Toronto TD Union Summer concerts 2025

Summer in Toronto doesn't get hotter than when the party space gets put up in Sir John A. Macdonald Plaza along Front Street West at Union Station for the TD Union Summer, otherwise known as the Festival on Front. Concerts, Arts, Culture, Food and Beverages are scheduled throughout the summer until August 10th.

From their website, "Union Summer – presented by TD returns to the plaza in front of Union Station from June 25th – August 10th, 2025, for its 8th edition! Union Station is THE destination for all to enjoy the best of Toronto’s food and culture. This market offers 47-days of free outdoor experiences featuring dynamic music, live performances, curated food vendors and beat-the-heat beverages and desserts, all to celebrate summer in the city. With an epic view of the CN Tower serving as the picturesque backdrop, Union Summer features some of the best live musicians, and DJ’s playing on the TD Stage. Gather, connect, and experience the food, concerts and a whole lot more, just outside Union Station."

Hours of Operation
Sun-Wed 11:00am-8:00pm
Thu-Fri 11:00am-9:00pm
Sat 11:00am-10:00pm

The busy location has such entertainment as TD Music Tuesdays, Spotlight on Women, Contemporary Indigenous Series, Activity Nights, Saturday Symphonies with The Royal Conservatory and Best of Union Beats as well as Union Summer Samples for your time to grab some free stuff. There are concerts and entertainment throughout the week so keep your eyes on their schedule.

Allan Gardens Conservatory Palm House reopened

It is good to see the domed windows of the Palm House Building unburdened by scaffolding and tarpaulins that covered the historic Toronto greenhouse since the beginning of the 2022 restoration works. The old palm trees and setup is long gone (it was like stepping into a humid jungle), now only plants in pots remain in the large room, the most magnificent of the five greenhouses in the Allan Gardens Conservatory.

The restoration works as described by the City, "The improvements will include window glazing, glass cladding replacement and functional modernization of the ventilation and air quality systems and controls. The current Palm House opened in 1910 following a fire that destroyed the previous pavilion. This vital work will preserve and improve an iconic Toronto building for future generations to enjoy."

Main construction work was completed in late 2024 and then the commissioning process was finished in early 2025 with the Mayor leading a grand celebration of the reopening on May 14th. I didn't see the usual washrooms located across from the Palm Building entrance but apparently there are six new indoor and accessible universal public washrooms now open. The Conservatory is located at 19 Horticultural Avenue in Toronto and is open seven days a week from 10am till 5pm.

Looking into one of the greenhouses branching off from the Palm House

Two weeks to Honda Indy Toronto 2025 race day #IndyTO

The work crews are in overdrive finishing the layout of the temporary street course and stands in Exhibition Place as they prepare for the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto 2025. Headlining race weekend (Friday to Sunday) is the NTT IndyCar Series Grand Prix of Toronto on Sunday, July 20. On July 18 you can attend Free Fan Friday which includes general admission courtesy of the Ontario Honda Dealers Association with a voluntary donation to Make-A-Wish Canada.

Victory Circle is just west of the Enercare Centre

From the Honda Indy website, "The 37th edition of the legendary motorsport festival headlined by the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returns to Exhibition Place in downtown Toronto on July 18-20. The longstanding, iconic summer event will again bring high-speed racing action to Toronto’s downtown streets alongside a festival atmosphere full of family fun with interactive displays and diverse food and beverage options. The weekend offers great value for families as children 12 and under receive free general admission every day when accompanied by a ticketed adult.

On track, the stars and cars of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will take on the 2.874-kilometre (1.786-mile), 11-turn temporary street circuit built on Exhibition Place near the Lake Ontario shoreline. Exciting sports car action from Emzone Radical Cup Canada presented by Michelin, plus open-wheel competition from the sport’s rising stars at USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire and USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire add to the weekend schedule."

