Opportunities at Riverside BIA Events 2024

The Riverside BIA’s 2024 public events will bring together an exciting and diverse roster of vendors, artists and entertainers and programming. Here’s a rundown of what’s coming for 2024 and check out the opportunities to get involved via our online application forms below:

Taste the Eats and feel the Beats in Toronto’s Riverside neighbourhood – it’s all coming back Saturday, June 8th, 2024!!

Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest will span 10 vibrant blocks along Queen Street East between the Don Valley Parkway to just past the world-famous De Grassi Street. It all happens just across the bridge from Toronto’s Downtown Core. The festival will showcase:

  • 50+ local eateries and shops along Queen Street East serve food specials, sidewalk sales, and live entertainment.
  • Riverside’s family-friendly food outlets, retailers, and unique small town in the big city atmosphere
  • Destination points at five street closures and two local parks including culinary demos, workshops, local vendors and entertainment with free live music ranging from Samba, New Orleans-style Jazz, Blues, DJs, Roots/Rock, children’s entertainment and more. Queen Street East will remain open throughout the festival.

Riverside C’mon! Join us for community events at Riverside Common Park (657 Queen E) just steps west of Broadview Ave.

Our series of free public events is coming back from May to November 2024 in Riverside Common Park! Each event will feature:

  • Live music by local musicians and entertainers
  • Local vendors market with artisans and food
  • Family-friendly activities such as workshops, demos, games, and crafts

Opportunities 2024

Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest – June 8, 2024:

Riverside Common Park events – select dates from May to November, 2024

Volunteer Opportunities – all dates from May to November, 2024

African Drumming at Riverside Common Park Photo credit Jennifer Gomez

Drummers from Afraspektion event at Riverside Common Park in 2023 (Photo credit: Jennifer Gomez)

Food vending by Butchers of Distinction at Riverside Eats & Beats

Riverside Winter Warmup Series!

Get ready to Warm Up…With some great local Riverside spots we will be featuring in collab with @torontofoodblog

We’re featuring great local eateries & cafés every Monday & Friday, presenting different featured items you could warm up with this winter! In these features you’ll get to see either a selection from new winter menus or some local favourites.

Be sure to follow us, like & save these for later as a reminder for your next lunch or dinner plans and keep following for the next feature.

Toronto Food Blog is a local food blogger that features eateries across the GTA, and has collaborated with us on several joint campaigns in the past, helping us highlight our amazing businesses. We are excited to partner up with them again this year. So stay tuned for some awesome features and be sure to tag us on the ones you try!

Follow up on Instagram or Facebook

Celebrating Bonjour Brioche

It was one year ago today that beloved Riverside business Bonjour Brioche re-opened under new ownership, and the business has been going strong for 26 years!

So we’re celebrating with some of the famous croissants from this French bakery serving breakfast and lunch in Toronto’s East End since 1997!

Give them a cheer via @bonjour_brioche

p.s. They’ll be closed Jan 15-24 for some R & R, and back Jan 25th

Photo credit: Riverside BIA

Riverside BIA: Looking Back on 2023, Looking Forward to 2024

A message from Riverside BIA Team: 

Let’s take a moment to reflect on 2023 (check out our fave memories and a 2024 exciting sneak peek in the photos after this message!). This year has marked another incredible chapter in Riverside’s journey of adaptation and growth as we continue to leverage new opportunities while navigating ongoing economic challenges and transit construction impacts in our area. This past year has also brought forth new vibrancy and highlighted the strength of our tight-knit small-town-in-the-big-city.

This past year, we experienced the start of The Ontario Line construction, resulting in road closures and presenting a variety of new challenges and impacts. In response, Riverside BIA has proactively worked with Metrolinx, local businesses, community organizations, our Councillor’s office, and residents to advocate and leverage opportunities. From having regular touch points with Metrolinx and our BIA members, to being on the Construction Liaison Committee (CLC), to undertaking extensive special programming with support from the Transit Expansion Construction Mitigation Program funding from the City of Toronto and FedDev Ontario. Of particular note, our BIA was part of the the committee and jury for the Lakeshore East Joint Corridor Design Competition, making significant contributions to helping shape the design of the future transit station plaza at Queen Street East and Strange Street as a vibrant public space. The design by winning firm O2 was unveiled on July 27th and we will continue to advocate for involvement as this takes shape. A special thanks to the members of the Lakeshore East CAC, local residents who have put countless volunteer hours into this important advocacy work that we will be doing together, for many years to come.

And that’s just how we roll – for over 43 years now, Riverside BIA’s dedicated Board of Management and staff team are always here, year-round, to support our members and collaborate with community partners through various means. We provide information updates, one-on-one support, a robust digital marketing program, streetscape programs and projects, public art installations, public events and campaigns, as well as other programs aimed at promoting foot traffic and boosting local economic development and community collaboration.

