Things To Do At Toronto’s Waterfront This Summer 2023
The sun is shining, and summer is here! And there are endless things to do at Toronto’s waterfront this summer.
We have a great lineup of summer activities from festivals, patios, art and more.
Here is your bucket list of things to do this summer at the Waterfront.
Things To Do on The Waterfront This Summer
LIMITED EVENTS
Mark your calendars for these events that are here for a limited time only!
Love Park Opening: June 23
Love Park is officially opening! Come together with the Toronto community and enjoy Love Park, a new beautiful urban oasis in the heart of Toronto.
From 12 PM – 4 PM, enjoy live music, performances, activities and more!
- Location: 96 Queens Quay W
- Time: 12 PM – 4 PM
Toronto Symphony Orchestra: June 30 – July 3
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra is coming to The Harbourfront Centre!
Book tickets to see the iconic and award-winning rock band The Strumbellas, Crystal Shawanda, and more!
Toronto Waterfront Festival: September 16 – 17, 2023
The quack is back! The world’s largest duck is returning to Toronto’s waterfront. Enjoy interactive activities, great food, live entertainment, and more!
Harbourfront Centre
Harbourfront Centre is an arts and cultural organization that provides year-round programming at Toronto’s waterfront. And Summer 2023 has a great lineup of performances, festivals, workshops, and more.
Summer 2023 Festivals:
Tirgan
The world’s largest celebration of Iranian art and culture is back with over 250+ artists, 140+ performances, great food, art, and culture.
Island Soul Festival
Enjoy the many different flavours of the Island at Harbourfront Centre! On August 4 to the 7th, experience the unique blend of cultures through music, film, food, and comedy.
Habari Africa
Experience Africa’s rich and diverse culture through incredible dance, music, film, and art performances.
Hot + Spicy
Over the Labour Day long weekend, celebrate over 75 years of India’s independence through performances, arts, delicious foods and more!
TAIWANFest
Indulge in Indonesia and discover Malaysia in this two day event. This Canadian cultural festival explores connections between different cultures through arts.
SUMMER LONG EVENTS
Enjoy these summer long events and activities!
Dockside –
Experience free concerts on the water! Performances range from musicians, and dancers, to comedians! Dockside invites passersby to stumble upon their productions and stay for as long or as little as they like.
- Music Festival: 1 Queens Quay East. Saturdays & Sundays. 1-4 pm.
- Dance Festival: 585 Queens Quay West. Thursdays & Fridays. 6-9 pm.
- Empire Sandy: 145 Queens Quay West. Tuesdays & Wednesdays. 6-9 pm.
Summer Music In the Garden: Thursdays and Sundays
Experience a summer of free concerts, curated by Toronto’s award-winning music director Gregory Oh and featuring performances by JUNO award-winning Canadian musicians.
- Location: 479 Queens Quay W
- Time: Thursdays at 7 PM + Sundays at 4 PM
Smorgasburg: Saturdays (June 24 – September 9)
Enjoy one of the largest open-air food markets in North America! Starting on June 24, enjoy over 50+ weekly vendors!
- Location: 7 Queens Quay East
- Time: 11 AM – 6 PM
Bayside Summer Saturdays: August 12 and August 19
On August 12th and August 19th, First Capital invites Torontonians and visitors to enjoy the Perfect Summer Day in Bayside Village. Enjoy family fun games, live music, delicious food and more!
August 12 is the perfect cottage day with board games & summer essentials, arts & crafts, + cottage-inspired food.
August 19 is the perfect picnic & BBQ day with food trucks, vendors catering to outdoor eating, picnic tables & umbrellas, and fun lawn games
ACTIVITIES
Enjoy these summer long events and activities!
Boat Season
Take advantage of our gorgeous waterfront and get onto the lake this summer!
Get onto a paddleboard this summer at Toronto’s Islands!
From Toronto Island SUP, you have three different paddleboards to choose from, you can take lessons, join paddleboarding tours, rent a paddleboard for a few hours or the whole day or plan a group event!
The options are endless!
Kayak Toronto’s harbourfront and the Islands from the Harbourfront Kayak Centre.
Enjoy a gorgeous day out on the water alone or with a group of friends!
The Harbourfront Kayak Centre is easy to get to, it’s a quick 15-minute walk from union station or hop on the streetcar.
(The Harbourfront Canoe & Kayak Center also provides canoeing and standup paddleboarding)
Boating has never been more accessible with Skipperi!
Avoid all of the troubles of owning a boat and simply grab a Skipperi membership that gives you access to a fleet of smart boats.
Take in Toronto’s gorgeous skyline and enjoy the sun on a Skipperi boat!
Cruise Toronto’s Harbour:
Spend a day or the evening enjoying Toronto’s iconic skyline while cruising Lake Ontario.
Step aboard and experience the finest restored ship on the Great Lakes while enjoying great drinks for only $40 (per adult).
The perfect date night is here!
Sail all around Toronto on a luxurious 41’ yacht and take in Toronto’s gorgeous views.
Sit back and relax on a boat while you go on a narrated adventure all about Toronto!
Bikes + Scooters:
There’s no better way to spend your day than exploring Toronto’s waterfront on a bike or a scooter!
On a sunny day, come on down to Toronto’s waterfront and enjoy biking or scootering around. Here’s a list of some of the bike and scooter rentals you can choose from:
- Wheel Excitement – bike or e-bike rentals
- Dream Cyclery – rent or buy bikes and bike parts
- Ride One – scooter rental.
ART + EXPERIENCES
The Power Plant Art Gallery
Experience incredible and empowering art exhibits from featured artists, for free, at The Power Plant.
From June 22 to September 23, enjoy provocative approaches to art and different artists.
Toronto Islands
The summer is not complete without a few visits to the islands. Take a 15-minute ferry or a 8-minute water taxi and explore our gorgeous islands that have incredible views of the city.
The islands have an endless amount of activities including an amusement park that’s perfect for young families, a pier, bike rentals, beautiful parks for picnics, and so much more.
HOLIDAYS
Ontario has a few statutory holidays to plan for this spring. Take a look to make the most out of your long weekend.
- July 1 – Canada Day
- August 7 – Civic Holiday
- September 4 – Labor Day