The weekend schedule has been released (subject to modification) and you can find the races and other events below. Note that the best way to see the drivers is to go to the IndyCar autograph session on Friday or get a pit pass and see the drivers going to or from their racecars. Keep an eye out for posted notices of other autograph sessions.

Friday, July 18
9:25 a.m. - 9:55 a.m. Radical Cup Canada Practice 1
10:10 a.m. - 10:35 a.m. Miata Canada Cup Practice 1
10:50 a.m. - 11:20 a.m. USF2000 Practice 1
11:35 a.m. - 12:05 p.m. USF Pro 2000 Practice 1
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Autograph Session in Heritage Court
12:45 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. Radical Cup Canada Qualifying
1:35 p.m. - 1:55 p.m. USF2000 Qualifying 1
2:15 p.m. - 2:35 p.m. USF Pro 2000 Qualifying 1
3:05 p.m. - 4:25 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice 1
4:45 p.m. - 5:10 p.m. Miata Canada Cup Qualifying
6:15 p.m. Rev & Run 5000

Saturday, July 19
9:00 a.m. - 9:20 a.m. USF2000 Qualifying 2
9:40 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. USF Pro 2000 Qualifying 2
10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice 2
11:50 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Miata Canada Cup Race 1
12:30 p.m. - 1:10 p.m. Radical Cup Canada Race 1
1:25 p.m. - 2:10 p.m. USF2000 Race 1
2:35 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying
4:20 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. USF Pro 2000 Race 1

Sunday, July 20
8:32 a.m. - 8:57 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Warmup
9:25 a.m. - 10:10 a.m. USF Pro 2000 Race 2
10:25 a.m. - 11:10 a.m. USF2000 Race 2
11:30 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Driver Introductions
11:35 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champions Club Grid Walk
12:22 p.m. Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto (90 Laps)
2:50 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Radical Cup Canada Race 2
3:45 p.m. - 4:10 p.m. Miata Canada Cup Race 2

The best way to get to the track is to take public transit. You can ride the Lakeshore West GO Train to the Exhibition Place station or take the 509 west TTC streetcar from Union Station, or the 511 south TTC streetcar from Bathurst Station, both to Exhibition Loop.

You can buy general admission (no designated seat), grandstand or trackside suite tickets along with NTT IndyCar Series paddock and pit row access tickets. There will be plenty of food and beverage options available and they always have a water refill tank available on site for free refills.

Terry Fox statue in the Toronto Music Garden

I first noticed the three tall slabs of stone along Queen's Quay in the Music Garden area of harbourfront and tracked down a poster talking about Terry Fox, it was a little later that I noticed the statue of Terry Fox sitting on a barrier near the slabs, so that made info finally made sense.

WaterfrontToronto says "Mayor Olivia Chow and Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik (Spadina-Fort York) joined Darrell Fox, brother of Terry Fox, to reveal the new public art project “We Are Shaped by the Obstacles We Face”, which commemorates the legacy of Canadian humanitarian and activist Terry Fox. Also on hand for the unveiling beside the Toronto Music Garden, 439 Queens Quay W., were representatives from the Legacy Art Project Toronto, Waterfront Toronto and the Waterfront Business Improvement Area (BIA)."

The installation was designed by Jon Sasaki and landscape architecture consultants DTAH and the stones were placed along a curved path in the park, sculpted at the top, and meant to tell people that obstacles are opportunities and to keep pushing forward.

Of course genius that I am didn't immediately realize that you lined up the slabs to make a cutout of Terry on his historic journey. There are a couple of circles on the path to the west of the slabs that you stand on to see the alignment.

Terry's outline

See more of the park and memorial after the jump.

