Toronto Grand Prix Tourist - A Toronto Blog

Race day at the Honda Indy Markham

2026-08-16T14:11:20.872-04:00

Sunday, August 16, 2026 is race day as the headliners from NTT IndyCar ramp it up during their afternoon speedfest through Markham. Around 12:30pm the green flag dropped and great news - there is no rain (stupid forecasts). UPDATE: WINNERS (1, 2 and 3) Marcus Ericsson, Romain Grosjean and Will Power.

Cars on their grid during the pit lane displays

Drivers were introduced to the crowd at 11:30am, then they headed to pit lane to await the instructions to start their engines.

Two cars are a little banged up and out of the race

See more photos after the jump.

Saturday at the Honda Indy Markham

2026-08-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, Friday turned out to be a bit of a bust as the remaining track construction wiped out any chance to see some burning rubber on the first day of the three day event, but it will hopefully be completed by the start of Saturday's revised schedule for the second day of the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham. IndyCar driver Will Power, pictured above, scooters around the race site on Friday. Will is a three time winner of the Honda Indy in Toronto (2007, 2010 and 2016) and is racing car #26 as part of the Andretti Global team in this year's race.

Race promoters released a statement on their website at 8pm on August 14 regarding the cancelled track session on Friday; "We greatly appreciate all the fans who made it out to the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham today and chose to spend the day with us. The attendance and support were
overwhelming. Ensuring the safety of the drivers and the completion of the certification process of
competing on a brand-new racetrack delayed all on-track activities today. Today’s sessions have been rescheduled to Saturday, August 15, to allow for further track preparations." OntarioIndy's instagram did actually say sorry, "We apologize for today’s on track delay. Thank you for a great turnout for Your Ontario Honda Dealers present Free Fan Friday benefiting @makeawish_canada. We hope to get race cars on track soon when it is appropriate to do so. In the meantime, please keep enjoying the activations and great food and beverage selections on site. We will provide an update when we have more information about the schedule." Online comments indicated displeasure with lack of communication so hopefully that will improve as well.

Gates open at 8:30am and while the Honda Indy's website schedule does not currently show it but there is a NASCAR practice and qualifying session to take place before the gates open - from 8:00 to 8:30am.

8:55 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. USF2000 Championship Practice
9:20 a.m. - 9:40 a.m. USF Pro 2000 Practice
10:05 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice 1
11:55 a.m. - 12:35 p.m. Radical Cup Canada Practice
1:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. USF2000 Championship Race 1
1:35 p.m. - 2:05 p.m. USF Pro 2000 Race 1
2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice 2
4:45 p.m. - 6:05 p.m. NASCAR Canada Series Race
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying
After INDYCAR Qualifying The Glorious Sons Live in Concert

Pit lane

So all five race series will be on the track today and the excitement of qualifying will lead into three races; USF2000 at 1:00pm, USF Pro 2000 at 1:35pm and NASCAR Canada at 4:45pm, just before the IndyCar qualifying session. A race by the Radical Cup cars was dropped from the Saturday schedule to accommodate most of Friday's schedule into Saturday's compressed schedule.

Around the hairpin

General admission viewing

American chopper in the pits

IndyCar hitting the track

The cottage in Thunder Alley

Friday at the Honda Indy Markham

2026-08-14T11:38:20.099-04:00

Fridays hit better when it's FREE Fan Friday at the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham! Enter with a voluntary donation to Make-A-Wish Canada, sit in a grandstand (for free) or find a general admission viewing, use a PRESTO card to see the IndyCar Paddock and visit the vendors in Thunder Alley. Friday Gates open at 8:30am and cars take to the track at 9am. Gates open Saturday are also at 8:30am while on Sunday they open earlier at 8:00am.

UPDATE: All Friday track action has been moved into Saturday as track construction has not been completed.

Today also has the NTT IndyCar driver autograph session from 12:30 to 1:30pm in the Pan Am Centre. Go early because there are always giant lineups to meet the stars of IndyCar. Track practice and qualifications are almost continuous all day with only a half hour break between sessions. Later in the afternoon IndyCar begins their first practice (3:05 to 4:30pm) followed by NASCAR practice and qualifying (5:00 to 6pm).

The track is quite different than the Toronto setup; Pit Lane is split into two parallel set of pit boxes with the roadway running between them. Turn-5 with its sharp hairpin 180 degree turn will have plenty of action as the cars coming out head into the fastest section of the track. Thunder Alley has less room to spread out than found in Exhibition Place so it might get a little tight in the space. Three corners have run-off sections to contain cars that don't successfully make the 90 or 180 degree turns (Turns 5, 6 and 7). I think the best general admission viewing areas are along Enterprise Boulevard as the road dips under the rail line and bridge and the asphalt curves slightly.

August 14 ends with Ride the Track where you can ride your bicycles around the track in support of The Children's Breakfast Clubs. The event takes place after the race cars have finished for the day and the bikes take over from 6:30 to 8:00pm.

First day jitters as the planned first race practice, scheduled for 9am, and everything that follows has been deferred. It looks like the track safety apparatus is still being completed. It's almost 4 hours from the planned start and there are still no cars on the track. We have heard that they are still on track for the 3:05pm NTT IndyCar Series first practice. Oops, moved from 6:00 to 7:30pm.

