There’s lots going on this weekend including the Caribana Parade on Saturday, Island Soul Festival at Harbourfront, a special circus event going on all weekend at the Ontario Science Centre, Scarborough Ribfest (I looove ribfests!), free Whitby Harbour Day with fireworks on at 9:30pm, Woodbridge Italian Festival, and Mississauga’s Celebration Square is kickin’ with free events: Presidents Choice BBQ Town Tour on Saturday, Viet Summerfest on Sunday, and live Olympic coverage on Monday! Let your children run around the wading pool and then sit and have lunch while you watch the Olympics on a big screen!
Enjoy your long weekend! 🙂 MelanieOTG
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Toronto
Movies Under the Stars: Avatar
Friday August 3
North York | Approximately 9pm
Movies Under the Stars at Downsview Park (Sheppard Ave W & Keele)
This is a FREE event. For your movie enjoyment: Bring fold up chairs or blankets to sit on. You are welcome to bring food and beverages to enjoy during the movie. Barbeques and alcohol are not permitted.
TD Irie Music Festival
Friday August 3- Monday August 6
Toronto – Downtown
TD Irie Music Festival at Nathan Phillips Square
Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2012, the TD IRIE Music Festival is a multi-day, family, friendly festival. Join the celebration of music from Reggae to Salsa, Soul to African; dance from the African Diaspora presented in association with dance Immersion, spoken word/literature, visual arts exhibition, delicious tropical food & drinks and more.
Scarborough RibFest
Friday August 3 – Monday August 6
Scarborough
Scarborough RibFest at Thomson Memorial Park (Corner of Lawrence Ave. & Brimley Rd.)
Enjoy delicious ribs, hot dogs, french fries, corn on the cob and more, midway rides, skill testing games, karaoke competition everyday, creative designs by crafters and vendors. No cover charge and four days of live
entertainment!
Island Soul Festival
Friday August 3 – Monday August 6
Downtown Toronto
Island Soul Presented by CIBC at Harbourfront Centre
Our wildly popular Caribbean festival commemorates the 50th Anniversary of Independence of two culturally and artistically significant island nations: Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago! Highlights include roots-reggae singer Duane Stephenson, and a dance performance by Afro-Caribbean performing arts company Caribbean Folk Performers!
Caribana Parade
Saturday August 4
Downtown Toronto | 10am- 6pm
Caribana Parade – The Parade route begins at Exhibition Place, travelling down Lakeshore Blvd West and ends at Lakeshore and Parkside Drive (approximately 4.5 kilometres).
The Caribana parties and events are great but the main attraction of Toronto’s Caribbean Carnival is the Grand Parade (North America’s largest Caribbean Parade). With over a million people set to attend, this year’s Caribbean Carnival Parade will start off inside Exhibition Place as the competing Masquerade Bands (also known as Mas Bands) will fill the stadium with live Soca, Calypso and Steeplan music! The elaborate costumes, props and lively dancers bring everything to life and add to this incredible experience that happens only once a year.
The parade is free. It’s $20-25 to enter Exhibition Place.
MAD About Fishes
Saturday August 4 – Monday August 6
Scarborough
MAD About Fishes at the Toronto Zoo (Meadowvale Road)
Water – we share it! Pacific giant octopus, American eel, Madagascar fishes, Lake Victoria fishes, fishes of the Great Barrier Reef – we share water with these aquatic creatures and so many more! Visit all these fishes and many others on exhibit at Toronto Zoo as we celebrate all things wet and wild. )
Fizzical Fizzikis: The Thrill of Circus
Saturday August 4 – Monday August 6
North York
Fizzical Fizziks: The thrill of circus at the Ontario Science Centre (770 Don Mills Road)
Visitors will be delighted by circus skills like juggling, stilt-walking and unicycling, plus dozens of tricks with toys like yo-yos, hula hoops and even a pogo stick. 11 – 3pm at TELUSCAPE, outside the Main Entrance.
French Creole Festival
Sunday August 5
Downtown Toronto | Starting at 11am
The French Creole Festival (FKZO) will be held at the David Pecaut Square (in front of Thompson Hall).
Come and feel the creole fever at David Pecaut Square. A family day event!
There will be a free concert, organized in collaboration with RDEE Ontario, Molson Coors and Via Rail Canada.
