The summer street festivals have came and went, but there is another big one before the arrival of autumn.
The Cabbagetown Festival is set to return to the swish downtown nabe from Sept. 12 to 13 with its largest footprint yet.
The 47th annual festival will stretch along Parliament Street between Gerrard and Wellesley streets as well as along Carlton Street from Parliament to Sherbourne, bringing more than 250 vendors, 200-plus performers, food trucks, pop-up patios, DJs, street performers and family activities to the historic downtown neighbourhood.
“Every year, we look for new ways to make the Cabbagetown Festival even more reflective of the incredible community we represent, and I couldn’t be more excited about what we’re introducing this year,” said Matthew Mohan, Executive Director, The Cabbagetown BIA. “From welcoming an amazing lineup of EDM artists at our brand-new EDM stage and launching our first-ever Rainbow Market featuring 2SLGBTQI+ businesses and makers, we’re celebrating more of what makes Cabbagetown such a vibrant, inclusive, and welcoming neighbourhood.”
The festival has been running since 1976 and is considered Toronto’s longest-running street festival. Organizers expect more than 100,000 people to attend this year.
One of the biggest draws will be the number of independent businesses and makers setting up shops along the streets. More than 85 of the participating vendors are Cabbagetown businesses, while about 65 per cent of vendors are handmade-in-Canada businesses.
There will also be a new Rainbow Market highlighting 2SLGBTQI+ businesses and makers, along with an expanded lineup of entertainment including an EDM stage, Indigenous performers, blues and rock bands, drag performers, dancers and roaming street performers.
Of course, like any good street festival, the Cabbagetown food scene will be well-presented with participating restaurants, patios, food trucks and other vendors serving everything from butter chicken and Mexican coffee to Hawaiian barbecue, pierogis, udon, gelato and churros.
Families can head to the free Kids Zone on Carlton Street, where activities will include live music, magic, crafts, games, bouncy castles, bubble experiences, face painting and drag storytime.
The weekend will begin with the festival’s traditional opening ceremony and cabbage cutting at 11 a.m. on Sept. 12. On Sunday, the festival will end with its annual closing parade at 6:20 p.m.
For anyone planning to visit, Parliament and Carlton streets will be closed to traffic beginning at 6 a.m. on Sept. 12 until 7 p.m. on Sept. 13. The festival is free to attend.