See more photos from Friday after the jump. Hopefully Saturday will go a little better.

IndyCars filling up with some go juice

Still putting up banners while the track build/closure continues

Gulf gas, fast and faster

A Radical car in their paddock space

Working on the NASCAR vehicles

Former IndyCar driver and now broadcaster James Hinchcliffe driven around the site

Super busy around the GO station area

A look at the double pit lane

Inside a NASCAR stockcar

Putting together Victory Circle

Firestone Racing mascot Firehawk meets the fans

Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham starts tomorrow

2026-08-13T20:52:09.588-04:00

It's the last day before the cars take the track at the Honda Indy at Markham 2026 race and finishing touches have been ongoing as time for preparations quickly runs out. Pedestrian bridges were being completed and advertising banners were starting to be placed as the race festival weekend runs from runs August 14-16.

The Toronto Marriott Markham has an IndyCar near the entrance. Fitting as they were the place to get media credentials for the race and they are just a short walk from the track. This is the 38th edition of the race festival and first for the City of Markham as they moved from Toronto.

Looking towards the hairpin at Turn-5 on the west side of the site.

There are five race series taking part in 2026; NTT IndyCar Series, NASCAR Canada Series, USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire, USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire and Emzone Radical Cup Canada Presented by Michelin.

IndyCar is of course the premier series taking part throughout the weekend with practices, qualifying with their headlining race on Sunday. NASCAR Canada is our version of the famous stockcar series south of the border and their headlining race is Saturday. Friday is full of practice and/or qualifications for most of the series along with an IndyCar driver autograph session at 12:30pm.

Two of the four IndyCar feeder series will be here (USF2000 and USF Pro 2000) while the Indy NXT, the top feeder for drivers, is sitting it out for the next few weeks.

The area is booming and there are a lot of condos under construction near the track. Like Toronto there is a GO station leading into the site (Unionville GO), twelve turns instead of eleven and with a longer track (3.52km to Toronto's 2.87km).

FREE Fan Friday is back on, get into the site with a voluntary donation to Make-A-Wish Canada and sit in the grandstands or along the General Admission viewing sections and watch the action on the track. You can also tour the site, check out the paddocks (with a PRESTO Pass) and wander through Thunder Alley.

Taste of the Danforth back in Toronto again

2026-08-10T22:59:23.008-04:00

It has been a wild ride for Taste of the Danforth but the street festival is back for 2026. The event billed as 'Canada’s Favourite Festival' stretches about 1.6km along Danforth Avenue from Broadview Avenue to Jones Avenue, ran from Friday to Sunday, August 7-9 and had almost two million visitors over the weekend.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow meets visitors

The festival started in 1994 to highlight the Greek restaurants of the area, cancelled due to Covid, returned in 2023, then shut down once more in 2024 and 2025, so it was nice to see it return. Attendees experienced the neighbourhoods music, culture and food along the important arterial road which was known as Greektown. "Taste of the Danforth has always been a celebration of Greek heritage. Today, it is also a celebration of Toronto’s diversity and Canada’s multicultural spirit."

This year's TOD had six experience zones and four free entertainment stages; World Stage, RBC Showcase Stage, Greek Stage and the OLG Lets Dance Stage.

Chair Tony Pethakas says: “Greek heritage will always be at the heart of Taste of the Danforth. At the same time, the Danforth has evolved, just as our city, province and country have evolved. Today the Festival reflects a diverse and inclusive Canada—with a dollop of tzatziki on top.”

Toronto Distillery District Country Fest

2026-08-10T21:57:58.521-04:00

These boots are made for the Distillery Districts' line dancing and country music during the August 6 to 23, 2026 Toronto Country Fest. YeeHaw!

From their website, "The Distillery District is going country! Grab your cowboy hats and boots! The Distillery is celebrating the best of country culture with Toronto Country Fest. Enjoy Live Music, BBQ, Games, a Mechanical Bull, Line Dancing, and More. The boots keep stompin’ all summer long! While Toronto Country Fest runs August 6–23, the country vibes start early and stay late with live country music daily from July 31 through September 7. Enjoy talented musicians and Nashville-inspired entertainment".

The line dancing lessons happens every Wednesday and Friday from 6 to 8pm. Intermediate is the Wednesday and beginner is on Friday. The event includes games, western food and beverages along with DJs and Nashville Nights (Friday and Saturday from 8:30pm to 10:30pm).

Ontario Honda Dealers Indy 2026 at Markham starts in 1 week

2026-08-07T23:42:20.614-04:00

The 'Roar by the Lakeshore' is now 'Rolling Thunder in Unionville' as the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Markham departs Exhibition Place in Toronto for the City of Markham. For 2026, race weekend is August 14 to 16, the first of the current five year contract. FIFA, transit line construction and CNE prep got in the way of Toronto's long run of hosting the Indy and so Markham stepped up and took over the annual high-speed racing weekend.

