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In case you hadn’t heard, the Riverside BIA has grown and businesses in 100 Broadview Avenue, 70 McGee Street and Strange/Saulter St are now officially part of the Riverside BIA family!

BLOG: It’s official: Riverside BIA is growing!

With that said, we’re putting the spotlight on our new members as we officially welcome them into the fold. Let’s get right to it, shall we? Meet one of the newest members of the Riverside BIA: Animal Liberation Kitchen!

Located at 100 Broadview Ave, Animal Liberation Kitchen is a family-run business founded with a mission to make vegan food more approachable. Deeply inspired by the principles of animal rights and social justice, ALK aims to offer creative dishes that appeal to both dedicated plant-based eaters and curious foodies alike.

Their menu reimagines familiar comfort foods with a plant-based twist. Must-try items include the Jackfruit Shawarma Bowl, Smokey Mac and Cheese, and New School Salmon Sushi Bowl. For lighter fare, they carry an assortment of baked treats like the PB Banana Chocolate Croissant and Baklava Croissant. They also do coffee and other refreshments to pair.

Aside from their physical cafe in Riverside, ALK also does catering for special occasions like weddings and even corporate events, bringing their delicious plant-based treats to private gatherings. More than just a food business, ALK is about building connections through great food and making sustainable choices more accessible.

For catering inquiries, you can get a quote HERE. Check out their official website for more information and follow @animal.liberation.kitchen on Instagram for updates.

This is just the first of many features on our new BIA members that will be coming out in the next few weeks so keep your eyes peeled. In the meantime, drop by Animal Liberation Kitchen and try their delicious vegan food!

Be sure to follow @riverside_bia on Instagram and check the Riverside Blog regularly so you’re always in the loop on what’s new and happening in the neighbourhood!

Photo credits: Animal Liberation Kitchen

What a weekend that was with back-to-back events happening in Toronto’s Riverside neighbourhood for Game On East End 2026.

This campaign brings the soccer spirit to the East End through a series of free, public community activations celebrating the sport during World Cup season.

From the painting of the Community Mural on Friday and Saturday to Outdoor Movie Night on Saturday to East End Spirit Fest on Sunday, it was jam packed weekend in Riverside.

Shout out to our event partners/sponsors: East End Arts for the Community Mural, Meirovici & Zywot LLP for Outdoor Movie Night, and S.H. Armstrong Youth Council for East End Spirit Fest.

Located at 33 Davies Ave, this sports-themed mural (in progress) by Phillip Saunders was commissioned for Game On East End 2026

Community volunteers lent a hand to help bring this beautiful mural to life

Phillip Saunders, with the help of East End Arts, facilitated the mural painting process

Three of these adorable soccer ball Jellycats were up for grabs during the Outdoor Movie Night raffle

Check out this fun soccer-themed photo op during Outdoor Movie Night at Riverside Common Park

It’s showtime! “Space Jam: A New Legacy” was the public’s pick for Outdoor Movie Night

Visitors at East End Spirit Fest were treated to a breathtaking performance by Artists’ Play Sky Dancers Entertainment

Young talent graced the East End Spirit Fest main stage at Jimmie Simpson Park

Free activities during East End Spirit Fest included henna, face painting, hairdressing and more 

Indigenous artist Tanya Macmillan demonstrated the cool process behind these resin charms

We’ve still got Game On East End programming running until July 19th, so be sure to follow @riverside_bia on Instagram and check the Riverside Blog for updates!

BLOG: Game on East End 2026: What’s Happening in Riverside?

A quick reminder: deadline of entries for the Game On East End Raffle is on July 15th at 11:59pm so get those entries in for a chance to win local prizes!

We thank the City of Toronto’s World In a City Small Business Support Fund for their support of Game On East End 2.0 programming 2026.

ONE WEEK LEFT before the Game On East End Raffle ends on July 19th (you can enter until July 15th with winners announced on the 19th!) — we’re down to the final stretch of the campaign so get those raffle entries in ASAP!

The Game On East End Raffle is a little thank you to all of you for supporting local businesses in Riverside and Leslieville during World Cup season and hopefully, beyond!

What can you receive? There are $200 gift cards for the weekly draws and a $500 value custom gift card pack for the grand draw (winner’s choice!), which will be done at the end of the raffle period.

How can you enter? Simply visit any participating location on the list below and scan the QR code to enter! You can enter as many times as you’d like (just read the entry form and stipulations 😉

To view the full list of participating businesses, contest rules and other important raffle information about the Game On East End Raffle, click HERE!

BLOG: Game On East End Raffle: Here’s How It Works

If you entered the raffle and didn’t get lucky yet, don’t worry, we still have more prizes to give away and of course, the Grand Prize Raffle!

