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With summer in full swing, the Riverside C’Mon community event series continues with not just one but two exciting Sunday markets in July, showcasing small businesses, local products, and talent in Toronto.

Riverside C’Mon is a series of community events held at Riverside Common Park located at 657 Queen Street East in Toronto’s Riverside neighbourhood.

Here’s what’s happening and who’s participating in Riverside C’Mon’s Local Summer Market in the month of July:

Sunday, July 7th

MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT

Photo credit: Chris Oday

Toronto-based musicians Chris Oday (@chrisodayyy) and Tony Smith will be performing on July 7th to bring the good vibes. Oday is on from 11am-1pm, and Smith follows at 2pm-4pm. There will be face-painting for the kids by Laura Adams.

VENDORS

Photo credit: Ivy & Lua

Ivy & Lua (@ivyandlua)

This women of colour-owned small jewelry brand offers high-quality, hypoallergenic accessories in a variety of mediums including polymer clay, resin, gemstones/pearls, as well as gold-plated and gold-filled metals.

Photo credit: Purrfectly Playful at Riverside C’Mon

Purrfectly Playful (@purrfectlyplayful)

This female-owned business handcrafts beautiful cat toys such as luxurious natural feathered lures, sleek birch wood, spring wire wands, and refillable catnip kickers.

Photo credit: Marubashi Preserves

Marubashi Preserves (@marubashi.shop)

Bring bold new flavours to your cooking with products by Marubashi, such as pickled vegetables, spice blends, seasonings, and sauces with a focus on Japanese/Japanese-Canadian food. 

Photo credit: Link Haus

Link Haus (@link_haus)

Take your pick from over three dozen flavours of gourmet sausages from Link Haus. At the market, you can get them frozen and vacuum-sealed to take home or fresh off the grill to enjoy on the spot.

Photo credit: Sparkle – Macrame and more

Sparkle – Macrame and more (@sparkle_by_batul)

This handmade macrame business makes colourful pot holders, organizers, keychains, earrings, wall hangings, bookmarks, key holders, and more.

Sunday, July 21st 

MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT

Photo credit: Riverside BIA

For the second installment of the July Local Summer Market, DJ Stevie Kicks (@steviekicksdj) and steel drum pannist Trenyce Sweeney will be sharing their talent with Riverside. DJ Stevie Kicks goes on at 11am-1pm, and Trenyce Sweeney at 2pm-4pm. There will be face-painting for the kids by Merlin and crafts by Celina.

VENDORS

Photo credit: DC Canada Education Publishing

DC Canada Education Publishing (@dceducation)

The innovative publisher of children’s books, games, and music from Ottawa will be selling educational books, puzzles, plush toys, and more.

Photo credit: Yofiit

Yofiit (@yofiit)

This black and woman-owned vegan company creates better-for-you plant milks loaded with protein and less sugar and without gums and fillers.

Photo credit: Kallis Oils

Kallis Oils (@kallisoils)

Kallis Oils provides natural skincare, including shea and essential oils, sourced from the highest purity of plants from around the world.

These are just a few of the vendors who will be participating in the Local Summer Markets for Riverside C’Mon in July!

If you want to receive event details, perks, and promos straight to your inbox, you may RSVP here.

FYI, there will be at least one Riverside C’Mon event every month until November this year so make sure to follow @riverside_bia on Instagram and stay updated on Riverside’s events and programming!

Hot off the heels of the successful return of Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest just a couple weeks ago (and after a five year hiatus), the Riverside BIA is marking another milestone for the neighbourhood: the first Riverside Vintage Crawl.

On Thursday, June 20th, 6pm-10pm, Riverside’s vintage shops are coming together for a night of shopping and music. This event aims to put Riverside on the map as an up-and-coming destination for sustainable fashion and vintage goods.

From event-exclusive deals to fun challenges, here’s a rundown on everything to expect at the Riverside Vintage Crawl:

Who is participating?

The tight-knit (pun intended 😉 neighbourhood of Riverside now boasts a good number of vintage shops, each one with its unique curation of vintage clothing, accessories, and more.