From the race's website, "The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham festival features world-class racing, international food, beer gardens, live entertainment and activities with lots to see and do for families and festival-goers of all ages. The on-track action for the 38th edition of this Ontario summer festival moving to Downtown Markham for the first time in 2026 features the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Additional races from the NASCAR Canada Series, USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire, USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire, and Emzone Radical Cup Canada presented by Michelin round out a jam-packed weekend."

A new temporary street course has been built in Downtown Markham, north-east of Highways 407 and 404, right beside the Unionville GO station and near the YMCA and Pan Am Centre. Owners Kim Green and Kevin Savoree of Green Savoree Racing Promotions have constructed a 3.52-kilometre circuit featuring 12 turns (four left and eight right turns), running clockwise through city streets.

Markham features the only 2026 international race in the NTT IndyCar Series. This is 14 of 18 IndyCar races scheduled this year and Sunday's headline event will be a 90-lap, 317km high speed battle beginning with opening ceremonies and driver introductions at 11:30am followed by the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy race starting at 12:22pm.

The entire weekend is chock full of practice, qualifications and racing, mixed with entertainment, driver autographs along with a food and beverage festival. The tradition of Free Fan Fridays sponsored by Ontario Honda Dealers continues in Markham with entrance via a voluntary donation to Make-A-Wish® Canada. Saturday's headline is the NASCAR Canada Series Race followed by The Glorious Sons Live in Concert.

Entrances are near the Unionville GO Station or on the north side of the site near the Pan Am Centre, you can see the 2026 race map at the top of this post, or on their website. Visit Thunder Alley, the paddocks or buy Grandstand, Trackside Suites or General Admission tickets for one or for multiple days. The best travel option is via the the Stouffville Train line to the Unionville GO Station.

Humber Bay Parks along Toronto's waterfront

2026-07-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

You got your Humber Bay Park West and you got your Humber Bay Park East, gateways to the bike paths along downtown Toronto's waterfront. This is one of my favourite parks because it is easily accessible off the Gardiner Expressway in the south-west end of Toronto, has reasonable amount of relatively inexpensive parking along with bathroom facilities and avoided all that fifa stuff going on in Exhibition Place. Plus nature and a boat launch.

I watched two families of ducks up close, enjoying the edge of the water, dipping in and out of the water as the parents kept watch on their brood. It was delightful.

From the City's parks website, "Humber Bay Park West is a narrow park jutting out into the water of Lake Ontario in the City's west end. It's an excellent spot for bird watchers hoping to find interesting waterfowl and shorebirds. Along the shores of Humber Bay West, you'll also spot a wide variety of ducks overwintering in Lake Ontario. Combine your walkthrough Humber Bay Park West with a loop around Humber Bay Park East for a great day of hiking. A number of parking lots and paved pathways make this an accessible park." In the east park you can find the Humber Bay Butterfly Habitat.

Then the city with it's bike paths and trails is just open to travel with bicycles. No more parking or traffic jams to bother you along the way. Here is the City's website about Toronto bike paths.

Toronto Aga Khan Museum home of beauty and culture

2026-07-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

The stark white, clean exterior of the Aga Khan Museum first welcomes you into their gorgeous courtyard, full of large, raised reflecting ponds, trees squeezed up to a lavender field and the glass pyramid type thing of the adjacent Ismaili Centre. The Museum hopes to foster curiosity of, and also highlight Muslim cultures and their interaction with other societies throughout the many centuries up to now. You can see that cool glass pyramid driving along the Don Valley Parkway. The address of AKM is 77 Wynford Drive, Toronto and there is paid parking on site.

BMO Financial Group has sponsored free admission on Wednesday evenings (4-8pm), "BMO Free Wednesdays provides barrier-free access to the arts, allowing the Museum to remain a welcoming and inclusive environment for all." You can get the free tickets to this BMO event on site without having to pre-register.

Aga Khan has over 1,200 pieces in their permanent collection and the museum also hosts performing arts, educational programming and temporary exhibitions. The works are outstanding and include books, paintings, ceramics, jewelry and much more, originating from the 9th century to current times. 2026 has a number of TD Pop-Up experiences bringing many varieties of music on Wednesdays and weekends.

A fountain sits in the main room of the permanent collection, probably one of the largest pieces

A recent (2014) hanging scroll painting, part of a pair of paintings called Nabog by Havv Kahraman. She painted six figures in the two paintings - all of herself

I liked this all-white installation. It is a simple setup of two chairs facing each other, separated by a table which incorporates a white chessboard, you can even see 64 chess squares along with 32 white chess pieces in their pregame placement. The piece is titled "Play it by Trust" by Yoko Ono (2002, Roskilde version, edition 3 of 6) and I didn't read the plaque until I got home and I'm like is that by the Yoko Ono, famously married to a Beatle and named in a Barenaked Ladies song, and the answer is yes.

She did a number of these chessboard installations, first shown in 1966, and some are quite large and appearing in a number of museums around the world. Since you have no colour anywhere, you can only play by trusting the other player to remember their own chess pieces, you must also trust yourself to remember yours. All together you must work to complete the game that shows no visible distinction and which Yoko meant as an anti-war metaphor. Both Yoko Ono and John Lennon played a game in their 1972 film "Imagine". Yeah, I was shocked too.

