Toronto Festivals 2012

Another year, another set of festivals and the list seems to grow each time.  This list is by no means exhaustive but is just a sample of the many up and coming events this year.

Date	Event	Entrance Fee	Description
Jan-Feb 2012	Winter City		Toronto's WinterCity Festival hosts free entertainment at Nathan Phillips Square and different creative arts events including fun skating parties http://www.whatsonwhen.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=28225
Jan 27-Feb 9, 2011	Winterlicious		Fixed price 3 course meals in noted restaurants around the city www.toronto.ca/special_events/wintercity/
Mar 16-25, 2012	Home Show Canada Blooms	$20	www.nationalhomeshow.com/NHS/EventsHome.aspx
Mar 28-Apr 1, 2012	One of a Kind Spring Show	$10	“One of a kind” handcrafted arts, crafts, clothing, etc. www.oneofakindshow.com/
Mar 29-Apr 3, 2012	Silent Film Fest	Ticketed	www.torontosilentfilmfestival.com/
Apr 1-30	Toronto Reading Festival	Free	Libraries across Toronto www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/ktr/events.jsp?showAll=true
Apr 26-May 6, 2012	Hot Docs	Ticketed $10	Canadian International Documentary Festival www.hotdocs.ca
May 5-6, 2012	Jane Walk	Free	Walking tours in neighbourhoods across Toronto, celebrating the legacy and ideas of urban activist and writer Jane Jacobs www.janeswalk.net/
May 1-31, 2012	Contact	Free	Exhibition of digital and analog photography www.scotiabankcontactphoto.com/
May 26-27, 2012	Doors Open Toronto	Free	Buildings around Toronto not usually open to the public will be made available for public visits or tours www.toronto.ca/doorsopen/
June 1-3, 2012	Waterfront Blues	Free	Blues festival at Woodbine Park (Lakeshore Blvd & Coxwell) www.waterfrontblues.ca
Jun 5-12, 2012	Short Film Fest	Ticketed	Canadian Film Centre (CFC) World Wide Short Film Festival http://worldwideshortfilmfest.com/
June 8-17, 2012	Luminato	Free + ticketed shows	Toronto festival of arts & creativity featuring celebrations in dance, music, film, literature, theatre, visual arts and designs. www.luminato.com/
June  9, 2012	Yonge-Lawrence Village Day	Free	Village-long sidewalk sale, quality entertainment ,kids zones play areas http://www.yongelawrencevillage-bia.com/happening.asp
June 10 2012	Festival on Bloor	Free	Bloor St. from Spadina St. to Bathurst St. Live music, craft vendors, kids activities, theatre
June 2012	Taste of Little Italy	Free	Tastings of Italian cuisine, live entertainment, crafts, music www.tasteoflittleitaly.ca/
June 14-16, 2012	Wine & Spirit Festival	Free	Sugar Beach www.wineandspiritfestival.ca/
June 11-17 2012	NXNE Music Festival	Ticketed	North by Northeast Music Festival of emerging and indie bands www.nxne.com
June 22 – July1, 2012	Pride Week	Free + ticketed shows	One of the biggest Pride celebrations in North America. www.pridetoronto.com/
June 22-July 1, 2012	Toronto Jazz Festival	Ticketed Shows	Jazz concerts scheduled  downtown core at different clubs and venues. torontojazz.com/
June 23-24, 2012	Dragon Boat Race Festival	Free	Toronto Centre Island www.dragonboats.com/
Next available 2013	Toronto Island Garden Tour	$10	Visit the cottage homes on Ward's Island and tour the beautiful gardens. Every other year. www.torontoislands.org/index.php?view=details&id=86%3Agarden-tour-2011&option=com_eventlist&Itemid=8&lang=en
July 2012	CHIN International Picnic	Free	Picnic celebrating cultural diversity - Bikini pageants, cycling races, music, food, circus, kids zone
July 4-15, 2012	Toronto Fringe Festival	Ticketed Shows	Eclectic, avant garde productions to choose from including dramas, comedies, musicals and more www.fringetoronto.com/
July 2012	Corso Italian Fiesta	Free + food for sale	Free outdoor festival of italian food, music, live performance, shopping www.torontofiesta.com/
July 6-8, 2012	Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition	Free + art for sale	Paintings, portraits, sculptures, art of various medium for sale and judging www.torontooutdoorart.org/
