is hopeful there will be a 2024 edition of Taste of the Danforth but cautions it will not take place with local businesses footing the entire bill.

Mary Fragedakis says at the annual general meeting of the BIA on Tuesday business owners were presented with two options in their annual budget, a 2 per cent levy increase which did not include a program for Taste of the Danforth or a much larger increase of 19 per cent which did include Taste.

She says small businesses in this section of the Danforth can’t afford a substantial increase to their property tax levy in order to fund a party for the City of Toronto.

“In light of all of the difficulties that many small businesses are facing, like the repayment of CEBA loans by the third week of January, and the rising cost of labour and the rising cost of just doing business in this city, our members told us that they did not support significant increases to the levy,” Fragedakis tells CityNews.

After being cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID restrictions, the decision was made to skip the 2022 edition of the event due to “logistical issues.”

Despite increased attendance and more than 100 businesses participating, the BIA says the 2023 edition of the popular Toronto street festival resulted in a loss of $257,000.

Street festivals are the responsibility of the local BIAs and this could signify the danger others around the city may soon face as well.

“Costs are going up, not to pick on any sector, but whether it’s permits, whether it’s policing, and all the ancillary costs that are associated with events of this magnitude have certainly gone up,” said John Kiru, the Executive Director of the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas.

Fragedakis knows the nostalgia and childhood memories created over the last three decades of the event but says significant sponsorship and financial assistance from the government are greatly needed if it is to return in 2024.

“It’s an expensive event,” she says. “We’re continuing to pursue other options and see if there’s an appetite out there for someone to come in as a title sponsor, to be an angel and save the event.”

Toronto Danforth councillor Paula Fletcher tells CityNews it’s up to those organizing to come up with the money for an event of this scale.

“The BIA actually lost money and they’re a bit shy to step in the arena again, understandably,” said Fletcher. “But I’m hoping they’ll reconsider and look, is there some way that we can get sponsors in order to run this. But it will be a decision by the GreekTown BIA board, not of the city.”

The City said in a statement it was aware of the BIA’s adopted budget for 2024 and that it would be supportive of the event continuing should it secure outside fundraising and choose to move forward.