There are lots of events to keep you busy the first weekend in July including ribfest at Sankofa Square, Taste of Lawrence and more. Here’s what is happening this weekend in Toronto.
If you didn’t get your fill of ribs next week in Etobicoke, it’s back this weekend at Sankofa Square.
There will be perfectly cooked ribs and other BBQ options by the best ribbers in the square at Yonge and Dundas streets.
However, there won’t be any live music or a beer tent. It’s free to attend and the ribs will start being served at 12 p.m. on Friday until 9 p.m. on Sunday.
The chance to find your new favourite restaurant in Toronto is back with Summerlicious. The biannual festival offers special three course prix fixe menus from over 240 restaurants either for lunch or dinner at six different price points.
It runs from July 3 to July 19 and you can start making your reservations now. You can find a full list of the restaurants participating on the City of Toronto website.
The Beaches Jazz Festival kicks off with the Sounds of Leslieville and Riverside this weekend. Diverse music, food trucks and vendors will take over Jimmie Simpson Park.
The weekend will start with an ’80s Throwback Party at 6 p.m. Friday night and run through Sunday night.
A full lineup is available on their website.
Scarborough’s largest street festival will take over Lawrence Avenue East this weekend, bringing the community together for food, culture, music and entertainment.
Taste of Lawrence will kick off on Friday with an opening ceremony and parade at 6 p.m. and will feature live entertainment, a beverage garden, midway rides and family attractions.
New this year is the Soccer Hub, which will feature watch parties and game screenings during the FIFA World Cup.
You can find more details on their website.
The fan festival will remain open this weekend including on Saturday when Canada looks to move onto the Round of 8 against Morocco. It will be open from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Free general admission tickets will be available on Ticketmaster at 1 p.m. on Thursday.
There will be no TTC and GO closures this weekend but enhanced service will be in place for those attending FIFA events.
You can find full details on enhanced TTC service on Friday here. All the details on GO enhanced service can also be found on their website.
Weekend closures
FIFA World Cup
On Thursday, July 2, from 2 p.m. to midnight, the following road closures will be in place for the FIFA World Cup 2026 matches in Toronto:
Gardiner Expressway long-term closure
As part of the long-term construction plan on the Gardiner Expressway, a stretch of the westbound Gardiner has been reduced from four lanes to three. The westbound lane closure will stretch from Park Lawn Road to Grand Avenue in southern Etobicoke. The eastbound lanes along the same stretch will be narrowed, but with no lane reductions, from April 2025 to December 2026.
For full traffic and closure updates, click here for the latest information from 680 NewsRadio Toronto.