Weekend need-to-know: Toronto Caribbean Carnival takes over

Another long weekend is upon on and the Caribbean Carnival will be taking over Toronto streets once again.

Keep in mind there will be road closures on Lake Shore to accommodate the Carnival.

Toronto Caribbean Carnival

The Grand Parade

The much anticipated Grand Parade on Saturday is taking place at Exhibition Place and Lakeshore Boulevard from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The event includes elaborate costumes, lively Soca, and spirited masqueraders.

The parade will depart Exhibition Place Grounds at Princes’ Boulevard, to Canada Boulevard, to westbound Lake Shore Boulevard West.

It will also travel westbound along Lake Shore Boulevard West and will turn approximately 100 metres west of Jameson Avenue and then travel eastbound on Lake Shore Boulevard West. The masquerade bands will return to Exhibition Place at British Columbia Road.

The masquerade bands will return to Exhibition Place for judging via Canada Boulevard. The parade is free to attend but there are some ticketed areas.

Keepin’ Pan Alive

The sounds of steelpan music for the Keepin’ Pan Alive event is happening Friday at Exhibition Place at 7 p.m. until 11 p.m.

The annual Steel Pan Showcase put on by Ontario Steelpan Association is a night filled with live performances, showcasing steel pan renditions, while preserving the cultural musical art form.

Tickets are still available for the event.

Pan in D’Park

You can also check out more steel pan bands at the Pan in D’Park event, happening at Neilson Park in Scarborough on Sunday. The event is free and will feature DJs, Calypso artists, and a marketplace.

It’s happening from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.

VELD Music Festival

VELD Music Festival is returning to Downsview Park from Friday to Sunday.

This year’s lineup includes Steve Aoki, Alesso, Martin Garrix and more.

Toronto Food Truck Festival

Between 30 and 50 food trucks will be rolling into Woodbine Park to cook and share signature dishes at the annual Toronto Food Truck Festival in support of The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation and William Osler Health System Foundation.

The festival features four days of live music and a dozen eating challenges.

There will be all sorts of food from lobster rolls, tacos to mac and cheese. A full list of food trucks can be found on the website.

The festival takes place during the full long weekend from Friday to Monday.

Team Canada FanFest

Do you want to cheer on Team Canada during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games? Well, you can head to CF Shops at Don Mills for free, family-friendly events this weekend in support of Canada.

It will give fans the opportunity to watch the game with family and friends and live performances by Canadian music artists.

Team Canada FanFest will be hosted live by two-time Olympic champion Catriona Le May Doan, alongside Olympians Gilmore Junio , Cynthia Appiah, and Maxime Dufour-Lapointe.

Full details can be found on their website.

TTC/GO Closures

There are no TTC closures this weekend

Extra Caribbean Carnival GO service

GO Transit is also adding special Milton line service on Saturday to accommodate riders going to the Grand Parade.

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

Toronto Caribbean Carnival

Road Closures for the parade take effect on Saturday, August 3, 2024 at 12 a.m. and continue until Sunday, August 4, 2024 at 7 a.m., including:

• Lake Shore Boulevard West from Fort York Boulevard to Colborne Lodge Drive
• Lake Shore Boulevard West westbound between Bathurst Street and Fort York Boulevard is open to local traffic only
• Strachan Avenue southbound from Fleet Street

The following Gardiner Expressway ramps will close at 12 a.m. on Saturday, August 3, 2024:

• Westbound Gardiner Expressway on ramp at Jameson Avenue
• Eastbound Gardiner Expressway off ramp at Jameson Avenue
• Eastbound Gardiner Expressway on ramp from Jameson Avenue, and Lake Shore Boulevard West at British Columbia Road
• Westbound Gardiner Expressway off ramp at Dunn Avenue
• Lake Shore Boulevard West will close to traffic at 12 a.m. from westbound Strachan Avenue to Parkside Drive, and eastbound Lake Shore Boulevard West from Colborne Lodge Drive to Strachan Avenue
• The Princes’ Gates will remain closed to vehicle traffic on Saturday, August 3, 2024 starting at 1 a.m.

Restricted Access Points:

To assist with the flow of traffic and minimize disruptions to residents, the following streets will be restricted to local traffic only:

• Dufferin Street south of King Street West
• Dowling Avenue south of King Street West
• Stadium Road south of Lake Shore Boulevard West
• Queens Quay West, west of Bathurst Street
• Springhurst Avenue, west of Jameson Avenue
• Springhurst Avenue, east of Jameson Avenue
• Remembrance Drive

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 all the way 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.