Weekend need-to-know: Honda Indy hits the streets

Get ready for the roar of the engines as the Honda Indy is hitting the Toronto streets this weekend.

Keep in mind, there will be some road closures related to the race along with a late opening on Line 2.

Honda Indy

Indy cars will be whipping through Exhibition Place this weekend along the 2.84 kilometre temporary street course. The track is constructed throughout the grounds and utilizes Lake Shore Boulevard as the back stretch.

Festivalgoers will be treated to the sights and sounds of the racetrack while having the opportunity to taste food and beverages from vendors stationed around the grounds.

Thunder Alley also will have interactive displays and fun for all ages.

Friday night will be free for all attendees but Saturday and Sunday are ticketed events. You can find more information and the schedule on their website.

Panamerican Food and Music

Celebrate the rich diversity of cuisine, music and art at the Pan American Food & Music Festival this weekend at Nathan Phillips Square.

It is Canada’s largest annual celebration of the Americas that will include food demos by international chefs, live music and dance performances.

The festival kicks off at 12 p.m. on Saturday and runs through Sunday.

Festival of South Asia

The 22nd annual Festival of South Asia is happening this weekend on Gerrard St. in Little India. With over 250,000 visitors expected to attend, the festival says they will be transporting attendees on a journey across South Asia.

The event will feature an incredible lineup of live performances by over 200 talented artists, showcasing various traditional and contemporary styles of music and dance from South Asia, from Bollywood dances to classical melodies.

And don’t forget about the food. The festival’s food zone tantalizes their taste buds with a delectable selection of South Asian cuisine.

It kicks off Saturday at 12 p.m. on Gerrard from Glenside to Coxwell Avenue.

TTC/GO Closures

Line 2 Sunday late start

Subway service on Line 2 between St George and Broadview stations will start by 11 a.m. on Sunday, July 21, 2024 for track work.

Line 2 shuttle buses will operate.

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. 

Temporary road closures

Honda Indy

Southbound Strachan Avenue will be closed from Lake Shore Boulevard to Fleet Street while Lake Shore Boulevard will be closed from Strachan to British Columbia Road. The roads will reopen at 11 p.m. on Sunday.

Other ongoing city closures

• Spadina Avenue streetcars have been replaced by buses between Spadina Station and Queens Quay and there will be no 510 service between Spadina Avenue and Union Station along Queens Quay until the end of the year. 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 all ways for condo construction and sewer installation until 2025.
• 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 for at least four-and-a-half years until 2027.
• Northbound Yonge Street is reduced to one lane between Wellington and King Streets for TTC construction. The project 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 for sewer installation until October 2024.
• Eglinton Avenue West is down to a single lane east of Islington and west of Scarlett Road for tunneling 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. 
• Until at least Friday, July 19, King Street West will be closed between Atlantic Avenue and Sudbury Street, and westbound lanes will be closed between Dufferin and Shaw Streets, for ongoing work to replace aging TTC streetcar tracks and a 146-year-old watermain.
• 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.