5 things to do in Toronto this weekend (July 17-19)

With so many events in and around Toronto, it’s hard to keep track of what’s happening and what’s worth venturing out for. Here are five things we recommend doing in the city this weekend.

Visit an Ontario provincial park for free

As part of its Healthy Parks, Healthy People campaign this summer, Ontario Parks is allowing free access to all provincial parks Friday, July 17. This includes parks with beaches, such as Long Point, Sibbald Point, Wasaga Beach, Sandbanks and Darlington, as well as Algonquin Park. Visit ontarioparks.com for more information and to find a park close to you.

Enjoy some lobster

Restaurant chain The Keg is mainly known for serving reasonably priced delicious steak, but until Aug. 30 they have a lobster summer menu (PDF) in place. Using lobster from Canada’s North Atlantic, some of the dishes they are serving up include lobster gratinée, crispy lobster tacos, szechwan lobster and of course a steak and half lobster entree. The Keg also has eight Eco Cabs running throughout the downtown core until July 26. These complimentary rides can be boarded from Front to Queen between Portland and Jarvis and from Queen to College between University and Jarvis.

Shuck some oysters

If oysters are more to your taste than lobster, the Ontario Oyster Festival (aka Carpe Shuck’Em) is on at Rodney’s Oyster House (469 King St W.) Sunday from 2 – 10 p.m. The event, which expects over 1000 “oyster enthusiasts” to attend, raises money for the charity Environmental Defence. Tickets can be purchased in advance online for $33.81 and includes entry to the festival, two drink tickets and a plate of oysters or a bowl of coliseum ragu or mantane shrimp gazpacho. For more information and to purchase tickets in advance, visit rodneysoysterhouse.com.

Have a beer (or two) outside of the city

The Burlington Beer Festival takes over Spencer Smith Park this weekend for three days of suds, grub and live music. The festival features craft beer from local favourites Mill St., Beau’s, Amsterdam Brewery, Creemore Springs, Nickel Brook, Old Tomorrow and Steam Whistle, to name a few, and food from the likes of Table 34, The Purple Heather Pub and The Poutine Machine. Single-day tickets can be purchased online in advance for $35 or at the event for $40. Tickets include admission to the park, a festival mug and six 4 oz samples of beer (plan to take the train or bring a designated driver with you). For more information, visit burlingtonbeerfest.com.

Visit the Aboriginal Pavilion at the Pan Am Games

The Aboriginal Pavilion (located at Fort York’s National Historic Site’s Visitor Centre) is home to a 19-day arts, culture and sports festival during the Pan Am/Parapan Am Games that will “bring together Indigenous peoples from across the Americas to celebrate, share, and learn through exciting programming.” Along with live music and dance performances, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is premiering new short films from Jeff Barnaby, Michelle Latimer, Kent Monkman and Caroline Monnet — four of Canada’s top Aboriginal filmmakers. These can be viewed in the mixed-media exhibit Gazing Back, Looking Forward. For more information on the Aboriginal Pavilion, visit alppavilion.ca.

Ongoing events in the city include Summerlicious, the Beaches International Jazz Festival, the exhibit Andy Warhol Revisited: A Mirror For Today and a bunch of outdoor movie screenings.

Let us know what you plan to do in Toronto this weekend in the comments below or on our Facebook page.