I’d like to recognize and thank the hardworking volunteer Board of Directors at Riverside BIA. Comprising local businesses, property owners, and operators right here in Riverside, our board members give freely of their time, great ideas, and resources to bettering their community. A big thank you also goes to our dedicated team of staff, consultants, and volunteers of 2023 who make the magic happen.  A special thanks to Vinita Kalia – Acting Executive Director for 2023 who did outstanding work supporting the Riverside BIA this past year, we will miss you and will always welcome you back!

A huge thanks goes out to our over 100 members who make up this incredible BIA, and also go to our larger network of support through the Toronto BIA Association (TABIA), the City of Toronto, and all their dedicated services and supportive programs, Councillor Paula Fletcher’s office, our provincial MPP Peter Tabuns, federal MP Julie Dabrusin, and our incredible plethora of community partners and collaborators, especially Ralph Thornton Community Centre  Executive Director John Campey who will be greatly missed in his retirement.

As this Year in Review attests, we have accomplished so much in 2023 by working together. From the 10+ mini-festivals we hosted in Riverside Common Park, to our live music series at the Queen Garden Centre, along with programs like Queen East Eats and Window Wonderland, these are just a few examples of what we can achieve by working together. All of these initiatives are thoughtfully curated to enhance the vibrancy of our main street as we navigate the new realities of on-going transit construction.

We have seen a few of our long-time member businesses close or move on, and have welcomed many new businesses and faces to Riverside. This is an ever-changing business community with 40+ years of history, and over 125 years of industrious Riverside business people have done big things right here.

We can look back with pride on the many collaborative initiatives of the Riverside BIA from the past year to help celebrate the strong spirit here as we say farewell to 2023 and look to the new adventures of a new year in 2024 and a return of exciting happenings..check out our fave 2023 memories and a sneak peek of big things to come in 2024 below!!

We are wishing everyone safe, happy, and healthy holidays, and here’s to doing many great things together in 2024!

Read on for more…

CHEERS TO NEW ADVENTURES IN 2024 AND WORKING TOGETHER ON BIG AND LITTLE INITIATIVES IN THE RIVERSIDE BIA – BRING IT ON!!

12th Annual Riverside Antler Breakfast BRINGS IT!

The 12th Annual Riverside Antler Breakfast was a HUGE success! The outpour of support this year was truly phenomenal and we’re happy to share that we’ve met our $10,000 goal to support the year-round operation of the Rivertowne Breakfast Program in 2024!

After three years of a virtual event, it was truly a joy to reconnect in person and support the community together. We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported and joined us.

Bottom Left Photo Left to Right: Santa /  ED of the Ralph Thornton Community Centre John Campey; ED of the Riverside BIA Jennifer Lay; Rivertowne Breakfast Program Founder Joan King; Rebecca Hodge of Rivertowne Breakfast Program; Head Chef at Avling Laura Maxwell; Riverside BIA Chair Mitch Korman

A very big THANK YOU to all our supporters this year which include: 

Santa sponsor: Outline Financial

Santa’s Helpers: Korman & Company, Belmar, Baird MacGregor, York Search Group, Isaan Der Thai Kitchen

Reindeer supporters: The Broadview Hotel, Il Ponte, Tabule

Elf supporters: Oma, J&C Toronto Real Estate Group, Wipeout, Dimensions, MPP Peter Tabuns, Sparkplug Coffee, Avling 

Auction donors: Dimensions, Arts Market, Tabule, Bonjour Brioche, Sparkplug Coffee, Second Voyage Vintage, Eastbound Brewing Co, Queen Garden Centre, Dresden Vision

Snaptique, which donated the fun photo booth! 

And a MASSIVE thanks to all the organizers:

Riverside BIA, Ralph Thornton Community Centre and Rivertowne Safety 1st

ABOUT THE RIVERSIDE ANTLER BREAKFAST

The Riverside Antler Breakfast has been held annually in December to raise funds for a local cause, now in its 12th year. We have been raising funds since 2014 for the Rivertowne Breakfast Program which was founded by Joan King and is championed by Rivertowne Safety 1st, a resident collective, comprised of Toronto Community Housing women leaders dedicated to making a positive impact in their community. The Breakfast Program year round, to provide over 100 children, seniors, and people with different abilities – including primarily BIPOC – in the local community with a free, warm breakfast.

Didn’t have a chance to support or want to pledge more?

You can support by donating anytime of year via Canada Helps, just choose ‘Rivertowne Breakfast Program’ in the dropdown. menu.