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Good Times Await in Toronto’s Riverside (5 Fun Happenings at Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest 2024)

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:

Taste – smoothie bike station
Touch – sensory table
Smell – essential oils
See – Intention bracelets

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!

A Little Retail Therapy in Toronto’s Riverside (5 Cool Buys at Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest 2024)

It may be called Riverside Eats & Beats, but there’s more than just delicious food and sensational music to expect at one of the East End’s most anticipated festivals–there’s fun shopping to be had too!

On Saturday, June 8th, 12-6pm, Riverside’s annual Eats & Beats Streetfest makes its grand comeback. From Davies Ave to Empire Ave along Queen East, the streets will come alive with fun activities, exciting outdoor dining, and of course, special sidewalk sales!

With all the festival-only deals and discounts, you might want to set aside a budget for a little retail therapy. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with treating yourself every once in a while, no? Especially, when it means supporting small local businesses! 

Here are 5 Cool Buys at this year’s Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest:

Photo credit: House of Dwir

House of Dwir

Address: 657 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1G4

Known for their genderless clothing, House of Dwir is bringing their avant-garde spirit to Riverside Eats & Beats for a pop-up at Riverside Common Park. Head over to their booth and check out small-batch, handmade apparel, jewelry, and accessories from this inclusive fashion brand.

Photo credit: Christian Jay Quilo

Second Voyage Vintage

Address: 734 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1H2

From chic secondhand clothing to eclectic home decor, Second Voyage Vintage is a haven for vintage lovers. Check out their sidewalk sale during Riverside Eats & Beats and find one-of-a-kind pieces for your home and wardrobe. While you’re there, have a spin at their bingo machine–discounts of up to 50% off await lucky winners!

Photo credit: Irish Design House

Irish Design House

Address:756 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1H4

It’s a big day for Irish Design House; aside from Riverside Eats & Beats, it’s also their 10th anniversary! To celebrate, they’ll be putting on a sidewalk display featuring their finest traditional Irish items and in-house clothing brands. With the code “EATSANDBEATS”, get 10% off your purchase. There will also be a raffle, so don’t forget to throw your name in there!

Photo credit: Christian Jay Quilo

Arts Market

Address: 790 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1H4

For the festival, Arts Market will be inviting four artisans, who will be stationed outside the store to talk about their creations and discuss the creative process behind the handmade items. Stop by, shop small and local, and learn a thing or two from these talented individuals. If you love DIY, you definitely don’t want to miss this. 

Photo credit: UNTITLED by Flaunt Boutique

UNTITLED by Flaunt Boutique

Address: 792 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1H4

Take a break from the Riverside Eats & Beats street festivities and drop by UNTITLED by Flaunt Boutique for a consultation. If you want to change up your hair for the day, they’ll be doing express festival hairstyles at the salon. There will also be haircare products on sale so take advantage of these exclusive deals.

Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest is just two weeks away, so follow @riverside_bia on Instagram for updates!

A Food Trip in Toronto’s Riverside (5 Hot Eats at Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest 2024)

Foodies are in for a tasty adventure around the world as Riverside’s restaurants have prepared delicious surprises for Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest 2024.

If you hadn’t heard Riverside’s annual Streetfest will be back on Saturday, June 8th, 12-6pm!  They can’t wait to host everyone again for free live music and activities at five local street closures and two parks, paired with local food and retail sidewalk sales. It’s all happening along Queen East between Davies Ave and Empire Ave.

From Greek to Italian to Middle Eastern, Toronto’s Riverside neighborhood boasts quite the diverse roster of cuisines, so better come with an appetite for the festival.

Here are 5 (of many!) Hot Eats to expect during the much anticipated comeback of Riverside Eats & Beats!

Photo credit: ēst Restaurant

ēst Restaurant

Address: 729 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1H1

This modern restaurant takes pride in its Italian-French courses, specialty cocktails, and wines. Expect an unforgettable dining experience at ēst Restaurant during the festival with their featured food and cocktails. They are taking it to the streets with their curb lane patio area -perfect for experiencing vibrant outdoor dining during the festival and beyond as part of the CafeTO program (on May-September).