Inside the Museum, permanent collections are well spaced in the relatively small museum, I mean you are not walking through hundreds of rooms in this place, although there is also a large, glassed-in central courtyard and an auditorium. Currently on the second floor is a temporary collection called "Game On! Exhibition", described by the website as "Games transcend borders and generations. As a universal language, they inspire learning, imagination, and global exchange, carrying ideas and traditions across cultures. Whether on a chessboard or a polo field, feel the thrill of strategy, the mastery of skill, and the joy of play, with every game telling a story of human creativity and connection. From board games to daring sports, explore how games connect people, spark creativity, and build communities."

Glorious Bones by Canadian artist Esmaa Mohamoud (2018)

Football helmets on pikes, set on an island of black grit, bring bright colours to the room. The helmets are covered in art reflecting African Kente patterns. She speaks of identity, racism and classification of black bodies.

Later this year the Toronto Biennial of Art will appear at the Aga Khan Museum. The free exhibition will be on from September 26 to December 20, 2026.

Museum Opening Times

Mon: Closed
Tues: 10 am - 5:30 pm
Wed: 10 am - 8 pm
Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun: 10 am - 5:30 pm
Open all statutory holidays, except Dec 25.

Beauty of Lake Superior

2026-07-27T16:55:57.040-04:00

We enjoyed a small vacation along the shores of Lake Superior home of clear cold water, forests that are so vast and geology that makes the shoreline a maze of textures, angles and rock types. We also tried panning for gold but found none, so not independently wealthy yet.

On a small island with a glacial pothole

We camped in Lake Superior Provincial Park Agawa Bay on a lot just seperated from a beautiful beach by a small camping road. As Ontario alone is so vast it takes some time to get up to the northern shore of Lake Superior so you need to plan your route and places to stay - it is about 9 hours from Toronto but worth the trip to take in the sights and attractions of Northern Ontario.

This is channel cut out of the rock by glacier water flow, the black rock eroded easier than the Canadian Shield rocks

Looking towards Agawa Rock Pictographs

So glad we brought the kayaks to explore the edges of the great lake, especially around Lake Superior Provincial Park and the Agawa Rock Pictographs. You can see the giant rock faces rise sharply above the lake, rocks that seem to change every twenty feet, going in different directions and crisscrossed with seams of other rocks, some which eroded faster that others showing signs of glacial flows pushing boulders around like nothing and rounding them into smaller rocks and pebbles and eventually down to the familiar granite sand. The water is so clean and with colours of green and blue that are startling beautiful.

A small storm swept through the area, rained bit, blew some stuff around, then had a few lightning bolts that started a in the park. It took them a couple of weeks to get the fire under control.

The smoke made more dramatic sunsets and turned the day's sun orange through the smoke

Looking up the geology of the area I was fascinated to find that the north shore was part of a continental rift that started to split up the North American continent, poured lava from volcanos, then felt the impact of the glaciers scraping the surface, then eroding areas with massive volumes of glacial melt. The ground is still rising every year from the missing weight of the glaciers.

art on the beach

An earlier sunset before the smoke

Toronto Taste of the Junction 2026

2026-06-27T23:26:37.077-04:00

This annual Toronto festival shines bright on one day, bringing art, food and culture to Toronto's west end during the Saturday, June 27, 2026. The Taste of the Junction runs from 11am to 7pm in the Green P parking lot at 385 Pacific Avenue. This is just south of Dundas Street West that curves to the northwest, following the train line. The celebrating Black Culture tent is shown above.

You can find immersive installations and augmented-reality wall murals while enjoying food, drink and entertainment. There are five walk through cultural installations to experience as part of Passagesways while the 11 animated augmented-reality murals can be discovered using a free app (Artivive)

From the festival's website, "Visitors can explore 50+ vendor booths, shop unique creations from local makers, enjoy bites and drinks from neighbourhood favourites, and dive into pop-up experiences for all ages. The day will be energized by DJ programming, a vibrant market atmosphere, and a family-friendly Play Zone hosted in the Darren’s No Frills parking lot."

“Taste of the Junction is about celebrating the creativity and character that make Toronto’s neighbourhoods unique,” said Carol Jolly, Executive Director of The Junction BIA. “During Toronto’s Host City Summer, when more people are expected to be exploring the city, this festival gives residents, visitors, and fans a chance to discover the Junction as a vibrant west-end destination bursting with flavour, art, and surprises. It’s also an opportunity to support local businesses, enjoy public art, and experience one of Toronto’s most creative neighbourhoods.”

Together on Geary Street Festival

2026-06-27T23:22:10.392-04:00

One of Toronto's most art filled streets, Geary Avenue, is throwing a free, one-day festival called Together on Geary on Saturday, June 27 from 1pm to 11pm.

From the Crawl's website, "A one-day neighbourhood celebration with live music + DJS, art, food+drinks, soccer-theme pop-ups, watch parties, interactive workshops, craft stations, kids’ activities, participation from your favourite Geary Ave businesses, and more."

Toronto Pride 2026

2026-06-27T11:41:42.662-04:00

Toronto Pride weekend festival is here (June 25-28) culminating a month of celebration and preparation. The Trans March and StreetFair begin Friday, the Dyke March is Saturday and the big Pride parade is Sunday. Pride Toronto celebrates 2SLGBTQI+ communities with programming and events throughout the festival.