Lavazza Festival 2025 back in Distillery District

The IncluCity Festival returns with the Lavazza film festival in the historic Distillery District from June 27 to July 20, 2025 with activations starting at 6:30pm. The festival movies represent Canada's diverse culture. I like it because of the cool blow up red, white and black couches that line the neighbourhood looking toward the giant screens in the district: Trinity Theatre (on Trinity Street) and Birra Moretti Theatre (on Pure Spirit Patio)

IncluCity describes the fest as an " international outdoor festival village that celebrates Canada’s cultural mosaic. Beyond presenting carefully curated films, the festival offers a dynamic blend of music, dance, visual art, and culinary delights. Through this flagship event and our year-round initiatives, ICFF is committed to promoting unity, diversity, and artistic brilliance, leaving a lasting and positive impact on Canada’s cultural landscape."

The Distillery District is always a hub of food, beverage, entertainment and art so it is always an interesting place to visit year round.

A hot air balloon, rather small, sits in the main square of the district

DOORS art installation in Trinity Square Park

Tucked between the Toronto Eaton Centre, Church of the Holy Trinity and 483 Bay Street is Trinity Square Park. It is a pretty simple park, a green space ringed by tall trees and surrounded by large bleacher type stairs, in the middle is a singular circle of shrubbery and a public labyrinth, formerly made of shrubs now a circular winding pathway made of paving stones. In the labyrinth they have placed the large interactive art installation called DOORS appropriately made up of empty portals lit with LED lights and interspersed with white doors.

From the Eaton Centre website, "Join us in Trinity Square for “DOORS,” an interactive art installation that blends the metaphorical with the physical from Jun 27 - Aug 31 2025. Join us in Trinity Square for “DOORS,” an interactive art installation that blends the metaphorical with the physical. Each door reveals a new surprise, as a creative reminder that every path begins with the choice to open the door to new possibilities. Whether you're here to reflect, explore, or just pass through, this exhibit offers a moment of magic in the heart of the city." You are invited to open the doors and experience the installation.

It's hard to tell in daytime but when you open a door it has a projection on a screen behind the door. There is a poster by the installation which has the following information regarding DOORS.

@jmhcet #DOORS #interactive #artinstallation outside the #eatoncentretoronto in #trinitysquarepark. open the doors to see the magic. #Toronto ♬ Knocking On Heavens Door - Elaine M

"What does a door mean to you? Is it a symbol of opportunity or a threshold of uncertainty? Throughout time, the door has become more than a functional object - it's a powerful metaphor for change, choice, success, failure, family, home and transformation.

The DOOR(S) invites you to reflect on the emotional weight we give to these everyday structures. With every opening, there is potential: to cross into something new to leave something behind, or to simply stand still and wonder.

This installation explores the deep symbolism of the door - and how a single, simple act of opening one can alter the course of our lives.

After all, it's just a door. Right?"

Art at the Bentway: the shadow that shelters you

Bentway Park under the Toronto's elevated Gardiner Expressway is place known for sports (especially skating) as well as events and art installations. In the summer you can roller blade and in the winter ice skate and any time seems like a good time for checking out the art in the park. Right now you can see la sombra que te cobija or the shadow that shelters you and Seeing Celsius. 

la sombra que te cobija / the shadow that shelters you

The shadow that shelters you doesn't in fact offer much shade and Seeing Celsius does not offer a great visual view. But this is what the Bentway website has to say about the installations.

"la sombra que te cobija / the shadow that shelters you (May 23, 2025 to Oct 5, 2025) A geometric pavilion invites you to cross under the Gardiner, casting both a cooling effect and ornate shadow patterns. Edra Soto’s installation references the shade-making façades of working-class Puerto Rican bungalows to create an expansive, sun-filtering threshold, reflecting on the intersection of heat-responsive architecture, place-making, and cultural heritage."

Seeing Celsius

"Seeing Celsius (May 23, 2025 to Oct 5, 2025) What happens when we can see heat? By adding thermal-imaging technology to the familiar viewfinder found at scenic lookout points, LeuWebb Projects enables you to see the temperature differences across The Bentway space and the bodies that move through it. It’s a new perspective that will shift how you view urban spaces and the materials…"

Luminato 2025 Rainbow Dreams in Brookfield Place

A bright, colourful art installation is in Toronto's Brookfield Place, part of the Luminato Festival but continuing after the fest has finished for 2025. Rainbow Dreams is from artist Hiromi Tango and it did include a Rainbow Wheel which is now in First Canadian Place until July 11, then will move to Bay Adelaide Centre from July 14-25.