Many stands will be available to make this day unforgettable: animation for kids, music, creole foods, artcrafts, workshops, etc.
Simcoe Day at Todmorden
Sunday August 5
Toronto – East End | 12pm- 4pm
Simcoe Day at Todmorden Mills (Bottom of Pottery Road)
Celebrate Simcoe Day at Todmorden Mills. Sample seasonal treats prepared in our historic kitchens and participate in outdoor watercolour workshops. Regular admission.
Simcoe Day at Fort York
Monday August 6
Downtown Toronto | 10am – 5pm
Simcoe Day at Fort York (100 Garrison Road)
Lieutenant-Governor Simcoe founded the town of York (Toronto) in 1793 and was the first Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada (Ontario). This great day will celebrate the legacy of Fort York as the birthplace of Toronto. Visitors will enjoy exhibits, demonstrations of musketry, cannon and music by the Fort York guard, Regency dance demonstrations, historic cooking in our 1826 kitchen, and the beautiful grounds of this national treasure. Join us at 1pm for a unique walking tour Simcoe to Skyscrapers which will explore the development and growth of this ever-changing neighbourhood. Regular admission.
Simcoe Day at Gibson House Museum
Monday August 6
North York
Simcoe Day at Gibson House Museum (5172 Yonge Street)
Spend some time visiting the 1851 home of David and Eliza Gibson and their family where you can enjoy tastes of home-made ice cream, childrens activities, and samples of nineteenth century cookery in the historic kitchen. Admission is Pay What You Wish.
Durham Region
Movies in the Park: Rio
Friday August 3
Whitby
Movies in the park –August 3 – 8:30 p.m Rio (Brooklin Memorial Park, 67 Winchester Road East)
Whitby Harbour Day
Saturday August 4
Whitby | Starts at 12pm, fireworks at 9:30pm
Whitby Harbour Day at Port Whitby Marina (301 Watson Street)
Free! Whitby Harbour Day is a summer celebration of Whitby’s historic harbour with fun for the whole family. The event highlights the Town of Whitbys waterfront, including Port Whitby Marina, Whitby Yacht Club and Waterfront Trail. Whitby Harbour Day includes water ski shows, community and boating displays, arts and crafts, food vendors, Station Gallery kids program and artists, children’s games, balloon bender, jumping castles and live entertainment. Approximately 6,000 people attend this free event, which includes a nautical Parade of Lights and spectacular Dentistry on Dundas fireworks.
Parking is available at the Whitby GO Station and Iroquois Park Sports Centre and is a short walk to Port Whitby Marina.
Claremont Lions Summer BBQ
Saturday August 4
Pickering | 3pm- 6pm
Claremont Lions Summer BBQ at Claremont Community Centre (4941 Brock Road)
Ice cream truck, and Zoo to You with animals and things to do.
Pioneer Days
Saturday August 4 & 5
Bowmanville | Starts at 11am
Pioneer Days at Darlington Provincial Park (Call for details: (905) 436-2036)
On Saturday there will be children’s programs at the Log Cabin. Find out what school was like in pioneer times! At 2pm at the Log Cabin you can make your own pioneer toy and play some pioneer games. Horse drawn wagon rides, and a safe solar viewing at 2pm at Picnic Area #2 beach stairs. At 8pm The Vastness of the Universe will be presented at the Amphitheatre and at 9pm another special viewing to see the universe through telescopes! On Sunday meet the naturalist at the Log Cabin at 3pm and join in a Spirit Walk at 8:30pm at the Amphitheatre.
7th Annual Cobourg Sandcastle Festival
Saturday August 4 & Sunday August 5
Cobourg (Technically not part of Durham but it’s nearby!)
7th Annual Cobourg Sandcastle Festival at Cobourg Beach
We have lots of activities for the whole family both days, including the New Amherst Activity Tent, a scavenger hunt, a sand sculpting lesson, Inflatable fun park (wristband required) and a live DJ! Purchase your $5 wristband for unlimited use of all the activities! Our Master Sculptors will wow the crowd again at this years event, says Event Coordinator Lara Scott, it never ceases to amaze me what sculptors creative minds and creative ideas can do with a pile of sand. A Pinnacle Award winner with the International Festival and Events Association and chosen as one of the top 100 events to visit this summer by Festivals & Events Ontario, the Cobourg Sandcastle Festival is a definite hit with young and old alike.
