Weekend need-to-know: Take a dip into the New Year

While most people will be preparing to celebrate New Year’s Eve this Sunday, there are still lots of events to attend in the GTA over the weekend.

More information on how to celebrate New Year’s can be found here and make sure to take advantage of the free TTC service on Sunday evening to get you to your celebrations safely.

There are no TTC or GO Train closures over the weekend, and if you want full details of what’s open and closed over the holidays, click here.

Here are some of the events you can enjoy.

Polar Bear Dips across the GTA

Why not start off 2024 with a dip in the freezing cold Lake Ontario? There are lots of opportunities to take part.

The Toronto Polar Bear Club will be doing their Annual New Years Day dip in support of Boost CYAC which provides support for child abuse victims all under one roof. Each ticket costs $30 with all the proceeds going to Boost CYAC

In Oakville, the 39th annual Courage Polar Bear Dip will be happening at Coronation Park on Jan. 1. All the funds raised for this dip will go towards providing a dependable source of clean water for World Vision’s WASH water projects in Ethiopia and Zambia.

A whole day of activities is planned for those taking part and dippers are encouraged to dress up for the main event. Tickets are also $30 and you can find all the details here.

Last Saturdays in Little Portugal

This weekend will be the last free Gallery and Vintage Crawl happening in Little Portugal, Toronto. Put on by the Little Portugal Business Improvement Area, it takes place from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The Vintage Crawl will allow participants to explore 10 unique boutiques and while the Gallery Crawl will simultaneously showcase 10 galleries with exhibits from local and international artists. Both crawls will happen along Dundas Street West from Shaw St. to Lansdowne Ave.

You can find all the details here.

Light Up the Dark

From Wednesday to Friday this week, the Aga Khan Museum will come to life with mesmerizing light projections that are created by a group of OCAD University through the Light Up the Dark.

Ten students were involved in the creation of the animations. There will also be pop-up performances around the museum and food and drink for all those involved to enjoy.

The outdoor projections are free while entrance to the Collections Gallery is free, and admission to the temporary gallery is $10. Full details can be found here.

Cavalcade of Lights

This free event at Nathan Phillips Square transforms City Hall and its surroundings into a dazzling wonderland, inspired by international lantern, fire and light festivals and winter solstice celebrations.

High Park Animal Display

Toronto’s oldest animal display is open daily over the long weekend between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Visitors heading to High Park are reminded that roads in the park will be closed to vehicular traffic for all three days of the long weekend.

Riverdale Farm

Riverdale Farm – a working farm in the city’s centre – is open daily all weekend from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is free.

Roller Express Rink
The Union Station indoor Roller Express Rink will be open to the public throughout the holidays.

Centennial Park Conservatory

Explore the Winter Flower Show at the City’s Centennial Park Conservatory which is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the holiday season.

TTC/GO closures

No TTC or GO closures.

Road closures

Ongoing city closures

• University Avenue will be reduced to a single lane between College Street and Queen Street West to complete several infrastructure projects for the next seven months.
• Two northbound lanes on University Avenue between Queen Street West and Armoury Street are closed for Ontario Line construction until early December.
• 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.