Community Events

The Indigenous Arts Festival at Fort York celebrates traditional and contemporary music, dance, theatre, storytelling, literature, crafts and food created by indigenous artists from across Canada. Presented by Fort York, the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation and NaMeRes, this festival energizes the grounds and buildings of this historic site with powerful ancient traditions and compelling contemporary creations. The Indigenous Arts Festival provides an important forum for the stories, cultural traditions and artistic creations of Indigenous people to be heard, seen and experienced within one of Canada’s most significant historic sites, located in the heart of our country’s largest metropolitan centre.

Location: Fort York National Historic Site
Estimated Attendance: 15,000

The Gatsby Garden Party is a two-day revival event at Spadina Museum with music, food and drinks from the 1920s. Guests, primarily millennials, participate in a costume contest, play croquet, explore Spadina House Museum, and take dance lessons. This popular event for over 2,000 people sells out quickly each year.

Location: Spadina Museum
Estimate Attendance: close to 2,000

The youth program at Montgomery’s Inn is designed for youth to learn how to cook, bake and grow their own food. It strives to build community, to create leaders and mentors, and empower youth to engage in issues relating to nutrition and sustainability. Youth in grades 7 to 12 take part in workshops, which include learning to shop for fresh food at the Montgomery’s Inn Farmers’ Market, making pizza in an outdoor brick bake oven and roasting chickens over an open fire. Students develop their creative side as well by producing films, photography and works of art that tell the story of the Inn and its inhabitants.

Scarborough Museum

Beginning with youth volunteers assisting at the museum’s day camps, the Scarborough Museum youth program grew as the overwhelming need for free, positive and creative community space in the Scarborough area became apparent. Youth gain their 40 hours of mandatory volunteer service while taking part in historical activities at the museum. The museum offers a safe environment for young people to try their hand at art, photography, event planning, printmaking, acting, writing, and many other activities. To date they have produced over two dozen historical plays, mounted three photography shows, and developed one travelling exhibit displayed through the Toronto Public Library system.

Notes in the Night (March 3 – June 23, 2018

This exhibit at the Market Gallery focuses on jazz performance venues. After the heyday of the dance bands of the Swing Era, the primary venue for performance development and audience engagement with jazz music in Toronto was the night club. Original photographs, artifacts and moving images will highlight the building premises, artists, staff and the night life scene related to jazz performances in the clubs.

Location: Market Gallery (St. Lawrence Market)
Estimated attendance: 6,000

Bike City Toronto (June – November, 2018)

This exhibit at the Market Gallery asks the question, “is Toronto a Bike City?” From cycling infrastructure to courier sub-culture, bike fashions to bike theft, cycling clubs and manufacturing, this exhibit will cover the evolving story of bicycles in Toronto to engage an audience in a subject that is becoming increasingly relevant to city builders and users.

Location: Market Gallery (St. Lawrence Market)
Estimated attendance: 6,000

Museum Patron Program

Companies are invited to join other industry leaders in supporting the City of Toronto’s Museums. The Corporate Patron Program allows executives and employees to enjoy special Museum privileges and make use of our beautiful sites for corporate meetings, events and gatherings.  Companies can also adopt a Museum and provide free access for a one-year period.

The Food Programs offer an exciting hands-on experience of cooking, historic food preparation and workshops for adults, children and youth. These are designed to educate on the importance of local and fresh food and the importance of healthy eating. Through innovative food programs, museum staff provide families with an opportunity to learn about historic cooking and recipes in a traditional setting.