In the meantime, let’s hear from some of our raffle participants so far and what they had to say about their favourite Riverside and Leslieville businesses:

Photo credit: Lamoon Thai Kitchen & Coffee

“Lamoon is great. I love Lamoon. Their food is authentic and so tasty. Their staff is also really friendly so I love supporting this local business.” – Michela

Photo credit: Urban House

“Urban House is my favourite restaurant/bar. They have great food and drinks. They also play all the games and fights. But the best thing is their customer service. Here, they treat you like family and they go always go above and beyond. We’ve rented the second floor for many occasions and absolutely love it. They have a lifelong customer in me.” – Dianna

Photo credit: The Roy

“It was my first time being at The Roy to watch the Canada vs Morocco game. Great atmosphere and service! I moved to Leslieville late last year and I love it here. I never wanna move!” – Christina

Photo credit: Avling

“Avling is always the best place to hang out with my friends. Jojo, Peter and the rest of the crew] make this place an outstanding experience for me. I love them all!” – David

Disclaimer: These statements have been edited for length and clarity.

We thank the City of Toronto’s World In a City Small Business Support Fund for their support of Game On East End 2.0 programming 2026.

If you’ve been in the neighbourhood lately, you might have noticed new murals on the sidewalk. Those murals are part of the Queen East Eats Sidewalk Mural Project!

A joint initiative of the Riverside BIA and Leslieville BIA, the project aims to support outdoor dining and create more vibrant, welcoming streetscapes this patio season by working with local artists.

These temporary sidewalk murals are installed adjacent to select CafeTO patio locations along Queen Street East between Davies Avenue and Vancouver Avenue.

Last time on the blog, we introduced you to Nick Sweetman. You can read more about him and where his murals are located in the blog post linked below!

BLOG: Queen East Eats Sidewalk Mural Project: Artist Feature #1

Meet our second featured artist, Catherine Cachia, for the Queen East Eats Sidewalk Mural Project!

Catherine Cachia’s mural for Queen East Eats outside Common Sort – Riverside

Catherine Cachia is a multidisciplinary artist based in Toronto who works in many mediums: mural painting, hand lettering, illustration, documentary photography and more. The thread that runs through her work is embracing what’s imperfect, messy and human. She considers art making to be a spiritual practice that can bring a sense of healing and balance to both artist and viewer. She aims to unburden and uplift people, if only for a moment, when someone encounters her work.

Photo credit: Catherine Cachia

Check out @catherinecachia on Instagram and her official website to see more of her work!

Catherine Cachia working on her mural outside of The Roy/Juzz

You can find Catherine Cachia’s murals for Queen East Eats at these locations:

• 894 Queen St East (The Roy/Juzz)
• 1008 Queen St East (Eastside Social)
• 1042 Queen St E (Avling)
• 1216 Queen St E (Queen’s Head/Aroi Thai)
• 760 Queen St E (The Comrade/Common Sort)

Head on over to Riverside and Leslieville and check out Catherine Cachia and Nick Sweetman’s beautiful work for the Queen East Eats Sidewalk Mural Project!

Be sure to follow us on Instagram @riverside_bia and visit the Riverside Blog regularly to stay updated on our community programming!

This project has been funded by the City of Toronto’s Dining District Program, as part of Government of Canada support through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, the Riverside BIA and Leslieville BIA.

This summer, Riverside BIA and Leslieville BIA are collaborating with local artists for the Queen East Eats Sidewalk Mural Project!

As part of our patio season campaign Queen East Eats, this project aims to support outdoor dining and create more vibrant, welcoming streetscapes.

For this, we have tapped two talented Toronto creatives to create mural designs that reflect the energy, diversity, creativity and community spirit of Toronto’s East End.

These temporary sidewalk murals will installed adjacent to select CafeTO patio locations along Queen Street East between Davies Avenue and Vancouver Avenue.

Let’s meet the first artist of the Queen East Eats Sidewalk Mural Project, shall we?

Nick Sweetman’s mural for Queen East Eats outside Eastbound Brewing Co

Nick Sweetman is a multidisciplinary artist from Toronto. He is known for his mural projects, often in collaboration with other artists, and in partnership with various non-profit organizations, as well as the City of Toronto. He dedicates many projects to raising awareness about social and environmental issues, most notably the importance of pollinators.

Photo credit: Nick Sweetman

Speaking of pollinators, have you seen his piece, “A Time for Pollinators” located at 777 Queen St E in Riverside? It’s pretty hard to miss! Check out @nick_sweetman on Instagram and his official website to see more of his work!

Nick Sweetman’s mural for Queen East Eats outside ēst Restaurant

You can find Nick Sweetman’s murals for Queen East Eats at these locations:

• 700 Queen St East (Eastbound Brewing Co)
• 729 Queen St East ( ēst Restaurant/Real Greek Gyros)
• 786 Queen St East (El Cazo/Hume)
• 1 Boulton Ave (Amber Kitchen & Coffee)
• 1184 Queen St East (Yaya Greek Bistro)

Stay tuned next week for Part 2 of our second artist features for the Queen East Eats Sidewalk Mural Project. In the meantime, check out the official Queen East Eats Sidewalk Mural Project – Art Map and see all the murals!

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @riverside_bia and visit the Riverside Blog to stay updated on our programming!

This project has been funded by the City of Toronto’s Dining District Program, as part of Government of Canada support through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. This project is also funded and supported by the Riverside BIA and Leslieville BIA.