Celebrate newcomers at Nathan Phillips Square. Toronto Newcomer Day offers a fun and welcoming atmosphere where everyone can learn about services for newcomers and experience Toronto’s rich diversity. Admission is free.
Enjoy cultural performances, activities for all ages, a food fair, marketplace and more than 100 information booths where you can meet representatives from local organizations.
Learn about and take home resources for lots of services that can help you settle into Toronto.
Booths include:
Where: Booth 16
Spin the wheel with questions and facts about local government. Use a pin to mark where you live on a large map. This activity is led by the City’s Clerk’s Office.
Where: Booth 18
Come by Toronto Public Library’s tent to register for your free library card. Bring your current name and address identification.
Where: Activity J
Try a variety of sports at this interactive pop-up. All ages and skill levels welcome.
Where: Activity I
Experience a Sacred Fire led by Indigenous Fire-Keepers from Toronto Council Fire. Learn about the four medicines (Tobacco, Sage, Cedar and Sweetgrass) and make an offering.
Where: Activity I
See a large, collaborative artwork. Newcomers painted tiles in response to three guiding questions: What is home? What is love? What is family? Then, Residential School survivors, their families and community participants painted tiles with messages of hope for newcomers. The completed works are represented in the orange t-shirts on display.
Where: Activity F
Enter a welcoming tent that gradually transforms into a vibrant installation filled with art and stories created by you. The walls become a living collage of newcomer experiences – visually rich, layered and deeply personal – inviting you to pause, reflect and connect with one another.
Where: Activity G
Celebrate the event with temporary body art known as Henna.
Where: Activity H
Are you a newcomer artist? Connect with experienced artists and mentors for personalized, one-on-one consultations. Bring your portfolio for reviews, get resources and career guidance from Toronto Arts Foundation Mentor-in-Residence.
Mark your place of origin on a shared world map using colourful stickers and pins. Over the course of the day, these markers will form a collective portrait of the diverse journeys that converge at the event, highlighting connection, movement and shared presence. This activity is led by Neighbourhood Arts Network.
10 a.m. to noon at Visa Street Soccer Park
Participate in inclusive street soccer games and practice light drills on the new Visa Street Soccer Park pitch. This activity is led by Canadian Street Soccer Association. No experience is necessary.
1:30 to 3 p.m. at Visa Street Soccer Park
Get in the soccer spirit and watch a friendly match played between teams from Sojourn House and COSTI’s Peel Reception Centre as they practice for the upcoming Refugee Soccer Cup in Toronto.
12:15 to 1:30 p.m.
Enjoy a program featuring:
Delight in music, movement and spontaneous interactions with performers, including clowns, dancers, actors and musicians.
See a variety of artwork become a living, moving experience that reflects migration journeys.
Explore a dozen booths of newcomer artists and entrepreneurs showcasing and selling handmade goods and original artwork.
Get a taste of the world at the food fair. Check out four newcomer-owned and operated food trucks and two community-based catering collectives, offering culturally diverse foods for sale.
Nathan Phillips Square
100 Queen St. W. in front of City Hall
Parking is available under the square and nearby. Find Green P parking lots available.
Get to the event by subway, streetcar or local bus. The closest subway station is Queen and buses and streetcars stop near the intersection of Queen & Bay streets. Visit TTC.ca to plan your trip.
Take the GO Train or GO Bus to Union Station, then walk or take the TTC to Nathan Phillips Square. Children aged 12 and under ride for free.
Learn about discounted GO Weekday Group Passes.
Travel from Pearson Airport to Union Station with UP Express, then walk or transfer to the TTC to get to Nathan Phillips Square. Children aged 12 and under ride for free.
