Weekend need-to-know: Fan Expo returns, CNE continues

Look out for cosplay and costumes this weekend in downtown Toronto as the Fan Expo is back. Keep in mind there is a late opening on the TTC Line 2 this weekend.

Fan Expo Canada 2025

Fan Expo is back in Canada for 2025 with long-awaited reunions, brand-new product launches, limited edition merch and activations in the over 400,000-square-foot event space.

Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd will be reuniting for the 40th anniversary of Back to the Future on Friday night, one of the many special events planned for this weekend.

Celebrities like Ewan McGregor, Hailee Steinfeld, William Shatner, Mike Tyson, John Boyega and Mary Steenburgen will also be among those making appearances at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

If you are a fan of fantasy, sci-fi, comics horror, gaming, or anime, there is something for everyone and those attending are welcome to wear costumes or any cosplay they want.

Full details including schedules and how to get tickets can be found on the Fan Expo website.

CNE continues

The thrills of the CNE continue with more events and performances featuring Jully Black, 98 Degrees and The Commodores this weekend.

And of course, you can always check out the interesting food combinations vendors have come up with as well.

The event runs until September 1.

Toronto Folk Festival

Head out to Ward’s Island this weekend to check out the Toronto Folk Festival  

The grassroots, artist-led, not-for-profit festival kicks off on Saturday and runs through Sunday with a series of performers.

Tickets are still available and all ages are welcome.

Toronto Korean Festival

The Toronto Korean Festival returns in 2025 with an exciting lineup for Canada’s largest Korean cultural event.

The festival will honour the rise of Korean culture worldwide, fuelled by the global popularity of K-Dramas and K-Pop.

The Chimel Pavilion (featuring chicken and beer) and the Kimchi-Making experience are back along with new events including the Royal Hanbok Fashion Show and taekwondo demonstrations.

It’s happening at Mel Lastman Square from Friday to Sunday starting every day at 12 p.m. and running until 10 p.m.

Sankofa Day

The official historic opening of the newly named Sankofa Square is happening this Saturday. The free celebration will feature Indigenous and African ancestral ceremonies, a Black-led community run, performances art installations, and film showcases.

An artisan and food vendor market will also celebrate Toronto’s rich history and cultural diversity.

It kicks off at 10 a.m. and runs through to 11 p.m.

TTC/GO closures

Line 2 late opening

Subway service on Line 2 between St. George and Broadview stations will be replaced by shuttle buses on Sunday, Aug. 24, between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., for structural maintenance. Subway service will start by 10 a.m.

Road closures

Weekend road closures

Sherbourne Street 

From 11 p.m. on Friday, August 22 to 6 a.m. on Saturday, August 23, Sherbourne Street will be closed between Isabella and Linden Streets to hoist HVAC equipment. 

Sankofa Day at Sankofa Square 

From 5 a.m. on Saturday, August 23 to 2 a.m. on Sunday, August 24, Yonge Street will be closed between Dundas and Richmond Streets for the Sankofa Day event at Sankofa Square.   

Yorkville Murals Festival 

From 7 a.m. on Friday, August 22 to 9 a.m. on Sunday, August 24, Yorkville Avenue will be closed between Hazelton Avenue and Bellair Street for the Yorkville Murals Festival. 

Toronto Korean Festival  

From 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday, August 24, southbound Yonge Street will be reduced to two lanes at Mel Lastman Square for the Toronto Korean Festival. 

Oasis at Rogers Stadium 

On Sunday, August 24 and Monday, August 25, the following road restrictions will be in effect for Oasis’ concerts at Rogers Stadium: 

• From 4 to 10 p.m., the westbound curb lane on Wilson Avenue between Transit Road and Dufferin Street will be restricted to vehicles picking up or dropping off passengers or making northbound turns onto Dufferin Street.  
• From 10 p.m. until 1 a.m.: 
• Wilson Avenue will be closed between Transit Road and Dufferin Street. 
• Sheppard Avenue will be closed between Keele Street and William R. Allen Road 

Local access to Downsview Park will be maintained via John Drury Drive and Tuscan Gate.  

FAN EXPO Canada 

Until 11 p.m. on Sunday, August 24, the following road restrictions will be in place for the FAN EXPO Canada event at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre: 

• Front Street will be reduced to one eastbound lane between John and Lower Simcoe Streets.  
• Lower Simcoe Street will be reduced to one southbound lane between Front Street and Bremner Boulevard.  
• Bremner Boulevard will be reduced to one westbound lane between Lower Simcoe Street and Roundhouse Park. 

Front Street West   

From 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Tuesday, August 26, southbound lanes on Front Street West will be closed between Yonge and Bay Streets for filming. Both directions of traffic will use the northbound lanes. 

Gardiner Expressway closure

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.

A stretch of the westbound Gardiner will also be reduced from four lanes to three for approximately one year. The westbound lane closure will stretch from Park Lawn Road to Grand Avenue in southern Etobicoke. The eastbound lanes along the same stretch will be narrowed, but with no lane reductions, from April 2025 to December 2026.

Temporary 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 until 2027.
• Yonge is currently reduced to a single lane both ways between Wellington and King for underground work at the TTC’s King Station to add new elevators and make it an accessible station. Construction is expected to continue into 2026.
• There are intermittent lane restrictions on Eglinton from Renforth to Black Creek Drive for work related to the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension.
• Queens Park Crescent is reduced to a single lane south of Bloor as part of the TTC’s Easier Access Program at Museum Station. The project is expected to be complete by the end of 2025.
• Blue Jays Way is closed between Spadina Street and Navy Wharf Court until September 30. Local access is maintained.  
• Navy Wharf Court is closed between Bremner Boulevard and Blue Jays Way until September 30. Local access for residents of Navy Wharf Court is maintained. At a later stage of construction, the east sidewalk on Navy Wharf Court and Bremner Boulevard will be closed to pedestrians and a detour route will be in place. 
• Islington Avenue is reduced from three lanes in each direction to two lanes where they pass over the Gardiner Expressway for approximately eight months, from April 7, 2025, to November 2025.
• From Monday, June 2, the intersection of King Street East and Church Street will be fully closed for the next stage of a project to replace a 142-year-old watermain and renew aging TTC streetcar tracks.
• From Sunday, May 11 until Saturday, January 10, 2026, Market Street will be closed to vehicle traffic between Front Street West and The Esplanade. The street will be pedestrianized for live entertainment, pop-up market vendors and other events. 
• Allen Road has been reduced from 3 lanes to 2 in both directions just north of Hwy 401. The SB Allen ramps to EB and WB 401 are closed.
• A multi-stage construction project has Harbord Street down to a single lane east of Ossington to Spadina for watermain replacement. Work is expected to be complete in early October 2025.
• Ossington is reduced to a single lane between College and Bloor because of watermain installation. The project is expected to be finished in December 2025.
• Until late August, the intersection of Caledonia Road and Castlefield Avenue is closed to westbound and northbound traffic for sewer construction. Eastbound traffic is maintained east of Caledonia Road. From late August until late September, the intersection will be closed to eastbound and northbound traffic, and left turns will not be allowed through the intersection from all directions, to complete sewer construction. 
• Yonge is down to a single lane south of Eglinton for watermain replacement. Work is expected to be complete by September 2025.

For full traffic updates, click here for the latest information from 680 NewsRadio Toronto.