StreetFair is on Church Street, from Gould to Hayden, from Friday to Sunday between Gould to Hayden. The Gay Village pops with colour and music as the community parties till 11pm on weekends.

Trans March is Friday, June 26 with the rally and march taking place from 5-7pm, leaving from Church and Charles Street.

Mayor Olivia Chow joins the Dyke March

The Dyke March on Saturday, June 27 starts at Church and Hayden Streets and runs from 2 to 3pm.

The Pride Parade takes over downtown on Sunday, June 28. Starting 2pm at Rosedale Valley Road and Park Road, onto Church Street, then down Yonge Street, to Dundas Street and over to Nathan Phillips Square.

From the festival's website, " The Pride Parade returns in 2026 as one of the most powerful moments of the festival, a moving celebration of visibility, resilience, and joy. It’s a day when streets fill with colour, voices rise together, and our communities show up in full force. Whether this is your first Pride or one of many, the Parade is a reminder that you belong here. Starting at 2PM, more than 25,000 marchers and 250+ groups will take to the streets, each bringing their own stories, identities, and reasons for marching. Together, they create a living expression of Pride, one rooted in love, solidarity, and the belief that progress happens when we move forward side by side. The Parade kicks off from Yonge Street and Aylmer Street to Nathan Phillips Square, where thousands will line the route to cheer, celebrate, and stand in support."

See more photos after the jump.

Pride in the Distillery District

There were two small groups of religious protestors

Snowbirds fly into the Canadian Warplane Museum

2026-06-18T15:58:17.895-04:00

It was a special day in Hamilton as the Canadian military acrobatic jet team met up with a B-25 Mitchell Bomber and did a number of flyovers before landing at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum for a meet and greet. The weather on Wednesday, June 17, 2026 was a little suspect but it remained clear enough for the B-25 to take off and meet the jet team after their recent appearance at the Barrie Air Show. The heritage flight did a pass over the museum before heading to Niagara Falls and later over Toronto for the flyovers, returning to land at the airport.

The clouds were angry around the museum

The grounded Lancaster

The Snowbird's old CT-114 Tutor aircraft are being retired from the team in 2026. The last scheduled performances will be in October will be in the States, otherwise there are a number of events in September - including over Toronto during the Canadian International Air Show. It is anticipated that the new planes will be propeller driven, Swiss-made CT-157 Sisken II aircraft which may take until the 2030's to be used by the team. These aircraft are also to be used for early pilot training in the Canadian military. This is season 55 for Canada's jet team.

Snowbirds rolling in towards the museum

The B-25 and Snowbird heritage flight

B-25 bomber heading taxiing out to meet the Snowbirds

Firing up the twin-engine bomber

Lancaster out with the Snowbird jets during a pilot meeting

Snowbird team meeting around one of the jets wing

During initial planning the Avro Lancaster was proposed for the heritage flight, however a brake problem grounded the historic bomber and a B-25 Mitchell bomber was fired up as the Lancaster's replacement. The Snowbird team was anticipated in Hamilton around 2:30pm but first a single Snowbird did some maneuvers over the airport before landing to setup the landing area. As the balance of the Snowbirds flew south, the B-25 took off to meet up with the other eight jets to begin the heritage flyovers.

See more photos from the museum after the jump.

The AVRO Lancaster and Consolidated Canso

Grumman Avenger a folding wing, carrier aircraft

Douglas DC-3 Dakota and the B-25

Snowbirds

The B-25 Bomber returning to the museum

Snowbird team meetings

@jmhcet Canadian #snowbirds acrobatic airforce jets joined by B-25 bomber at #canadianwarplanemuseum ♬ Learn to Fly - Foo Fighters

World Naked Bike Ride Toronto 2026

2026-06-13T10:20:44.807-04:00

Time for the annual protest ride through the streets of downtown Toronto. The event is free to attend and actually saves you money because you don't need clothes to participate! As usual the World Naked Bike Ride Toronto takes place on the second Saturday of June - this year on June 13, 2026 and is a rain or shine event. Superman and Superwoman put on their costume for the ride in the photo at top.

At the Victory Memorial in Coronation Park

Organizer Gene Dare will be in Coronation Park early, probably around 9 or 10am (he was here at 8:15am), waiting to greet the people who show up for the ride. Gene is in the photo at above, right side along with Madison Charlton and their dog Quentin.

Biking on the city streets

Taking a break at Queens Park

Riders will gather, socialize and some will apply bodypaint (bring your own paint) and sunscreen. The meeting point is the Victory Memorial near the giant Canadian Flag in the park just across Lake Shore Blvd and Exhibition Place. The ride will start rolling around 1pm, doing a large clockwise loop around the city core, passing by and stopping at a few of the major city icons before heading back to Coronation Park at the end of the event. You can join or drop out any time you want as well as riding as bare as you dare!

One of the most anticipated stops is the pond at Nathan Phillips Square, City Hall. People splash in the water and play in the fountains, however the pond has been drained and covered with fake grass to create soccer fields in honour of FIFA. If they bring soccer balls maybe they will have a quick game on the pitch.

