Courtesy of a City of Toronto Press release, here are some ideas to stay busy over the long weekend.
The City of Toronto encourages residents and visitors to take advantage of the City’s attractions and recreational sites open to enjoy during Simcoe Day on Monday, August 7.
Outdoor pools, wading pools and splash pads
Beat the heat and drop by your local outdoor pool, splash pad or wading pool on Simcoe Day. Indoor pools and community centres will be closed. All City outdoor pools, wading pools and splash pads will be open. More information about locations and hours of operation is available at http://www.toronto.ca/swim.
Golf
All five City-run golf courses will be open for the holiday weekend. More information about hours and locations is available at http://www.toronto.ca/golf.
Tennis courts
All public tennis court sites will have nets up and will be available for use throughout the weekend. Public sites are free and available to the general public. Tennis players are asked to share the courts by limiting their play time to half-hour intervals if others are waiting to use the courts. More information about tennis is available at http://www.toronto.ca/tennis.
Riverdale Farm
Riverdale Farm is home to a variety of domestic farm animals, including Tamworth pigs, baby goats and Cotswold lambs. The breeds represent animals commonly found on a turn-of-the-century Ontario farm. Riverdale Farm is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is free. More information is available at http://www.toronto.ca/riverdalefarm.
High Park Zoo
Visit new faces in Toronto’s oldest zoo. High Park Zoo houses domestic and exotic animals such as bison, llamas, Highland cattle and the infamous capybaras and their new babies. Visit the new arrivals, including the baby yak, reindeer and bison. The zoo is open daily from 7 a.m. to dusk. Admission is free. More information about High Park Zoo is available at http://www.toronto.ca/parks/zoo/.
Toronto Island Park (ferry docks located at the foot of Bay Street)
Toronto’s largest downtown park reopened on July 31. The park offers a variety of fun – a great place to walk, cycle, explore and view the city skyline. More information is available at http://www.bit.ly/2tzD0fC and http://www.toronto.ca/islands.
Getting to the Islands by ferry is half the fun. Toronto’s ferries can carry more than 4,000 passengers an hour to and from the Islands. Arrive early to avoid lineups. Ferry tickets, schedules and information about peak hours and wait times is available at http://www.toronto.ca/ferry.
Conservatories
A wide variety of flowers are in full bloom at Allan Gardens Conservatory and Centennial Park Conservatory. Both conservatories are open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. More information is available by calling Allan Gardens Conservatory at 416-392-7288 or Centennial Park Conservatory at 416-394-8543 or online at http://www.toronto.ca/conservatories.
Arts and Theatre in Toronto parks
Enjoy fun, free and family-friendly performances such as movies, music and theatre in your local park over the long weekend. On Simcoe Day, the finale of the BLOWOUT festival at Earl Bales Park and amphitheatre, produced by Nia Centre for the Arts, will feature performances by JUNO award winners and nominees Saukrates, Korexion, Ammoye and Blessed alongside hip-hop legends Pete Rock & CL Smooth. The acclaimed Dusk Dances will also begin its annual week of performances at Withrow Park. Arts in the Parks is a new initiative of the Toronto Arts Foundation and Toronto Arts Council presented in partnership with the City of Toronto and Park People. More information is available at https://www.artsintheparksto.org/.
Simcoe Day at Toronto’s Historic Sites
Two of the City’s 10 historic sites will offer events, activities and tours on Simcoe Day. Programming highlights for the open sites are listed below. All of the City’s historic sites will be open with many activities over the long weekend. Times and activity details will vary by location. More information is available at http://www.toronto.ca/museum-events.
Fort York National Historic Site (250 Fort York Blvd.)
Fort York celebrates Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe, who founded the town of York (Toronto) in 1793 and was the first Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada (Ontario). Simcoe also lived at Fort York. Experience Toronto’s history with musketry, artillery and music demonstrations by the Fort York Guard and Guards from Fort George National Historic Park from Niagara-on-the-Lake and Old Fort Erie. Visitors can also see exhibitions at the Fort York Visitor Centre and the working kitchen in the 1815 Officers’ Brick Barracks. Admission is free. These events are funded in part by the Government of Canada. Fort York is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on August 7.
Spadina Museum (285 Spadina Rd.)
The museum will be open from noon to 5 p.m. on Simcoe Day and will be offering tours. Regular admission will apply. Visitors can also see the exhibit Settling in Toronto: The Quest for Freedom, Opportunity and Identity, which explores how immigration and the experiences of new Canadians transformed the city from the 1700s to the present. Visitors can also contribute to the collaborative art project Our Journey – An Art Map of Canadian Identity. The museum now offers a self-guided audio-visual landscape tour of Spadina’s 5.7 acre grounds, including historical facts and images relating to the local history, geology, archeology and family history. The device for the landscape tour can be rented for $5 plus tax or add an additional $2 to the price of admission to rent the device and enjoy a tour of the house interiors as well.
Public transit
TTC service will operate on a holiday schedule on August 7, with the exception of the 192 Airport Rocket which will have increased service. The TTC website at http://ttc.ca provides information for planning transit trips.
Other municipal facilities and services
City of Toronto emergency and 24-hour services will operate throughout the long weekend. City administrative offices and service counters, City-operated child care centres and Children’s Services district offices will be closed on August 7. The City of Toronto Archives, located at 255 Spadina Rd., will also be closed on August 7. More information about the archives is available at http://www.toronto.ca/archives.
This news release is also available on the City’s website: http://ow.ly/xvjw30e6Yr4.
And don’t forget CARIBANA TORONTO 2017
Thursday, August 3rd – Monday, August 7th 2017 – Over a million tourists are expected in Toronto during the August long weekend to experience everything Caribana has to offer. The beauty of Caribana in Toronto is the varied audience it attracts: everyone from families across Canada and the U.S, young singles looking for a good time, to celebrities throwing Caribana themed parties in clubs across Toronto. https://www.caribanatoronto.com/