From Luminato, "Internationally acclaimed artist Hiromi Tango brings her transformative vision to Toronto for the first time in North America. Drawing from her extensive body of work, these environments feature designs uniquely inspired by Toronto's striking glass towers and dynamic energy, offering spaces of color, playfulness, and mindfulness. In collaboration with neuroscientist Dr. Emma Burrows, Tango transforms the rainbow into more than just a symbol—it becomes a practice, nurturing the most valuable space we own: the one square foot between our ears."

Rainbow Wheel is a large, human sized hamster wheel made for spinning, "Step into Wheel, where movement becomes meditation. As your motion sets a spinning rainbow in motion, discover how physical activity can create moments of presence and clarity."

Odd Burger Vegetarian/Vegan Restaurant Canada Day giveaway

Odd Burger on Church Street in Toronto along with Peta had a free vegan burger giveaway on July 1, 2025 and Peta animal allies were on hand to hand out literature and the burgers. The restaurant provides a menu of made from scratch vegan and vegetarian fast food items at 229 Church Street, Toronto. The peta organizers wore costumes depicting some delicious vegan options - the vegan burger and the vegan pizza. The restaurant is just off of Dundas Street East just a few blocks from the Toronto Eaton Centre.

A curious passer by stops to check out the free offer

Offering free vegan burgers

The Canada Day giveaway promoted compassion and animal free food options at the Odd Burger location, a local vegan hotspot. Standing outside and getting the message across with posters and signs like "every animal is someone", a calf with the message "I am you, only different" plus the crowd favourite "free vegan burgers".
 
Peta hopes to get people to think about how cows feel and to encourage people to go vegan and let the animals live in peace. Peta says, “From mouthwatering meat-free burgers to animal-friendly poutine, there’s a vegan answer to any craving these days,” says Vikki Lenola. “We’re encouraging everyone to celebrate Canada Day with kindness by leaving cows and other animals off their plates.” They also note that Odd Burger has over 50 menu items based on plant proteins with "burgers, tacos, pizza, gyros, breakfast sandwiches, loaded poutines, soft serve, and more"

Peta estimates that around 200 animals are spared suffering and death by going vegan and it helps to have healthy and tasty alternatives to help people make the switch to an animal free diet.

Vikki and Cassandra with vegan burgers at the ready

Vikki Lenola offers your one-stop reference guide to going vegan with the Peta Vegan Starter Kit

Canada Day 2025 at Queen's Park

The weather is perfect - stinking hot, and the birthday party is happening from 10am till 5pm on the front lawn of Queen’s Park. Canadian flags are everywhere (you can get them free on site) and there is even a giant one hanging from the legislature building overlooking the main stage.

Superman and Batman showed up for the event

From their website  ,https://www.ola.org/en/office-assembly/whats-happening/canada-day-2025-queens-park "Queen’s Park is the place to be this Canada Day. Join us for a jam-packed, fun-filled celebration of our nation’s 158th birthday. Enjoy tons of free events and activities including live performances on two stages, midway rides, family-friendly crafts and games, roaming entertainers, self-guided tours of the historic Legislative Building, and so much more. Food for purchase will be available from on-site vendors as well.

Join the crowd and sing Canada’s national anthem live during the opening ceremony starting at 11:30 a.m., then take a patriotic selfie at one of our Canada flag stations – both inside and outside Ontario’s Legislative Building.

Later, don’t miss a special appearance and performance by, Canadian Olympic gold medalist in breakdancing, Phil Wizard. He will be on hand for a meet-and-greet and dance demo with his team of breakdancers at 4 p.m."