From the Toronto WNBR website, "JUST SHOW UP AND RIDE The World Naked Bike Ride is global protest against the over usage of oil and urban pollution, promoting greater cycling safety on our roads, and encouraging body freedom for everyone. This site visually describes the naked protest and environmental awareness event. You are encouraged to join this legal ride. There is no cost, no registration, no cost to the taxpayer, no corporate sponsors and best of all it originated in Vancouver, Canada, and now occurs in over 80 cities worldwide. Renting a bike? Cover the seat."

You can find some info about the ride on my previous post here.

See some previous ride links and more 2026 photos after the jump.

FIFA World Cup 2026 starts today in Toronto

2026-06-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

I think this event will result in the biggest hiring of security guards in the history of Toronto as World Cup soccer, or possibly football plays six games in the City beginning June 12, 2026 and ending July 2. In addition to the games there is a FIFA Fan Fest taking place in Fort York and Bentway Park during the sporting event. This year's tournament is taking place in three countries; Canada, Mexico and the United States with sixteen host cities and 48 teams involved. Canadian cities are Vancouver and Toronto and overall the World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19.

Toronto's six games will happen at BMO Field in Exhibition Place on the following dates.

Friday, June 12, 2026 (3:00 p.m. ET) – Canada v. Bosnia and Herzegovina. Group B
Wednesday, June 17, 2006 (7:00 p.m. ET) – Ghana v. Panama
Saturday, June 20, 2026 (4 :00 p.m. ET) – Germany v. Côte d'Ivoire
Tuesday, June 23, 2026 (7:00 p.m. ET) – Panama v. Croatia
Friday, June 26, 2026 (3:00 p.m. ET) – Senegal v. Iraq
Thursday, July 2, 2026 (7:00 p.m. ET) – Winner of Group K v. Winner of Group L

Under the Bentway

Keep in mind that during match games some of the streets of Toronto will be closed so it will be difficult to get around. They suggest public transit, walking or riding a bike, which is always preferred in this city.

Game Day Road Closure Schedule *All times are approximate and subject to change.

Friday, June 12 – 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Wednesday, June 17 – 2 p.m. to midnight
Saturday, June 20 – 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Tuesday, June 23 – 2 p.m. to midnight
Friday June 26 – 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Thursday July 2 – 2 p.m. to midnight

Road Restrictions:

Local access only for Fort York neighbourhood June 11 - 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Local access for residents and businesses in the Fort York neighbourhood (Bathurst St to Strachan Ave, Fleet St to Fort York Blvd)

Road Closures: Lake Shore Boulevard West, Strachan Avenue and Exhibition Grounds June 12 - 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Lake Shore Blvd W from Bathurst St to British Columbia Rd and Strachan Ave from East Liberty St to Lake Shore Blvd W is is fully closed in both directions as well as all roads inside Exhibition Place.

Road Restrictions: Local access only for Liberty Village neighbourhood
June 12 - 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Local access only for Liberty Village residents and businesses, below King St from Dufferin St to Strachan Ave.

Road Closure: Bremner Boulevard (around Rogers Centre)
June 12 - noon to 11:30 p.m.
Bremner Boulevard will be closed between Lower Simcoe Street and Navy Wharf Crescent.

Road Closure: Fleet Street
May 18 to July 31
Fully closed between Fort York Boulevard and Strachan Avenue until July 31.

At HTO Beach looking toward the CN Tower #WeAreToronto

A floating soccer field is outside of Queens Quay Terminal

You can walk across this pedestrian bridge over Lake Ontario once again

2026-06-11T17:02:57.059-04:00

I dislike these type of headlines, but sometimes you just have to have fun! I have walked over this bridge many times in the past as it crosses over a marina in Toronto and lands by Harbourfront Centre. Then five years ago it closed, or really the lifting part of the bridge was removed and it was blocked to keep people from falling in the water. The lift bridge was necessary to allow the boats to get in and out of Marina Four, part of Harbourfront Centre Marine.

This bridge was originally named the Spadina Wavedeck pedestrian bridge and with the repair and reopening of the bridge you too can save valuable minutes on your journey. It was renamed the Amsterdam Bridge because it was originally gifted to the city by the Mayor of Amsterdam in 1974, not because it is by the adjacent Amsterdam Brewhouse. On Sunday, May 31, 2026 it opened once again with the help of the Deputy Mayor, a representative of Harbourfront Centre and CreateTO along with the Dutch Consul General.

You can see the Amsterdam Bridge missing the lift bridge portion in the above photo from early May 2026.

Maple Keys carpet in Sherbourne Common

2026-06-09T08:00:00.000-04:00

The urban park along lower, Lower Sherbourne has two sections; one north and one south of Queens Quay East. This is a great park that runs right up to the edge of the inner harbour and includes cool features such as a winding, concrete channel and some art installations that provide water cascading down to the channel, a washroom facility, a skating rink/splash pad, plenty of open space and some Maple trees that are shedding their seeds onto the concrete surface.

The seeds are maple keys that act light little helicopters, dropping from the tree and hoping to hit a nice, welcoming patch of soil that will allow a new crop of Maple trees. Sadly in this case they also need to wait for a nice wind to get them out of that urban hard spot. So many have dropped that it is hard to see the grey concrete through the seeds.

