Toronto announces major public events, festivals to proceed for spring and summer 2022

Toronto Mayor John Tory has announced all major in-person public events, parades and festivals will go ahead for 2022 after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think we are all ready for a vibrant and exciting 2022,” Tory said at an announcement on Friday, alongside some festival organizers. “We’re saying loudly and clearly, … Welcome back Toronto and welcome back to Toronto.”

“Many of Toronto’s major festival organizers have confirmed their plans to come back live and in-person for 2022 and so we’re gearing up to launch this major slate of events.”

Tory said there are many major festivals to come, such as the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 20, which was one of the first major events that had to be cancelled in 2020.

Other events include Doors Open Toronto, Pride, Caribbean Carnival, Taste of the Danforth, and TIFF, among others.

The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) was not initially mentioned as being officially confirmed in the list announced by Tory on Friday but a CNE organizer later confirmed the event will go ahead in August.

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“The smells and sounds of an institution, some 140 years that this event has been going on. It’s not going anywhere. We are definitely going to be back Aug. 19 to Sept. 5,” CNE president John Kiru told Global News.

2:29 City of Toronto to welcome back all outdoor major events, festivals

Kiru could not elaborate on what exactly will be featured at the CNE such as specific foods but he did mention that the SuperDogs show will return.

Tory also noted that although some events “weren’t mentioned today, does not mean they aren’t happening.”

On March 1, the Ontario government lifted all capacity restrictions for indoor and outdoor gatherings. It also eliminated the proof of vaccination system.

Here is a full list of confirmed events this spring and summer:

• St. Patrick’s Parade returns on March 20.
• Doors Open Toronto will take place on May 28 and 29.
• Pride Toronto will be bringing Pride Month starting June 1 and Pride Festival Weekend on June 24 to June 26.
• Luminato Festival Toronto returns June 9 through June 19.
• TD Salsa in Toronto Festival will return June 1 through July 31. The annual TD Salsa on St. Clair Street Festival will occur on July 9 and July 10.
• TD Toronto Jazz Festival returns June 24 through July 3.
• Taste of Lawrence will take place July 8 through July 10.
• Toronto Caribbean Carnival will be celebrating from July 7 to Aug. 1.
• TD JerkFest Toronto returns Aug. 4 through to Aug. 7.
• Taste of the Danforth will take place Aug. 5 through Aug. 7.
• Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) will run from Aug. 19 to Sept. 5.
• Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) returns on Sept. 8 through Sept. 18.