25 things to do this spring in Toronto
Spring activities and events in Toronto will give you plenty of chances to embrace the warmer weather. Before temperatures get too hot to handle, spend your time sampling beer, getting your fill of food and music festivals, and checking out majestic cherry blossoms.
Here are 25 things to do this spring in Toronto.
APRIL EVENTS
Listen to some stories
Stop by to hear a few stories at the Storyfire or immerse yourself fully into the storytelling culture by checking out multiple events over the ten-day Toronto Storytelling Festival (April 1-10).
Eat some curry
Spicy foods will heat things up at the Aga Khan Museum on Saturday, April 9. General admission is $10 and includes free access to the museum after hours (6:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.), not to mention the chance to taste dishes from Rickshaw Bar, Pai, Bombay Street Food Co. and more.
Get stylish at the city's most cutting edge fashion event
Toronto Fashion Week may have wrapped, but that doesn't mean you should trade in your more eccentric duds for a Roots' sweat suit anytime soon. Fashion Art Toronto will allow you to put your gear to good use when it hits the city from April 12-16.
Get your fill of animation
Help make Toronto a hotspot for animated arts and entertainment. There will be over 30 exhibitors for animation-junkies to check out, along with industry-professional speakers giving tips and tricks of the trade at the Toronto Animation Arts Festival Insternational April 22 to 24.
Discover the future of food
Head to the Gladstone on April 21 for the Grow Op Alternative Food + Drink Show. The event will showcase unique dishes made from alternative ingredients.
MAY EVENTS
Watch some of the world's best docs
Toronto is lucky to have Doc Soup (ending in April) and the Hot Docs Film Festival (April 28-May 8) bring the latest and greatest documentaries to the big screen. Film fans also shouldn't miss Inside Out, Toronto's LGBT Film Festival later in the month (May 26-June 5).
See Toronto's art stars of tomorrow
To celebrate the end of the school year and the beginning of spring, stop by an art show put on by graduating Toronto students. From fashion to illustration, this is your chance to check out Toronto's upcoming young creative talent. OCADU's GradEx (May 4 to 8) and Ryerson's Maximum Exposure (May 5) are always highly anticipated with a slate of other grad shows scheduled for April.
Immerse yourself in the world of photography
The annual Contact Photography Festival stretches across the entire month of May and is jam-packed with 20 free public installations and more than 200 events, all featuring works from Canadian and international artists and photographers.
Buy some flowers
Blossom and Bloom (May 6) and the Toronto Flower Market (May 7th) are returning, so you can forget about furnishing your house with faux floral arrangements courtesy of the Michael's sale section.
Conquer Toronto's premier e-sports event
Watch e-sports go mainstream as Toronto's largest e-sports event takes place on May 21. Play a round of League of Legends, Smash Bros or Street Fighter V.
See cherry blossoms in bloom
'Tis the season for everyone to flock to High Park and photograph the cherry blossoms - and for good reason, they're beautiful (just brace yourself for the influx of floral flicks about to flood your Instagram feed). Check this web site to see when they're blooming.
Get outside and browse some art
The spring season brings Toronto art fairs outdoors. Discover art fairs art in all of your favourite neighborhoods like the Artfest Toronto at the Distillery (May 21-23), the Christie Pits 4th Annual Arts Crawl (May 29), or the Kensington Market Art Fair (starting May 29).
Party on the Toronto Islands
The first Electric Island concert of the year will be taking over Hanlan's Point on May 23. Expect a kick-ass lineup and plenty of dancing at what is one of the last music fests to call the Islands home.
Get your fill of Wolf Parade
Wolf Parade will be in town for 5 nights from May 24 to 28. Tickets are selling out quickly, so be sure to snag some seats to start off spring with some live music.
Do your best cosplay routine at Anime North
From May 27 to 29 Anime North takes over the Toronto Congress Centre and International Plaza Hotel for its annual convention. Expect to find plenty of vendors, speakers and performers dressed in their most creative costumes.
See inside Toronto's most important buildings
Ever wondered what lies behind the doors of Toronto's most architecturally, historically, culturally and socially important buildings? From May 27 to 29 you can find out when Doors Open gives everybody a free pass to snoop around inside of them.
JUNE EVENTS
Dust off your bike in time for Bike Month
Take your bike out for a spin and fall in love with Toronto in celebration of Bike Month (May 30 to June 30).
Hit up a music festival
Summer might be marquee season for music festivals with WAYHOME, TURF and Time, but spring ain't too shabby, either. This season you look forward to Field Trip (June 4-5), Bestival (June 11-12), NXNE (June 15-19) and more.
Learn how to tango
Celebrate the end of winter with a dance -- the tango to be specific. Join dancers from around the world in a four-day celebration of Argentine Tango (June 9-12), all welcome with or without tango experience.
Get buzzed in the sun
There are plenty of brew-centric bashes this spring for those who feel strongly about their ales, pilsners and lagers. Ontario Craft Beer Week (June 10-19), the Session Craft Beer Festival (June 11) and the Toronto Craft Beer Festival (June 17-19) are just a few of the top events coming to town.
Celebrate the 10th edition of Luminato
Luminato kicks off mid-June (10-19) and will bring a smorgasbord of art and performance events to the city. Unsound Toronto will also return as part of the fest, if you missed the action at the Hearn last year.
ACTIVITIES YOU CAN DO ALL SPRING LONG
Explore surreal wonders
If you've ever watched Planet Earth, you're probably been intrigued by natural wonders. Well good news: there are a few just outside the city that will have you feeling immersed in a David Attenborough flick.
Go for a run
After being trapped inside for the better part of winter, it'll feel good to go for a run without stepping onto a treadmill. Train for one of the season's top running events by hitting a hill or trail in the city.
Go camping
If you're tired of skyscrapers, traffic jams and the hustle and bustle of the city, it may be time to commune with nature. Head to one of these campsites near the city for a little R&R in the wild.
Go chasing waterfalls
Ignore TLC's advice and go chase some waterfalls this spring. While you won't find anything particularly interesting in the city, there's an awesome collection of these natural wonders within an hour's drive of Toronto.
Add your favourite things to do this spring to the comments.
Writing by Alice Prendergast and Samantha Tapp.
Photos by Subjective Art, Nicky Jameson, Jesse Milns, Natta Summerky x 2, , Jack Landau, Matt Forsythe, Jesse Milns, and Nimeral1.
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