Weekend need-to-know: Blue Jays and tennis action in Toronto, other events; road/TTC closures

One of the best things after a long weekend is that for some, it’s a shorter week leading into another weekend, with more fun summer events on tap.

Some of the events in Toronto include the Blue Jays at home, tennis action, tacos galore, and theatre in High Park. As you make your plans, take note of the various TTC and road closures.

Selection of events

Blue Jays at home

The Toronto Blue Jays are in town! The team plays the Baltimore Orioles at the Rogers Centre on Thursday, Aug. 8, followed by a three-game series against the Oakland Athletics Friday-Sunday, Aug. 9-11.

Aug. 8 is City Connect jersey night — a chance to see the team wearing an alternate uniform, designed to honour the city’s culture and community.

Aug. 9 is Harry Potter Night, where fans can enjoy themed activities and take part in exclusive photo-ops. As part of a giveaway, the first 15,000 ticket-holders will get a Blue Jays Harry Potter House Raglan Shirt. Click here for more details and to buy tickets.

Click here for the Blue Jays’ schedule and to buy tickets to the ballgames.

Tacos festival at Fort York

If you’re a fan of tacos and tequila, you might want to check out TacoFest this weekend.

The three-day event, Aug. 9-11, features more than 250 traditional and modern taco variations, tequila and mezcal tasting, dance and music sessions, and learning to make the best guacamole. Click here for more details and ticket information. The event is for 19+.

Hamlet in the park
The Canadian Stage theatre company has brought Shakespeare’s legendary Hamlet to Toronto as part of this season’s Dream in High Park. The play is staged at the High Park Amphitheatre until Sunday, Sept. 1. Performances are at 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 7 p.m. on Sunday.

Tickets can be purchased online and in-person. Seating is available on a first-come basis and gates open two hours before each performance. Click here for more details.

Tennis action in the city
Watch the top tennis stars play at Tennis Canada’s National Bank Open, presented by Rogers. The women’s event is being held at Sobey’s Stadium in North York, while the men’s event takes place at the IGA stadium in Montreal.

In Toronto, second- and third-round action is on Thursday, Aug. 8, and Friday, Aug. 9, followed by the quarterfinals and semifinals on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 10-11, respectively, and the final on Monday, Aug. 12.

Click here for tickets. Details of the match schedule can be found here.

TTC closures

Friday, Aug. 9: Starting at 11 p.m., there will be no subway service between Lawrence West and St George stations for planned track work. Shuttle buses will be running, and stations will remain open. Regular weekend service resumes on Saturday.

Saturday-Sunday, Aug. 10-11: Trains on Line 2 will not stop at Pape Station due to Ontario Line construction. Bus service at Pape won’t be impacted and the station will remain open. Click here for details on how to navigate around the closure.

Sunday, Aug. 11: Due to track work, subway service on Line 2 between St. George and Broadview stations will start by 11 a.m. Shuttle buses will run before the late opening. Bay and Sherbourne stations will be closed.

Keep in mind that reduced speed zones are in effect on sections of lines 1 and 2.

Click here for closure updates.

Road closures

Ongoing Gardiner closures

As part of the long-term construction plan on the Gardiner Expressway, one westbound lane and one eastbound lane are closed between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue. The eastbound on-ramp from Lake Shore Boulevard at Jameson Avenue is also closed.

Other ongoing city closures

• Spadina Avenue streetcars have been replaced by buses between Spadina Station and Queens Quay, and until the end of the year, there will be no 510 service between Spadina Avenue and Union Station along Queens Quay. Commuters wishing to travel onwards to Union from Queens Quay will need to transfer to a 509 streetcar.
• O’Connor Drive is down to a single lane each way between Bermondsey and Sandra for road reconstruction and sewer and watermain installation until the summer of 2024.
• The Yonge and Bloor intersection will be reduced to a single lane until 2025 for condo construction and sewer installation.
• University Avenue will be reduced to a single lane in both directions between College Street and Queen Street West to complete several infrastructure projects for the next several months.
• 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 until 2027, at least four and a half years.
• Northbound Yonge Street is reduced to one lane between Wellington and King Streets for TTC construction, which is scheduled to continue into 2024.
• Two northbound lanes of Yonge Street from King Street to Wellington Street are closed for TTC construction until Sept. 30, 2024.
• Finch Avenue West is reduced to a single lane in both directions from Dufferin to Wilmington until October 2024 for sewer installation.
• Eglinton Avenue West is reduced to a single lane east of Islington and west of Scarlett Road due to tunnelling work related to the multi-year Eglinton Crosstown West Extension project.
• Lane restrictions on Bayview Avenue between Roehampton Avenue and Armistice Drive while the city completes road resurfacing, curb and sidewalk replacement, and traffic signal and pedestrian upgrades. One northbound lane is currently closed on Bayview Avenue between Kilgour Road and Roehampton Avenue.
• Cherry Street remains closed south of Polson Pier due to maintenance on the Ship Channel Lift Bridge (Strauss Trunnion Bascule Bridge). Road users are able to access the Port of Toronto and Cherry Beach via Unwin Avenue. 
• From Friday, July 12, the Progress Avenue bridge over McCowan Road and the ramp at Busby Drive to northbound McCowan Road will be permanently closed for demolition as part of construction on the Scarborough Centre subway station. Demolition is scheduled for completion in early September. Sidewalk access will be maintained.

Rogers is the parent company of this website.