• Arts Market (@artsmarket) – 790 Queen St E
• Good Juice Box Vintage (@goodjuiceboxvintage) – 768 Queen St E
• Common Sort (@commonsort) – 760 Queen St E
• Second Voyage Vintage (@secondvoyagevintage) – 734 Queen St E
• Ran’s Closet (@ranscloset_queeneast) – 747 Queen St E

PLUS a special pop-up vintage market in collaboration will be joining the mix on June 20th with the Hippie Market at Queen Garden Centre & Cafe – 771 Queen St E

Don’t miss a beat

We’re bringing back the Beats for another round of good times. It wouldn’t be a party without music, no? Come find them in the shops and at the pop-up:

• DJ Negus at Common Sort (6-10pm)
• DJ Tony Cicero at Ran’s Closet (6-10pm)
• DJ Stephan Obadia at Second Voyage Vintage (7-10pm)
• Another local DJ at Queen Garden Centre (6-10pm)

“We pay the tax”

For the duration of the Vintage Crawl, the participating shops will be covering the HST, which means all purchases made in-store during the event will be discounted for you! Yes, that’s a 13% discount on top of other deals they might have, so take advantage of this limited time offer.

Join the Vibemap Challenge

Just like Eats & Beats, the BIA has put together a fun Vibemap Challenge for the Vintage Crawl. The mechanics are simple: download and use the Vibemap app to explore the Riverside Vintage Crawl, check in to spots, and add vibes and tips. Rack up enough “Challenge Points” to increase your chances of winning prizes such as Riverside swag and gift cards from the participating vendors. The Riverside BIA will be doing a raffle after the event and awarding prizes to the winners!

*Vibemap is available to download on the App Store for Apple and Google Play for Android.

Don’t forget to follow @riverside_bia on Instagram for updates on the Riverside Vintage Crawl. You may RSVP here to get event details straight to your inbox. See you on June 20th!

In case you didn’t know, the Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest is making its long-awaited comeback on Saturday, June 8th, 12-6pm, which will take place 10 blocks along Queen East, from Davies Ave to Empire Ave.

After a five-year hiatus, the Riverside BIA is pulling out all the stops for the Riverside Eats & Beats’ return with exciting festivities, highlighting the diverse range of members and businesses this charming neighborhood in the East End has to offer.

Aside from patio dining options and special sidewalk sales, visitors can also expect activities at the festival, from free fitness classes to pottery wheel throwing demos–it’s going to be a jam-packed day!

Here are 5 Fun Happenings at this year’s Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest:

Photo credit: Innovative Fitness

Innovative Fitness

Address: 635 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1G4

Who says you can’t go to a festival and get a workout in? For Riverside Eats & Beats, Innovative Fitness is offering complimentary drop-in on group fitness classes, which will include HIIT, dance, and interval training. There will be outdoor and indoor sessions.

Photo credit: Oma Chiropractic & Wellness

Oma Chiropractic & Wellness

Address: 1 Munro St, Toronto, ON M4M 2B7

Explore your nervous system through Oma Chiropractic & Wellness’ interactive sensory stations. While you’re there, you can inquire about their services, such as naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, chiropractic care for animals, and more.

What they’ll have:

Photo credit: Ralph Thornton Community Centre

Ralph Thornton Community Centre

Address: Saulter Street closure

Bring the little ones to Ralph Thornton Community Centre at the Saulter St. closure for fun kids’ activities. You can also learn more about the programs and services available at the centre, which include a fundraising campaign to send East End kids to RAC Camp this summer.

Photo credit: Queen Garden Centre & Cafe

Queen Garden Centre & Cafe

Address: 771 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1H5

Stop by Queen Garden Centre to get gardening tips and learn about their beehives (coming soon!), which are coming soon! Even if you don’t have a green thumb, you can still come and grab a beverage from their cafe to enjoy on their patio and check out the Saulter St Beer Garden.

Photo credit: Fontbonne Ministries

Fontbonne Ministries

Address: 791 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1H6

Pottery enthusiasts are in for a treat as Fontbonne Ministries will be doing pottery wheel throwing demonstrations for the festival. There will also be a special bake sale featuring delicious treats made by residents of Fontbonne Place.

Follow @riverside_bia on Instagram for updates and highlights on Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest 2024!