One-time Booking of Parks & Recreation Facilities
If your gathering or event includes:
- the sale or service of alcohol
- serving food to the public
- amplified sound over 85 decibels
- structures or other more complicated elements
your booking is not simple and requires a Special Event Booking.
You need to make a booking with our team if you:
- are planning a picnic, birthday party or other social gatherings in a park that involve more than 25 people, or
- you want to ensure you have a specific area of a park designated for your gathering,
Simple social gathering bookings can include:
- designated picnic areas
- picnic shelters
- designated fire pits
- outdoor ovens
- barbeques
How to book a park or facility for your social gathering
- Call our customer service team to find an available location and to provide necessary booking information. You can reach our staff by calling 416-416-396-SERV (7378) (Select option 2) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.
- Pay the relevant fee to confirm your booking. In some cases, an insurance fee may also be required. Booking fees for social gatherings.
Important information to keep in mind
- If your gathering or event includes the sale or service of alcohol, serving food to the public, amplified music, tents or structures or other more complicated elements, your booking is not simple and requires a Special Event Booking.
- Fire pit bookings can be completed easily if there is a designated fire pit in your park (these are inspected by Fire Services annually). If your park does not have a designated fire pit, an additional form, inspection, and fee will be required.
- Most social gatherings can be booked from May to October, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; however, outdoor ovens are available for booking all year long.
- Only charcoal or briquettes may be used in the permanent barbeques located in Toronto’s parks.
- Most bookings for the year can be made beginning on the first business day of January each year.
Take photos to capture the beauty of the space and the memories of your visit!
If you are planning more formal photography such as a photo shoot, wedding photography or other commercial photography, booking in advance is encouraged.
Photographers who do not book in advance may be asked to leave by City staff, particularly if their photography and equipment is inhibiting the use of the facility by other visitors.
How to book a park or facility for photography
- Contact our customer service team at 416-396-7378 (Select option 2) to determine if your preferred location, date and time can be accommodated.
- Complete the application: Parks Commercial Photography Application.
- Provide a map of the location/site where you plan to set-up.
- Provide proof of 3rd party liability insurance naming the City of Toronto as an additional insured.
- Pay the appropriate fee for the location (fees range from $60 to $240 per hour) to finalize the booking.
On November 1 of each year, Toronto’s pumpkins shine brightly for one last night in parks across the city. Booking your local park for a Pumpkin Parade is free for not-for-profit and community groups, Business Improvement Areas and City Councillors.
Pumpkin Parades require insurance. If your organization or community group does not have insurance, it can be purchased through the City when you make your booking for a fee:
- 0-100 people/pumpkins: $27
- 101-500 people/pumpkins but under 1000 pumpkins: $54
Bookings for 2018 Pumpkin Parades will be accepted beginning in September. For more information, please call:
- Carol Lord at 416-397-9982
- Paula Simms at 416-338-3940
Arts, music and movie nights in Toronto’s parks can be booked for free, and these bookings can be completed in less than a week if you are booking one of our pre-approved locations.
To book an art, music or movie night in a park
- Complete the Arts and Music at Parks Application
- Email the application to PFRArtsandMusic@toronto.ca.
Important things to know
- If your event includes the sale or service of alcohol, serving food to the public, amplified music over 85dB or other more complicated elements, your booking does not qualify for the free booking and requires a Special Event Booking.
- You are required to have insurance, however, a one-time insurance policy is available through City of Toronto for music events and movie nights (ranging from $25 to $100, based on the number of participants).
- A $28.00 cancellation fee will apply to all events cancelled with less than 1 week written notice.
- Please wait until you have confirmed your booking before advertising your event.
- You may sell your music, art or related promotional items or collect donations passively during booked events
- You may only use a generator to amplify music, provided the noise of the music and/or the generator does not exceed 85 decibels.
- Signage and sponsorship are allowed for events booked in parks, however, some additional rules apply. Customer service staff can help you clarify these considerations.
To book a gymnasium, kitchen or multi-purpose room in your local community recreation centre:
- Find a suitable location on our recreation centre listing or recreation centre map.
- Contact the recreation centre directly to confirm availability and to book the space.
- Pay your fees to complete the booking. Depending on the type and rating of the facility, the age and residency of participants, and if your booking is in prime time or not, booking fees range from free to nearly $400 per hour.
The listing for each centre includes contact information, as well as a facilities tab that outlines the rooms, kitchens, gymnasiums and other facilities available for booking.
Setting up your booking account
If you haven’t previously done so, you will also need to fill out PFR Booking Account return it to the recreation centre.
To book ice time, pools, courts, fields or other recreation facilities for birthday party, social event or just to play a game with friends or family:
- Find a suitable location on our facility listings or map.
- Call 311 to speak with a customer service team member to determine if the facility is available for your preferred date and time.
- Complete the PFR one-time space use form and submit it to the customer service team.
- Pay your fees to complete the booking. Depending on the type and rating of the facility, the age and residency of participants, and if your booking is in prime time or not, booking fees range from free to nearly $400 per hour.
Setting up your booking account
If you haven’t previously done so, you will also need to fill out PFR Booking Account return it to the recreation centre.
Ice Availability
You can search for available ice time online during the season. You can also use Additional Ice time for Sale listings for both seasonal and spot booking.
Outdoor ovens can be reserved by groups hosting an event or program or by individuals for their own use. Outdoor ovens can be used as part of a public event or for a private gathering and may be booked year round for use between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. Applicants must contact the local site supervisor to review any requirements for their booking, including what tools, if any are available, if staff need to be hired, amount of fire wood needed, etc.
- Christie Pits Park: 416-392-0042
- Edithvale Park: 416-395-6164
- Regent Park CRC: 416-392-5490
- Sorauren Park Fieldhouse: 416-392-6679
To book an outdoor oven a completed application must be submitted at least six weeks prior to the event date.
Applicants must have general liability insurance naming the City of Toronto as an additional insured, with a minimum of $2 million coverage. If the applicant does not have this insurance, they may be able to purchase coverage through the Parks, Forestry and Recreation Customer Service Unit.
The applicant or at least one member of the group who will be in attendance during the event must be trained on the proper use of an outdoor oven. Applicants can meet this requirement by reading the Outdoor Oven in a City Park Training Guide. Or, if an applicant does not want to operate the oven at their event, they may hire staff at their own cost to operate the oven.
Where food will be served and/or sold to members of the public, the applicant must meet all safe food preparation and handling requirements set out by Toronto Public Health.
Payment must be paid in full for the booking being completed