Photo credit: Real Greek Gyros

Real Greek Gyros

Address: 731 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1H1

Having opened just in time for Eats & Beats’ comeback, Real Greek Gyros is going all out for its official introduction to the Riverside community. Decked out with an outdoor grill, they’ll be serving Greek classics such as gyros and souvlaki. There will be live DJ music, too! Find them (and their curb lane patio) right next to ēst Restaurant. 

Photo credit: Tabülè

Tabülè

Address: 810 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1H6

Delight your senses at Tabülè with its array of refined Middle Eastern dishes, which include award-winning appetizers, coupled with an exotic cocktail menu featuring martinis, fresh juices, and luxurious wines. Grab a bite to go, or dine in or outback on their breezy patio.

Photo credit: Blessed Love

Blessed Love

Address: 753A Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1H3

Taste the vibrant flavors of Jamaica from this lovely Caribbean grocery and takeout joint. Blessed Love will be serving its bestselling pan jerk chicken, as well as refreshments such as sugarcane juice, fresh coconut water, and more out on the sidewalk.

Photo credit: La Carnita

La Carnita

Address: 780 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1H4

Treat yourself to your favorite tacos and tostadas from La Carnita. For the festival, they’ll be giving out free lemonade, as well as half-price promos on street corn and churros– so drop by and enjoy some good Mexican food in their curb lane patio!

Don’t forget to follow @riverside_bia on Instagram for updates on Eats & Beats Streetfest!

Spotlight on Spring Cleaning: Riverside Community Clean Up 2024

APRIL 19, 2024 — Even on a rainy day, residents and members came together for the Riverside Community Clean Up, a long-running initiative organized by the Ralph Thornton Community Centre (RTCC) and the Riverside BIA as part of the City of Toronto’s Clean Toronto Together campaign.

For at least 20 years now, the annual community clean up has an annual tradition in Riverside and a great way to not only contribute to maintaining the cleanliness of the neighbourhood, but also for residents and BIA members to get together and catch up even for just a little bit.

Our Neighbourhood Community Liaison Officers came by to lend a hand

Here’s new ED at the RTCC Ravi Yee Joshi with Jim Houston, a previous RTCC ED and local legend, along with Jennifer Lay, ED at Riverside BIA

The Happy Gatherers dance group have been supporting the clean up for decades

Jennifer Lay, Executive Director of the Riverside BIA and Christian (the author)

Coincidentally, it was also the last official day of my internship as a marketing assistant for the Riverside BIA. The community clean up felt like a nice culmination to my brief yet productive time with the organization.

Registration was set up right outside the Ralph Thornton Community Centre (RTCC). We were well equipped for the clean up; garbage bags, disposable gloves, face masks, hand sanitizer, and maps were readily available. We also had doughnuts and coffee courtesy of our local Tim Horton’s to fuel our volunteers for the day, as well as to hand out to the occasional passersby craving a sweet snack or in need a hot beverage amid the drizzle.

Volunteers were spread out and assigned to different areas in the neighborhood to get as much coverage as we could. We had folks from the RTCC, Tim Horton’s, UNTITLED by Flaunt Boutique, local liaison officers, and residents take part in the clean up.

Together with Riverside BIA Executive Director Jennifer Lay, I worked on the alleyway parallel to Thompson Street Parkette, just behind the Broadview Hotel, all the way to Munro Street near Oma Chiropractic & Wellness.

As we were picking up garbage (and being pleasantly surprised by how mild the garbage situation was, save for the concerning amount of cigarette butts), Jennifer and I chatted about Riverside’s history and how it’s evolved over the years. After spending a good hour and getting two bags worth of litter, we made our way back to the registration booth to welcome and chat with the other volunteers. At around 2 p.m., we wrapped it up and called it a day.

