Weekend need-to-know: Taste of Little Italy, Toronto Beaches Ribfest begin

You know it’s officially summer when ribfests start coming to town. The Beaches Ribfest will kick things off this weekend. But if ribs aren’t your cup of tea, there will be lots of food to try at Taste of Little Italy at the other end of the city.

Keep in mind that there is a subway closure this weekend and some temporary road closures to accommodate the festivals.

Here’s what’s happening this weekend:

Taste of Little Italy

Taste of Little Italy takes over College Street to celebrate all things Italian this weekend once again. College will be shut down between Bathurst and Shaw streets from Friday to Monday morning.

The annual festival features live music on multiple street corners and the main stage, delicious food, enjoyable entertainment, shopping, extended patios, and free tastings.

The celebration kicks off on Friday at 7 p.m. and a full lineup of performances can be found here.

Toronto Beaches Ribfest

Get your bibs ready! The Toronto Beaches Ribfest is back this weekend. It’s happening at Woodbine Park, starting Friday at 4 p.m. and running until 7 p.m. on Sunday.

It’s free entry for all those attending to get a taste of some award-winning barbeque along with live music throughout the weekend and a beer festival.

Toronto International Dragon Boat Race Festival

More than 5,000 athletes will be taking to Toronto waters this weekend for the annual Toronto International Dragon Boat Race Festival.

The two-day festival is happening on Centre Island with over 80 local artists, artisans and heritage performers featured in its 33rd year.

And of course, spectators will be able to catch competitive dragon boat races for all ages and physical abilities.

The event is free to attend with more details are available on its website.

NXNE (North by Northeast Festival)

Emerging artists will have the chance to showcase their talent this weekend at the annual North by Northeast festival. Over 300 of the world’s best new bands will be playing across Toronto at more than 20 different live-music venues.

For those who want to immerse themselves in the festival, a pass for the whole weekend is just $29 or you can catch an individual show for $20. A full list of venues and who is playing can be found on the festival’s website.

Na-Me-Res 2023 Traditional Pow Wow and Indigenous Arts Festival

A traditional pow-wow will be taking place at noon on Saturday at Fort York National Historic Site.

The event will feature drumming, dancing and also craft and food vendors. After the pow-wow, enjoy the Mississaugas of the Credit’s Indigenous Arts Festival. It will have a live concert featuring contemporary and traditional Indigenous musical performers.

On Sunday, a full-day live concert featuring contemporary and traditional Indigenous musical performers.

Click here for more information.

TTC/GO closures

Line 2 weekend closure

On Saturday and Sunday, there will be no subway service on Line 2 Bloor-Danforth between Kipling and Islington stations due to planned station improvements and track work. Subway service will resume on Monday by 6 a.m.

Lakeshore West service adjustment

Lakeshore West trains run hourly between Union Station and Oakville GO station, and trains between Oakville and West Harbour GO stations are replaced by bus. There will be no GO Transit service at Appleby and Bronte GO.

Road closures

Ongoing Gardiner closures

As part of the long-term construction plan on the Gardiner Expressway, one westbound lane and one eastbound lane are closed between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue. The eastbound on-ramp from Lake Shore Boulevard at Jameson Avenue is also closed. 

Temporary road closures

Taste of Little Italy

College Street will be closed from Shaw Street to for Taste of Little Italy from Friday at 3 p.m. to Monday at 3 a.m.

Under Armour Toronto 10K

The Under Armour Toronto 10k run will close Lake Shore Boulevard West between Bathurst Street and Windermere Avenue on Saturday, June 15 from 4 to 11:30 a.m. 

Yorkville Exotic Car Show

The Yorkville Exotic Car Show will close Bloor Street West between Avenue Road and Yonge Street on Sunday, June 16 between 4:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. 

Journey to Conquer Cancer

Various streets will be closed around Queen’s Park and the University of Toronto for the Journey to Conquer Cancer cycling fundraiser for The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Sunday, June 16. Road closures include: 

• Queen’s Park Crescent West between Bloor and Dundas Streets. 
• College Street between University and Spadina Avenues. 
• Harbord Street and Hoskin Avenue between Huron Street and Queen’s Park Crescent West.
•  Huron and St George Streets between College and Harbord Streets. 
• Parts of Devonshire Place and Orde, Murray and McCaul Streets.

Other ongoing city closures

• O’Connor Drive is down to a single lane each way between Bermondsey and Sandra for road reconstruction and sewer and watermain installation until the summer of 2024.
• Until mid-June, between 6:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on weekdays, Lake Shore Boulevard will be reduced to two westbound lanes between New Brunswick Way and British Columbia Road for the replacement of a fence. 
• The Yonge and Bloor intersection will be reduced to a single lane all ways for condo construction and sewer installation until 2025.
• University Avenue will be reduced to a single lane in both directions between College Street and Queen Street West to complete several infrastructure projects for the next several months.
• 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.
• Northbound Yonge Street is reduced to one lane between Wellington and King Streets for TTC construction. The project is scheduled to continue into 2024.
• Two northbound lanes of Yonge Street from King Street to Wellington Street are closed for TTC construction until Sept. 30, 2024.
• Finch Avenue West is reduced to a single lane in both directions from Dufferin to Wilmington for sewer installation until October 2024.
• Eglinton Avenue West is down to a single lane east of Islington and west of Scarlett Road for tunneling work related to the multi-year Eglinton Crosstown West Extension project.
• Lane restrictions on Bayview Avenue between Roehampton Avenue and Armistice Drive while the city completes road resurfacing, curb and sidewalk replacement, and traffic signal and pedestrian upgrades. One northbound lane is currently closed on Bayview Avenue between Kilgour Road and Roehampton Avenue.
• Cherry Street remains closed south of Polson Pier due to maintenance on the Ship Channel Lift Bridge (Strauss Trunnion Bascule Bridge). Road users are able to access the Port of Toronto and Cherry Beach via Unwin Avenue.