As the warm weather finally rolls around, the next few months in Toronto are going to be packed with things to do. But have you considered adding a little salsa to your summer?
Taking place over the first weekend of July, Salsa on St. Clair will host its free two-day festival. Known as “Canada’s biggest Latin street party,” the celebration is now in its 21st year and will be bursting with “live music, sizzling dance performances, delicious flavours, and non-stop family fun.”
And this year, the festival will be “bigger and better than ever before.”
Salsa on St. Clair draws in more than 340,000 attendees each year and is the “only festival where people do more than just eat and watch entertainment — they take part in non-stop dancing in the streets,” the celebration organizers state on its website.
With a loaded lineup of live performances, it will probably be hard not to move along to the beat. While you’re there, you can catch performances from Marta Elena, Santiago Moa, Yambeque, the TallBeat stilt drumming Troup, Steps Dance Studio and more.
Closing off the festival will be Luis Franco, a Venezuelan “powerhouse” with more than 30 years of experience performing in Toronto and around the globe.
The Fiesta Parada will also run on Saturday and Sunday at 12:30 p.m. for you to “immerse yourself in the vibrant colours and rich traditions of Latino culture.”
And if you get hungry after all that dancing, there will be lots of food options at the celebration to feed your appetite with “flavours from over 15 countries.” Vendors include Churricos, Yani Gourmet Cuisine, El Sazon De La Tia Flor, Mis Amigos, Glorita Foods, Summertime Lemonade and more.
The festival will take place on July 5 and 6 on St. Clair Avenue West between Winona Road and Christie Street.
“Don’t miss this iconic Toronto tradition,” Salsa on St. Clair says on its social media. “Let the rhythm move you and come dance with us.”
If you’re not tuckered out from grooving to the music, Taste of the Middle East also runs during the same weekend from July 4 to 6 in Nathan Phillips Square as a celebration of “Arabic music, art and heritage.”
The free festival is now in its eighth year and will also have food vendors and live entertainment to keep you busy while you celebrate.
And if you really want to jam-pack your weekend with festivities, you could also check out Fun Philippines Toronto, also running from July 4 to 6.
Taking place at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre, the “best” of Filipino culture “comes alive” with street food, music, dancing and more at the free Fun Philippines celebration.
And now that July is slowly but surely creeping up on us, you may want to include a celebration or two into your schedule for the month. Enjoy and dance the day away!
