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It’s the unofficial mark of the end of summer in Toronto – the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) is returning to Exhibition Place for two-and-a-half weeks.
Cultural festivals continue in the city, such as a weekly Indigenous food and vendor market, RastaFest, and the Latin Sparks Festival.
The Jonas Brothers are also performing at Rogers Centre for their latest tour.
There is a scheduled subway closure on Line 2, additional services are being added to public transit for those heading to the CNE, and road closures continue in and around the city. Scroll below for details.
Here’s what’s going on this weekend:
Canadian National Exhibition
The Ex is back in town!
Get ready for dill pickle cotton candy, a Pink Floyd exhibit, and the first ever CNE drag performance for the next couple weeks.
The CNE is known for the interesting foods that make an appearance at the event every year.
This year, people can try a watermelon burger (a traditional burger and instead of buns, it’s watermelon slices), pickle fries, a four-pound taco, a Krispy Kreme blueberry chicken sandwich, and more.
Canadian drag queen Tynomi Banks will be headlining the first drag show at the CNE Bandshell stage.
The tallest travelling Ferris wheel in North America is also stopping by the CNE. It’s called the Super Wheel and it stands at 150 feet tall.
The wheel comes with 36 air-conditioned pods and a great view of the city.
For those taking public transit both GO Transit and the TTC will offer additional service for riders going to the CNE.
Veterans and a companion can ride the GO, UP and TTC for free to and from the CNE for the Warriors’ Day Parade on Saturday.
Immediate family members of deceased veterans may also ride for free if carrying something to identify their relation to the late veteran, such as service papers or identification card.
There are no road closures scheduled, but drivers can expect traffic congestion and delays in the area.
The event starts on Friday and runs until September 4.
Indigenous food and vendor market
Dashmaawaan Bemaadzinjin (They Feed the People) is an Indigenous-led market held at Fort York National Historic Site every Thursday between 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
The event goes on rain or shine and is cash only.
Dashmawaan Bemaadzinjin works with Toronto Indigenous Harm Reduction. Their aim is to support food security needs of Indigenous, houseless people in Toronto, and directly with the Elders at Wigwamen Terrace each week.
RastaFest
RastaFest is a vibrant and culturally enriching event that celebrates the spirit of reggae music, Caribbean heritage, and community unity.
The event is a two-day festival taking place on Friday and Saturday at 1531 Eglinton Ave. W. in Little Jamaica.
The festival includes live reggae bands, dance showcases, Caribbean cuisine, art displays, and interactive workshops.
Latin Sparks Festival
The Latin Sparks Festival is happening at The Bentway on Saturday from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.
The event features a live salsa band, free dance lessons, live dance performances, and Latin American street food.
Jonas Brothers
The Jonas Brothers are back on tour and performing at the Rogers Centre on Saturday.
The live show lasts around three hours and includes tracks from their five studio albums, as well as songs from their solo projects.
TTC closures
Line 2 full weekend closure
On Saturday and Sunday, there will be no subway service on Line 2 Bloor-Danforth between Warden and Kennedy stations due to track and signal upgrades.
Shuttle buses will operate instead. Regular subway service will resume at approximately 6 a.m. on Monday.
GO updates
For those heading to the CNE, Metrolinx is providing additional service on the Stouffville, Barrie Lines and Lakeshore West and East lines, including the following:
More GO Train service while the CNE is on, outside of rush hour service on the Stouffville Line in both directions on weekdays between Union and Mount Joy GO. Hourly service will also return on weekends.
Barrie Line customers can expect additional train service outside morning and evening rush hours as well as weekend service between Union Station and Aurora GO.
Late-night trips, that usually only run on Friday and Saturday, will run all week for riders on the Lakeshore East and West lines.
Road closures
Burlington Skyway Bridge Closure
There will be a full closure of Niagara-bound traffic on the QEW Burlington Skyway for critical repairs, beginning Saturday at 10 p.m. and ending Sunday at 10 a.m.
Broadview and Danforth Avenues intersection
City crews have been working to replace tracks on the north side of the intersection at Broadview and Danforth Avenues, which is expected to be complete by late August. During construction, motorists and cyclists can expect the following impacts:
Only one shared eastbound lane will be available
No westbound traffic on Danforth Avenue through the intersection and no southbound traffic on Broadview Avenue
One northbound lane will be maintained on Broadview Avenue from Gerrard Street East to Danforth Avenue
On-site signage will mark a detour route for cyclists travelling westbound
Ongoing closures:
Logan Avenue will be open to local traffic only, between Gerrard Street East and Dundas Street East from Friday to Monday.
Dufferin Street Bridge has a full emergency closure for repair work and it’s expected to last into the fall.
Broadview Avenue, between Gerrard Street East and Danforth Avenue, will be closed to southbound traffic and reduced to one northbound lane until November to replace TTC streetcar tracks.
Teston Road in Vaughan will be closed between Pine Valley Drive and Weston Road until the end of the year for road reconstruction and bridge work.
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.
Lake Shore Boulevard West, from Rees Street to Spadina Avenue, is reduced to two lanes until May 31, 2024, for Enwave construction.
Bathurst Street is down to a single lane each way at Laurelcrest Avenue for construction until the middle of August.
Military Trail is closed from Ellesmere Road to Highcastle Road for road rehabilitation and slope stabilization. The project completion date has been delayed to the summer.
Keele Street is reduced to a single lane about 100 metres north of Langstaff in Vaughan. Construction work is scheduled to finish later this year.
Northbound Yonge Street is reduced to one lane between Wellington and King Streets for TTC construction. The project is scheduled to continue into 2024.
With files from Jordan Kerr of CityNews
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