Montreal’s well-regarded outdoor food festival, Lobster Clam Jam, is making its way to Cabana Pool Bar for the Victoria Day long weekend. Bac Ky, Weslodge and Blowfish are among the over 20 participating restaurants who will be serving up lobster and fish (naturally), but also meat, fowl and game dishes for non-seafood fans.
Ace Hill Beer, Barefoot Wine and a team of mixologists will make sure there’s plenty of opportunities to get your drink on, while DJs Eddie Lewis and Chris Laroque will be providing the tunes. There will also be lots of kid-friendly activities like face painting and a bouncy castle. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the SickKids Foundation, giving you a charitable reason to stick around for second helpings.
Stretching for almost 1.5 kilometers along West Queen West between Dufferin and Roncesvalles, Spring into Parkdale is a seriously massive event. In addition to live music and free activities, the event will feature four pop-up markets, including a designer’s market with over 30 vendors and a flea market selling distinctive antiques, vintage pieces and other collectables.
New to the event this year is the market we’re most excited about, the Foodora Night Market, which will run from 4 PM–10 PM. Parkdale chefs will be serving up cuisine ranging from Cuban to Japanese, with Guu Izakaya, Lhasa Kitchen and Mojito Cubano among the participating restaurants.
Toronto’s annual GMO-free festival is back for its fourth year, continuing to raise awareness about where your food comes from and how it is produced. Presented by the Toronto non-GMO Coalition and the David Suzuki Foundation, the event offers a chance to listen to speakers as well as talk with Ontario farmers, chefs and organizations about the organic food movement and the negative impacts of genetically modified foods.
Taking place at Christie Pits Park, the event also promises music and family-friendly activities, as well as local, sustainably-produced food from vendors like Magic Oven, Beau’s and Living Chocolate to nosh on.
May is Celiac Disease Awareness month, making it the perfect time for the sixth edition of Toronto’s gluten-free pop-up marketplace. Talks and live demonstrations will provide insight into celiac disease and gluten-intolerance, and you can discover local, gluten-free-friendly restaurants and businesses through shopping and sampling.
Hosted at Artscape Wychwood Barns, we’ll admit that this one might be pushing the definition of “outdoorsy” a bit; but there are a couple of open-air components to this event, with food trucks like Bar Ape and 50 Pesos setting up shop out front. There will also be a 19+ courtyard area, where attendees can enjoy tastings of gluten-free beer, cider and vodka.
The name says it all: there will be ribs and there will be craft beers. Part of the larger Northern Heat Rib Series, which is making the rounds through 15 Ontario cities this summer, the Rib & Craft Beer Fest will see Yonge and Dundas Square transformed into a gigantic backyard BBQ for four days in May.
Pit-masters from across Canada, including Oak & Barrel and Kentucky Smokehouse, will be cooking up ribs and other BBQ favs, while Naughty Otter and Flying Monkey, among other craft brewers, will provide the beer to wash it all down. You can also expect contests and live music, along with activities like cooking lessons and face painting.
There’s no need to feel salty if you’re not getting out of the city for the May long weekend, because the Spring Sessions of Toronto’s Festival of Beer is bringing the cottage experience to Fort York Garrison Common. The event will feature fire pits, lawn chairs, outdoor games and marshmallow roasts, with live acoustic performances by headliners Elliott Brood and The Trews further enhancing the around-the-campfire vibe.
Springs Sessions is first and foremost a beer festival, so expect plenty of brews with Lost Craft, High Park Brewery and Sawdust City all on the roster. Vendors like Oyster Boy and Chimney Stax will provide eats to soak up all the beer. Admission gets you five sampling tokens and a mug to take home.