July 6-8 2012	Honda Indy Toronto	Ticketed event	Open-wheel racing of the IZOD Indy Car Series,2010 Honda Indy Toronto  www.hondaindytoronto.com/
July 6-22 2012	Summerlicious	Fixed price 3 course lunches and dinners	Try Toronto's finest restaurants for a 3 course meal with slow, surly service  for $15-20 lunches and $25-35 dinners http://www.toronto.ca/special_events/summerlicious/post/index.htm
Aug 2-6, 2012	Caribana	Free + Ticketed shows	Festival of Caribbean cuisine, music, dance, and the Caribana parade. www.caribanatoronto.com/
July 20-29, 2012	Beaches Jazz Festival	Free concerts + Ticketed shows	Free outdoor jazz concerts in a variety of settings such as Kew Beach, Distillery District, etc. Free and fee-based jazz workshops. Ticketed jazz events and shows. www.beachesjazz.com/
Aug, 2012	Taste of the Danforth	Free + food for purchase	Outdoor kiosks selling food tastings (mostly Greek but also other ethnicities) from the numerous restaurants along the Danforth. Live entertainment. www.toronto.com/tasteofthedanforth/about
Aug 20-22, 2012	Hot and Spicy Food Festival	Free + food for purchase	Harbourfront www.harbourfrontcentre.com/worldroutes/festivals.cfm?festival_id=19
Aug 17-Sep 3, 2012	Canadian National Exhibition	Adults $14, Children/Seniors $10	Largest national fair in Canada - rides, games, shows and more www.theex.com/
Aug  2012	Fake Prom	$17	Dance, drinks, fun @ Palace Royale – annual dress up party that recreates a high school prom http://www.fakeprom.com/2011/
Sep 7-9, 2012	Cabbagetown Festival	Free	Neighbourhood festival with shopping, food, entertainment, mini zoo, historic walking tour. cabbagetownfestival.blogspot.com/
Sep 7-9, 2012	Vegetarian Food  Festival	Free + food for purchase	Harbourfront – speakers, exhibitors, cooking demos www.veg.ca/
Sept 6-16, 2012	Toronto International Film Festival	Tickets starting from $16	One of the most prestigous international film festivals in the world and often a good predictor of upcoming Oscar nominations. www.tiff.net/
TBD 2012	Beer Week	Food and drink purchase	Craft beer and food events across Toronto www.torontobeerweek.com
Sep 23, 2012	Word on the Street	Free	A booklover’s paradise with a marketplace of more than 250 book, magazine and literacy exhibits, readings by more than 170 Canadian authors, poets, storytellers, and performers, and a myriad of workshops for aspiring writers. www.thewordonthestreet.ca/wots/toronto
Oct 14, 2012	Toronto Waterfront Marathon	Entry fee	The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon & Half are part of the Canada Running Series—A Selection of Canada's Best Runs www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com/en/index.htm
Sept 29, 2012 - 7pm to sunrise	Nuit Blanche	Free	From dusk til dawn, exhibitions of still and performance art in traditional and unusual spaces including free access to all art galleries and museums www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca/home.shtml
TBD 2012	International Festival of Authors	Ticketed events	Renown authors give readings, interviews, lectures, roundtable discussions and book signinings. www.readings.org/?q=ifoa
Oct 2012	Zombie Walk	Free	www.torontozombiewalk.ca Trinity Bellwoods Park – Makeup provided
Oct  2012	Night of the Dead	Free	Assemble in the park at 4pm, Parade departs at 6pm; PWYC, $10/suggested donation An evening of pageantry, music and masquerade including towering puppets, stilt dancers, fire twirlers and fearful masks in a daring exploration of dread. www.clayandpapertheatre.org
Nov 2-11, 2012	Royal Agricultural Winter Fair	Ticket	World’s largest indoor agricultural and international equestrian competition www.royalfair.org/
Nov-Dec 2012	One of a Kind Christmas show		“One of a kind” handcrafted arts, crafts, clothing, etc. www.oneofakindshow.com/
Nov 17, 2012	Cavalcade of Lights		First Lighting Celebration at Nathan Phillips Square