Monument to the War of 1812

2026-06-08T22:21:18.225-04:00

Just checking in on Douglas Coupland's sculpture made of good old resin and steel and titled Monument to the War of 1812. It's still there at 600 Fleet Street in Toronto, a nod to the war that ended in a stalemate in a time long since passed.

The work of art installed in January of 2008 features two War of 1812 soldiers, one in gold standing over the other silver soldier lying at his feet. It is not real violence depicted as they appear to be toy soldiers.

@jmhcet Monument to the War of 1812 #Toronto, Canada. #sculpture #toysoldiers #douglascoupland ♬ sonido original - David

Do West Fest Toronto 2026

2026-06-06T22:58:42.437-04:00

Dundas West from Ossington to Lansdowne is only 1.5km and on a map it doesn't look too big, but add an incredibly large street festival and thousands of people and it seems to take forever to go from one end to the other.

Someone carries a sign saying "Beware Pickpockets"

This is one of the first festivals in Toronto and I think the people all across the city said why not and headed to Do West Fest. It is on from Friday, June 5 to Sunday, June 7 and includes three stages, a kids zone, plenty of vendors and a dunk tank.

DJ Reflection

The Dunk Tank. She is sad because she has been splashed quite a few times

Taking place in the heart of Little Portugal, just as Dundas deflects North West at Ossington Avenue, the street party is a good place to grab some chow, drinks and take in the entertainment.

Dundas St W between Ossington Ave and Lansdowne Ave.
Friday, June 5 | 6PM-11PM
Saturday, June 6 | 11AM-11PM
Sunday, June 7 | 11AM-6PM

See more of the festival after the jump.

@jmhcet #dunktank at #dowestfest 2026. dundas street west #Toronto ♬ Don't Bring Me Down - Electric Light Orchestra

Toronto Pillow Fight 2026

2026-06-06T22:09:10.831-04:00

Urban Playground Toronto organized the latest edition of the Toronto Pillow Fight which was held in Berczy Park on Saturday, June 6, 2026. It was deferred due to inclement weather on its original scheduled date of May 23, and then it was almost canceled on June 6 as more rain was scheduled in the afternoon, however they waited until around 10am to say the fight was still on and as a bonus the weather ended up being perfect.

There was about 50 to 75 people participating in the pillow bashing, first they filled out a consent form, posed for a group photo, listened to instructions and wham, the fighting began at around 1:45pm. It was good natured and a lot of fun for everyone.

Berczy Park Dog Fountain. Calm before the war

Instructions for the group

See more photos of the pillow fight after the jump.

@jmhcet
♬ How Bizarre - OMC

RedBall down at Harbourfront

2026-06-06T21:15:13.785-04:00

That RedBall is having a great time exploring Toronto, he squeezed into a tight space, like always, in Harbour Square Park West and is enjoying the sun and taking a break to just hang. The ball started its Toronto run on June 3rd at the entrance to Old City Hall and will finish on June 7, 2026 in Regent Park. If he had found his way down to Sugar Beach he might have been reborn as a giant beach ball.

The round, red art installation travels the world and is in our fair city as part of Luminato Festival.

From the Festival's website, "This is RedBall Toronto by artist Kurt Perschke. Having travelled to more than 40 cities across six continents, RedBall Project has yet to roam the same streets twice. Until now. As we celebrate Luminato’s 20th anniversary and RedBall Project’s 25th anniversary, we welcome the project back to transform the streets and public spaces of Toronto, turning everyday experiences into moments of surprise and playfulness."

June 3 - Old City Hall 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
June 4 - TMU Student Learning Centre 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
June 5 - St. Lawrence Market North 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
June 5 - Meridian Hall 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
June 6 - Harbour Square Park West 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
June 7 - Regent Park Aquatic Centre 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM

RedBall Toronto and Luminato Festival 2026

2026-06-03T09:55:58.824-04:00

June in Toronto is full of art, beauty and PRIDE. Luminato Festival brings art to buildings and streets with a number of installations, film, dance, music and much, much more on their 20th anniversary.

From their website, "Luminato Festival transforms the people, places, and possibilities of Toronto with extraordinary art experiences. Every June we present bold, playful, and of the moment art for all to enjoy. Distinctly Toronto, proudly Canadian and totally Global, we welcome the world to explore our streets, stages and stories. Encounter our city like never before."

I personally love free art and events so I am looking forward to three installations and a Circus! The big, red ball - for some reason known as RedBall, Anthems of Colour, Pyramid Fields and the circus - Camion d’Intervention Artistique - CIART. In addition to this small sample the festival calendar is full of events and attractions, so go crazy and find your favourites.

RedBall was last in Toronto in 2009 (see one of my posts here) and is returning for five days from June 3 to June 7. I love RedBall, much like I like the giant rubber ducky from the Waterfront Festival, and I am glad that RedBall by Kurt Perschke is back for Luminato 2026. "The iconic RedBall appears somewhere in the city. Each day it appears in a new location—wedged between buildings, perched on staircases, or tucked into alleyways. Whether people follow the ball’s journey or encounter it by chance, each interaction is unique and special."