Halton Region
The Pirate Festival
Saturday August 4- Monday August 6
Milton | 10am- 5pm
The Pirate Festival – Country Heritage Park
All pirates, swashbucklers and buccaneers (and those associated with them) are encouraged to attend! There be something for everyone from powder monkeys in training to old Salty dogs, from gentlefolk to the scurviest bilge-rats. Whether ye be young or old, or just looking for a good time with your mates, the Pirate Festival offers fun for all!
Children will enjoy stories, crafts, our Pirate Ship and a wide variety of shows designed to be family friendly. Adults will find much to entertain them live music, vending marketplace, the Mud show, and a Saturday Night Captains Keg for those looking for an entertaining night in our tavern. Our colourful cast is ready to engage and entertain you how can a weekend spent with Pirates not be fun? Add to the fun, and arrive dressed like a pirate if you choose!
Children 5 yrs and under are free!
Ice Cream Festival
Sunday August 5 & Monday August 6
Milton | 10am – 4pm
Come to the Ice Cream Festival in Westfield Village (1049 Kirkwall Road, Rockton, ON) and exxperience the fun and nostalgia of ice cream in pioneer, Victorian and Edwardian times. Live music, horse and wagon rides, games and living history make the perfect topping for this delicious family outing. Runs from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Special event pricing applies. Adults: $11, Seniors/Disabled: $10, Children: $6.50. Children 5 and under are free. Parking is free.
Peel Region
Free Movie- Mirror Mirror
Friday August 3
Mississauga | Starts at dusk
Rotary Movies in the Park at Memorial Park (Port Credit- 32 Stavebank Road North)
This is a FREE event but donations are appreciated. Bring your lawn chairs & blankets. Pop, water and popcorn for sale.
President’s Choice BBQ Town Tour
Saturday August 4
Mississauga | 2pm- 7pm
Presidents Choice BBQ Town Tour at Mississauga Celebration Square (300 City Centre Drive)
YOU voted! We won! Presidents Choice BBQ Town Tour makes it stop in Mississauga with a FREE BBQ featuring the latest and greatest in PC® products, a PC® ice cream truck and family entertainment.
Viet Summerfest
Sunday August 5
Mississauga | 2pm- 8pm
Viet Summerfest at Mississauga Celebration Square (300 City Centre Drive)
Come celebrate and experience the wonderful culture of Vietnam at the 2012 Viet Summer Fest! This years festival is packed with lots of fun activities, live entertainment and food for the entire family to enjoy. Youll experience a showcase of Vietnams finest cultural performances, including Vietnamese folk music, dance and arts & crafts. This is a free event!
Live Olympic Coverage at Celebration Square!
Monday August 6
Mississauga | 8am- 6pm
Olympic Coverage at Celebration Square (300 City Centre Drive)
Show your Canadian Pride by cheering and supporting Team Canada at the games. Come watch CTV’s Coverage of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Mississauga Celebration Square. This is your place to watch daily up to the minute coverage of the world’s biggest sporting event. This is a free event. While you’re here, let your children splash around in Celebration Square’s wading pool!
Click here for the full schedule.
York Region
Aurora Jazz Festival
Friday August 3 – Sunday August 5
Aurora
Aurora Jazz Festival at Aurora Town Park (SE of Yonge & Wellington)
Festival General Admission $5 per day (Free for Kids 12 and under & Seniors 65+).
Woodbridge Italian Festival
Saturday August 4 & Sunday August 5
Woodbridge | 4:30pm- 11:30pm
Woodbridge Italian Festival at the Ontario Soccer Centre (Martingrove Rd south of Hwy 7)
Entertainment non-stop for the entire family. Italian Latin music bands, singers, musicians, opera, classical car showcase, circus acts, soccer tournament, Las Vegas style dancers, and more. Free admission.
Simcoe Day in Unionville
Monday August 6
Unionville | 12pm- 5pm
12 noon to 5 pm on Main Street Unionville Street entertainment Free admission.
Help Other Parents Decide Whether to go to These Events
Not sure whether it’s worth it to go to an event or whether it’s really appropriate for your child’s age? Others are thinking the same thing! Please take a few moments to share your thoughts below on what you thought of an event and don’t forget to include your child’s age so others will know how your comments apply to themselves. Thank you!
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Melanie OTG
Melanie Lam
416-519-1511