This day was a clear testament to Riverside’s solid sense of community and camaraderie. This explains so much why Riverside is such a great neighborhood. Needless to say, this year’s clean up was a success—thank you to all the volunteers!

If you love Riverside just as much as its residents do, you can become a community supporter. You can find more information here. Consider following @riverside_bia on Instagram as well if you want to stay updated on what’s to come, because Riverside’s got an exciting year ahead.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Christian Jay B. Quilo, Riverside BIA Marketing Assistant (March-April 2024)

Christian is an international student from Cebu, Philippines, currently interning at the Riverside BIA. He has a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and is currently taking post-graduate studies in Lifestyle Media at Centennial College. He has been writing professionally since 2018; his favorite subject matter being food, travel, and fashion. When he’s not busy as a student or marketing assistant, he goes full-on tourist, exploring Toronto one neighborhood at a time—most likely with an iced oat latte or bubble tea in hand.

5 must-visit vintage stores in Toronto’s Riverside

There’s nothing quite like the thrill of going into a vintage store on a mission, hoping to find that piece. While Toronto has quite a number of good vintage clothing stores scattered around the city, Riverside in the East End has several independent shops just steps away from each other.

With that said, on Thursday, June 20th, 6pm-10pm, Riverside’s vintage shops are coming together for the first ever Riverside Vintage Crawl, a fun night of shopping and music, featuring event-exclusive deals such as “We Pay The Tax” and a fun challenge with Vibemap!

Here are 5 vintage clothing shops participating in the Riverside Vintage Crawl:

Arts Market

Address: 790 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1H4

Although Arts Market is more of a gift shop and vendor market for 50+ local artisans, they do carry secondhand clothing. There’s a small display on the main floor which includes a selection of bags; but down in the basement, there’s more vintage goods to browse through.

Common Sort

Address: 760 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1H7

If you’re on the hunt for shoes, Common Sort has an impressive collection of pre-loved footwear neatly arranged on a shelf. For those who need a little help finding the right pieces for them, Common Sort has a personal shopper service, which you can book here.

Good Juice Box Vintage

Address: 768 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1H4

From graphic tees and shirts to vintage denim and cargoes, Good Juice Box boasts a well-curated inventory, which is personally handpicked by the owner. If you want to know more about an item on display, check the price tags for fun, handwritten descriptions.

Ran’s Closet

Address: 747 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1H3

Ran’s Closet carries a good mix of vintage clothing (the patched moto jackets are a highlight) and one-off reworked/upcycled pieces. For those into K-fashion, they stock brand new apparel from Korean ready-to-wear brands as well.

Second Voyage Vintage

Address: 734 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1H2

Aside from clothing and accessories, Second Voyage also has a great selection of home decor and knick-knacks. Last March, they collaborated with UNTITLED by Flaunt Boutique for a retro-themed fashion show and shopping event.

But wait, there’s more!

There will also be a special pop-up vintage market at Queen Garden Centre & Cafe (771 Queen St E) in collaboration with the Hippie Market.

PLUS local DJs will be playing beats at select venues during the event to bring the good vibes for a night of vintage shopping and sustainable fashion.

Don’t forget to download Vibemap as well so you can join the challenge and get the chance to win Riverside swag and gift cards from the participating shops.

Make sure to follow @riverside_bia on Instagram for highlights on what to expect during the event. You can also RSVP to the Riverside Vintage Crawl here. See you on Thursday, June 20th!

Words and Photos by Christian Jay B. Quilo

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Christian Jay B. Quilo, Riverside BIA Marketing Assistant

Christian is an international student from Cebu, Philippines, currently interning at the Riverside BIA. He has a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and is currently taking post-graduate studies in Lifestyle Media at Centennial College. He has been writing professionally since 2018; his favorite subject matter being food, travel, and fashion. When he’s not busy as a student or marketing assistant, he goes full-on tourist, exploring Toronto one neighborhood at a time—most likely with an iced oat latte or bubble tea in hand.