RedBall Toronto 2026 Schedule
Wednesday, June 3 – Sunday, June 7, 2026

June 3 - Old City Hall 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
June 4 - TMU Student Learning Centre 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
June 5 - St. Lawrence Market North 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
June 5 - Meridian Hall 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
June 6 - Harbour Square Park West 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
June 7 - Regent Park Aquatic Centre 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Pyramid Fields by Cyril Lancelin is another installation using "surreal scultpures" that glow at night. "Drawing on the pyramid’s long-standing symbolism of stability and balance, the work reimagines the form as soft, temporary, and immersive—inviting audiences to step inside these storey-high grid inspired structures. The installations are positioned next to the modernist lines of the TD Centre, designed by Mies van der Rohe, and Eberhardt Zeidler's CF Toronto Eaton Centre, creating a striking contrast between the brilliantly coloured pyramids and the surrounding dark steel-and-glass architecture."

Anthems to Colour by artist Liz West will appear in three buildings in the downtown core. The sculptures are colourful surfaces that work with light, changing with the location of the sun. "Across three Brookfield Properties locations in downtown Toronto, British artist Liz West creates sculptural works using coloured acrylic, mirrored surfaces, and refracted light. Designed to respond to the movement of the sun, the installations shift throughout the day: grids of coloured panels glow against glass facades, mirrored elements reflect and multiply surrounding architecture, and translucent walls scatter prismatic colour into the space around them."

Brookfield Place

Bay Adelaide Centre courtyard

The free circus comes to town and will appear in Sankofa Square on Friday, June 12 followed by a move to Harbourfront Centre from Saturday, June 13 to Sunday, June 14. "Camion d’Intervention Artistique - CIART is a unique immersive show presented on a real fire truck converted into a vertical stage. Led by colourful characters, the project combines aerial acrobatics, physical theatre, music, and monumental scenography. Created with collaborators from Cirque du Soleil, CIART offers powerful and accessible dramaturgy designed to bring all audiences together. Each performance transforms public spaces into spectacular worlds where imagination reigns supreme."

@jmhcet #redball is back in #Toronto for #luminato2026. #redballtoronto ♬ Let Me Entertain You - Robbie Williams

@jmhcet #pyramidfields #artinstallation for #luminato 2026. #Toronto ♬ Crumblin' Down - John Mellencamp

Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham 2026 tickets now on sale

2026-05-27T00:36:55.977-04:00

When one track closes, another opens. Ticket sales have started for the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham race, coming soon to a town near you, especially if you live in the GTA. You can now buy 2-Day Reserved Grandstand or General Admission along with pit and paddock access tickets for the August 14-16 racing event. Free Fan Friday returns for the Markham race with entrance courtesy of a voluntary donation to Make-A-Wish Canada and sponsored by the Ontario Honda Dealers Association.

“It’s an exciting day to be opening up public ticket sales for the inaugural Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham," said Jeff Atkinson, president of the event. “This new venue in Downtown Markham will offer expanded sightlines across multiple grandstand locations around the 12-turn track. Some great general admission vantage points are also in store for fans. We cannot wait to welcome everyone to this new festival site on August 14th!”

The temporary street course is a 12-turn, 3.52km winding through the downtown streets of Markham. The race festival also comes with food trucks, displays, activities and other attractions. Eight races will take place during Race weekend from a number of race series, including NASCAR Canada Series, USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire, the USF2000 Championship Presented by Continental Tire, and the Emzone Radical Cup Canada presented by Michelin.

There are four grandstand locations along with a number of general admission areas, perfect for viewing the new home for the only Canadian race "for the world’s fastest race car drivers from the NTT INDYCAR SERIES".

Toronto Waterfront Festival taking a break for 2026

2026-05-26T23:46:52.866-04:00

Sadly FIFA seems to be hogging the sponsorship money and so the annual Toronto Waterfront Festival has been deferred for 2026 and will return in 2027 - with the giant rubber ducky! The inflatable bathtub toy is 6 stories tall and weighs over 16,000 pounds. I don't know if ICE being in town for FIFA led to the duck thinking it might be apprehended and deported so it decided to skip this year's event. These type of ducks obviously migrate across borders, without papers, which is something that infuriates a certain someone.

“The Toronto Waterfront Festival has been an award-winning event for 16 years. We have welcomed millions of visitors, driven tens of millions of dollars in economic impact, and consistently delivered world-class programming that put Toronto’s waterfront on an international scale. Taking a year off is not a decision we made lightly. As a free, not-for-profit festival, without any government grant support and a decrease in corporate sponsorship, we are not in a financial position to put on a successful event for 2026. We are committed to doing this right, and we will be back,” said Mike Riehl, Chair, Water’s Edge Festivals & Events Board of Directors.

"The festival team is using the 2026 pause to plan a GIANT return. To give Torontonians something to look forward to, Water’s Edge Festivals & Events is thrilled to announce that the World’s Largest Rubber Duck will be returning to Toronto’s waterfront in 2027. “Mama Duck floated into Toronto in 2017 to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary. A decade later, we felt it was only fitting for her to waddle back for Canada’s 160th in 2027,” states Victoria Mahoney, Co-Producer of the festival."